Industrial workwear for hot workplace environments: thermal management attributes

Personal protective clothing (PPC) is critical for worker safety and wellbeing from both protection and thermal management perspectives, particularly as PPC typically covers more than 90% of the body. Research of PPC in low-risk categories such as mining, oil, gas, and construction and their thermal management attributes is limited, although these industries represent a significant proportion of the industrial workforce, work across a broad range of major industries, and frequently work in hot and/or humid thermal environments. This study evaluated and characterized the thermal management attributes of a selection of commercial low-level risk PPC ensembles currently used around the world as well as a civilian/corporate wear ensemble, using a sweating thermal manikin. The results demonstrate that there are substantially poorer thermal attributes for the PPC ensembles. Predicted Heat Strain Index (PHS) results for hot conditions reveal significantly lower duration limited exposure (DLE) and considerably greater body water loss for the wearers of PPC. Opportunities to substantially reduce PPC material mass and improve construction for these low-level risk categories in order to enhance thermal management performance are identified. Relationships between the thermal attributes of PPC and civilian clothing, and their garment construction, fit, and material characteristics are identified, providing new and important knowledge for current performance and direction for development of new improved PPC. This study provides researchers, developers, and garment designers with valuable insights for future improvement of PPC to create improved PPC for industrial workwear worn in hot environments.

Design considerations for low-level risk personal protective clothing: a review

Personal protective clothing (PPC) is mandatory in hazardous industrial workplaces, but can increase thermophysiological strain, causing fatigue, reduced productivity, illness and injury. We systematically reviewed the literature on PPC and heat stress, focusing on research relating to working conditions of high temperature and humidity. PPC must protect industrial workers from a wide variety of hazards, including sun damage, abrasion, chemical spills and electrical burns; these competing demands inevitably compromise thermal performance. Fiber type, textile material construction and treatment need to be considered alongside garment fit and construction to design functional PPC providing wearers with adequate protection and comfort. Several approaches to materials and PPC testing-objective benchtop evaluation, mathematical modelling, and physiological testing-can be combined to provide high-quality thermal and vapor performance data. Our review provides a foundation and directions for further research in low-level risk PPC, where current research in fabrics and clothing in this category is very limited, and will help designers and manufacturers create industrial workwear with improved thermal management characteristics.