Page 46 - Occupational Health & Safety, July/August 2019

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
For maximum performance, fabrics need to be tested beyond existing standards and user evaluations.
accepted test in comfort science, designated by ASTM F1868, Part B, and ISO 11092 methods, measures a material’s resistance to sweat evaporation. The lower the resistance, the more breathable the fabric.
High Visibility
Utility workers need garments that not only provide protection from arc hazards and foul weather, but also ensure that they can be seen by others, reducing the risk of visibility-related workplace accidents. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) have set requirements for high-visibility clothing that reduces accident risk. ANSI 107-15, the American National Standard for High-Visibility Safety Apparel and Accessories, and CSA Z96-15, an equivalent Canadian stan- dard, should also be met.
Look for arc-rated rainwear made from innovative fabrics that are Hi-Vis Yellow or Hi-Vis Orange to contrast with the surrounding environment. Also, these fabrics eliminate the need to wear an additional vest when responding to service calls in high-traffic areas.
Testing
For maximum performance, fabrics need to be tested beyond existing standards and user evaluations—ideally through a four- part process:
1. Material testing. Materials are tested in the laboratory for waterproofness and arc flash resistance; delamination resistance; seam-tape adhesion; flexibility in extreme temperatures; and du- rability in rain.
2. System-level testing. Garments and/or garment systems are tested using instrumented manikins to measure the garments’ breathability, freedom of movement, and burn protection.
3. Human performance. Subjects test how the fabric feels, works, and wears in controlled chamber conditions. These cham- bers simulate environmental conditions while the test subjects perform different activities. Typical output measures skin tempera- ture, heart rate, and other physiological responses.
4. Field trial. Garments are manufactured and put through a user trial. Feedback is collected on protection, comfort, and durability—especially useful in helping safety managers make decisions.
Into the Future
For the electric utility industry, the future is here for new fabric technologies. The newest FR/arc-rated rainwear can be protective and comfortable, too. One performance element doesn’t need to be
CORPORATE PROFILE
HAIX® North America, Inc.
www.haix.com/us
2320 Fortune Drive, Suite 120 Lexington, KY 40509
Toll Free : 800-344-HAIX| Fax: 859-281-0113
Contact Information
service-hna@haix.com
FUNCTIONAL FOOTWEAR SPECIALIST
Based in Mainburg, Germany, HAIX®is a functional footwear specialist with a worldwide reputation as a “safety brand”. Wherever people need high per- formance footwear that will not let them down, HAIX®has become the brand of choice – in Europe, North America, and Asia.
At the company headquar-
ters, HAIX® has established
dedicated Research & De-
velopment, Design, and Mar-
keting departments. In the
high-tech research and test
lab, HAIX®engineers develop
new functional features and
set new trends and stan-
dards for safety footwear.
HAIX®has some of the most up-to-date test laboratories in the world. Never content with meeting the minimum standards, the aim for each HAIX®shoe is to outperform the standards to the greatest extent. This translates into increased safety, a greater degree of comfort, and higher quality. For the pro- duction of its top-quality safety shoes, HAIX®operates wholly owned factories in Germany and Croatia where the company built one of the most modern shoe manufacturing plants in the world. HAIX®has been in operation since 1992 and employs 1,300 people worldwide and manufactures more than 1.2 million pairs of shoes annually.
40 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2019
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