Page 62 - OHS, June 2020

PPE: PROTECTIVE APPAREL
Optimized Protective Clothing
Keeps Workers Cool and Comfortable
When working in environments of extreme heat, your clothing and its materials matter for your comfort and safety.
BY JAKE HIRSCHI
58 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2020
www.ohsonline.com
What’s the hottest you’ve ever been— when you were so hot that you were uncomfortably drained of all your en- ergy, battling exhaustion with sweat soaking through your clothes? It might have been during an especially intense workout, or a hike up a mountain or maybe even when doing difficult yard- work on a hot summer day.
Now think about the clothes you were wearing, and how they may have helped mitigate the heat and sweat. If you were working out, you likely were wear- ing performance sportswear, which is designed to wick moisture away from your body and utilize an evaporative effect to lower your body temperature. If you were hiking, many pieces of outdoor wear have ventilation panels built in to create channels of airflow through the garment. On that hot summer day work- ing in the yard, you likely had a hat and sunscreen on and perhaps a long-sleeved shirt to protect you from the direct rays of the sun.
Now think of doing that same workout, hike or yardwork while wearing a multi-layer PPE ensemble. First, you have a flame-resistant base layer next to skin. Then add a FR-greens coverall and an alumi- nized jacket and bib. Finally, throw on an aluminized hood with a face shield. Imagine doing the workout, hike or yardwork weighed down by these heavy lay- ers—albeit layers that will protect you from severe injury and burns, but are not optimized for com- fort, dexterity or keeping you cool. The amount of discomfort you would feel just went to an entirely different level! Why would anyone do this?
Real Superheroes Wear PPE
Extraordinarily fit and dedicated firefighters partici- pate in the FDIC 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb every April, an event held in conjunction with the FDIC Tradeshow in Indianapolis to honor and remember the FDNY firefighters who selflessly sacrificed their lives to save the lives of others. The men and wom- en who participate suit up in their full firefighting gear and climb the equivalent of 110 stories in Lucas Oil Stadium, symbolically scaling the height of the World Trade Center. After completing their climb, they are emotionally and physically exhausted, but are humbled and proud to have paid a noble tribute in remembrance of true heroes.
Most of us will never know what it is like to per- form such an extreme task while wearing heavy and restrictive gear. But there are industrial vocations that require wearing multiple layers of clothing and equip- ment to protect against extreme heat and exposure to dangerous thermal hazards each and every day.
Take Working in a Steel Mill, For Example
Aluminum and copper furnaces run between 1500- and 1700-degrees Fahrenheit, and steel furnaces run at temperatures above 3000 degrees Fahrenheit. The PPE worn in these environments must not only shield workers from the potential molten metal splash of these extremely hot materials, but it must also protect against the staggering amount of radiant heat that is generated by the metal and furnaces—all while keep- ing workers comfortable when performing strenuous tasks. That’s a lot to ask!
Aluminized clothing—coats, jackets, hoods, full- body suits, pants, ankle-high leggings, overshoes and spats—is the PPE of choice for professionals working in molten-metal and high-heat conditions. These PPE pieces’ primary purposes are to protect the wearer from extended exposure to radiant heat, help main- tain the wearer’s normal body temperature and shield the wearer from getting burned.
It can be tough to find an option on the market that delivers on all three of these objectives. Mass mat- ters when protecting against extreme heat; the mass in a jacket or fabric provides insulation against the 2900 degrees Fahrenheit steel, the 2000 degrees Fahrenheit molten pulp, or any number of other red-hot liquified hazards. The heavier the outer layer, the more it will insulate against extreme heat.
However, the added weight—combined with the byproduct of restricted movement—can cause the wearer to expend more energy in doing their job, in- creasing the potential for heat-stress injuries and fa- tigue while also reducing productivity. Lighter-weight alternatives are typically used solely for radiant heat protection and provide little resistance to molten metal splash.
Reducing the potential for heat-stress while de- livering sufficient protection against molten metal splash and radiant heat exposure is the goal. Protec- tive fabric and clothing manufacturers have been challenged with developing lighter-weight (between