Flame Retardant Garments

When flame retardant workwear is mentioned the perception of many people is that the only people needing these garments are fire-fighters and motor sport participants. However there are many more workers who have the need for this type of Personal Protective Equipment including.

• Electricians
• Foundry Workers
• Workers in Petrochemical installations on shore and off shore
• Welders
• Other emergency services, Police, Ambulance etc

You may be faced with a bewildering array of garment and fabric choices. But before any decisions can be made, you need to know which fabrics and garments are in compliance with your needs. And that means knowing exactly what compliance means, what the performance specifications are, and how they are determined.

In the EU the standards are as below

EN 470 – 1: Protective clothing during welding or similar operations
The clothing is intended to protect the user against small splashes of molten metal (EN348), short contact time with flame (EN532), and ultra violet radiation, and to be worn continuously for up to 8 hours at ambient temperature

EN531: Protection against heat and flame
The standard specifies the performance requirements for protective clothing for workers exposed to heat. Limited flame spread (A) (Pass/Fail) is tested in accordance with a test method defined by EN 532. To pass the EN 531 requirements the clothing must also protect against at least one form of heat. The heat may be in the form of convective heat B (level B1-B5) according to EN 367, radiant heat C (level C1-C4) according to EN 366, molten aluminium splash (D) according to EN 373, molten iron splash (E) according to EN 373. HH products subjected to EN 531 are tested on radiant- and convective heat.


EN533: Protection against heat and flame
Protection against heat and flame; the standard specifies the performance requirements for the limited flame spread properties of materials and material assemblies used in protective clothing. The material(s) is classified in accordance with an index for limitation of flame spread (X) before and after a standard washing procedure (Y).
• X/Y Flame spread index, index 1, 2 or 3.
• Y Number of washes at a given temperature.
If the index is 1 (lowest level) the garment can only be used outside a garment with index 2 or 3.
If you have any doubt regarding what standard should be used for you or your employees’ then professional advice should be taken.

Also to be taken into account is whether the garment is made from an inherently Flame Retardant yarn or whether it has only been treated with a flame retardant finish. This can have an effect on the longevity of the flame retardant properties.

At www.Graniteworkwear.com in line with our policy to offer the best products available for all customers, we have recently included Hi Viz FR garments from Pulsar in our range and we will be adding more items including overalls, shirts, headwear and socks in the very near future, several of these will also feature antistatic and thermal properties particularly suited to the petrochemical and gas industries.

Eye Protection a Must

Thousands of eye injuries occur every year in the UK ranging from minor, which may result in a few days off work, to major, resulting in the loss of an eye.
The use of proper eyewear, guards against flying particles, chemicals, burns and with the cost of compensation for the loss of sight in one eye averaging £100,000 and the loss of working days in lesser cases there is an obvious cost if the right equipment is not used.

However it is not just about cost; the welfare of workers should be uppermost in employers’ minds. In the case of individuals who are performing DIY or sports they should be thinking about the impact on their and their family’s lives of damaging their eyes.The Health and Safety Executive make it clear that companies have a legal duty of care to train and protect their employees and visitors against occupational risk. It is their responsibility to ensure that the proper PPE eyewear is used at all times. It used to be that only people actually involved in the use of tools or operating machinery had to wear eye protection, now anybody passing through a work area or construction site has to be protected.
Often the employees do not like to wear PPE items and in particular eyewear, as they find it restricting and uncomfortable but suppliers are conscious of this and are developing new products that are comfortable and fit properly so that maximum protection is afforded.

Particularly in the case of eyewear, fit is essential and the cost and logistics of stocking many different sizes at a company has now been addressed by the production of adjustable eyewear that fits a number of sizes and shapes of face. The eyewear is also much lighter and gives distortion free vision. There have also been big advances in non-mist and scratch resistance and many offer various levels of UV protection along with polarisation to cut glare particularly when working near water. In the past one of the reasons that people did not like to wear safety eyewear was that it looked unfashionable, this has now changed with the design of trendy and sporty looking products often following high-street fashion trends.

At Granite Workwear you will find a comprehensive range of eye protection items. Even the Peltor Maxim Air Seal which can double as goggles or the more traditional glasses but with the eye completely sealed. These come with three interchangeable ballistic lenses, smoke for high light levels, yellow for low light levels and clear.

We are finding that they are being used by a very diverse range of customers from people who are susceptible to eye infections to drivers of vintage vehicles. A bee in your eye at 70mph must be a very alarming experience!

Work Uniforms - Look Smart, Work Smart!

As signs of recession approach, how many companies have assessed how fit they are to weather the storm? It is interesting to note that Tie Rack has seen an unusual leap in sales. Could this be put down to employee concerns over job security? Several analysts think that this is the case. The last time that the tie was considered a fashion statement was back in the early seventies, paisley, kipper, pencil etc & etc.

Well, the employee has seen the light but what about the employers?

Harris Interactive Polling and J.D.Power & Associates have both produced data that shows that customers have more trust and confidence in employees that are in a work uniform. They also report that uniformed employees provide products and services that are perceived to be of higher quality.

However, let us not kid ourselves that an embroidered oxford shirt constitutes an extension of a well thought out corporate identity. There is far more to this than at first appears.

What about the benefits that the business receives from its employees in performance, self / company image and attitude. A well designed, functional corporate wardrobe can have a startlingly positive effect on employees which can translate into improved / service levels and stronger customer loyalty.

A poorly designed / quality wardrobe can turn the potential customer away and make the employee feel a complete lack of worth to the business.

Put yourself in the position of the customer. Would you trust or buy from someone who looked like a bag of spanners or would you trust someone that was dressed in smart workwear and had pride in their appearance – at the same time, projecting the company image?

It’s a no-brainer!

When selecting your company uniform / work wear supplier, asses their experience and look to see how you can incorporate safety items, PPE and functional fabrics to make a complete corporate image.

www.graniteworkwear.com supplies end users and distributors with a comprehensive range of only high quality and tested workwear, PPE and corporate clothing. We like to sleep at night knowing that our customers are going to be around after the recession.

Chainsaw Safety Clothing

Regulations generally recommend that chainsaw users wear protective clothing, also known as Personal Protective Equipment or PPE, while operating chainsaws. There is general agreement worldwide on what clothing is suitable, but local jurisdictions have specific rules and recommendations.

Clothing Types

Helmet

The helmet attempts to protect the user's head against impact with the cutter bar of the chainsaw should a kickback occur. This can only be successful if the chain brake has operated to stop the cutter chain. A chain running at full speed easily cuts the helmet.

The helmet also protects against impacts from small falling objects, such as a dead branch from a tree being felled.

The image shows a helmet which integrates visor and ear defenders into one unit. This is a very popular arrangement with chainsaw users.

In the EU, the helmet must meet the requirements of EN397.

Visor or Goggles

A visor or goggles reduce the chance of chips penetrating the user's eyes.

The relatively flimsy visor, with imperfect coverage of the face, is considered acceptable because the chips produced by chainsaws are of relatively uniform size and speed. Unlike other woodworking tools, a chainsaw produces little or no sawdust, only chips. The chips are too large to fit through the visor's mesh.

Some chainsaw users prefer conventional safety goggles. The choice may depend on the environment. The visor provides better ventilation for hard work in hot weather.

In the EU, a visor must comply with EN1731, or goggles must comply with EN166.

Ear defenders

Ear defenders and ear plugs attenuate noise to levels that cause little or no damage to the user's hearing. The chainsaw is very loud, typically 115 dB.

In the EU, ear defenders must comply with EN352.

Trousers

Special fabrics have been developed for chainsaw clothing, and this development is still very active. Conventional fabric is useless at protecting against a running chainsaw, being immediately cut through.

There is a real struggle between making a fabric proof against more violent impact, and making it light, flexible and comfortable enough for the user. Clothes which make the user too hot, or which prevent the user moving easily, are a safety problem in themselves. A worker suffering from heat exhaustion is not safe. Extra fabric layers can be added to clothing to improve cut resistance, but clothes which cannot be cut at all by a powerful saw are impractical, even with modern fibres. What is worse saw and chain technology seems to be outstripping fabric technology. High power saws with aggressively cutting chains are almost impossible to protect against.

A classification scheme has been developed in the EU to rate trousers, and fabric in general, for protection against cutting.

Chainsaw Fabric Classification
Class	Max chain speed m/s
0	16
1	20
2	24
3	28

The chain speed is specified in the manual for a chainsaw. Higher class trousers cost more and are heavier, so there is an advantage to choosing the trousers to match the saw.

There are two standard types of trousers, Type A and Type C. Type A protects only the front of the legs, and can be supplied not as full trousers but as chaps, worn over conventional work clothes. Types C gives protection all round the legs and are almost always worn as ordinary trousers; not over another garment. In the EU, most workers choose to wear type C trousers.

Chainsaw protective fabric works on a number of principles. The outermost layer can be made both tough and slippery, so that the chain skids across it rather than cutting in. Lower layers of fabric can be tough to cut, absorbing saw power. The final defence is that long fibres of the protective fabric (commonly Kevlar) are drawn out by the running saw, not cut through. These long fibres travel with the chain to the saw drive sprocket, where they jam the mechanism and stall the saw. After this, the saw has to be taken apart for cleaning out. Chainsaw protective trousers in the EU must comply with EN381-5.

Gloves

Chainsaw gloves have cut-proof fabric protection like that for trousers, but only on the back of the left hand. It's especially important that work gloves are flexible, which limits how much padding they can have. Experience has shown that most chainsaw injuries to the hands occur on the back of the left hand.

In the EU, chainsaw gloves must comply with EN381-7.

Boots

Chainsaw boots are based on ordinary steel-toe boots, but have layers of chainsaw protective fabric on the exposed front surfaces. They are available in lace-up leather or rubber Wellington boot versions.

In the EU, chainsaw boots must comply with EN345-2.

Logos for Fabric

Chainsaw Logo

In the EU, chainsaw trousers, boots and gloves (the items containing chainsaw protective fabric) must carry a special chainsaw logo. This shows that the fabric is of a type tested to protect properly, and also shows the class of protection, the rated maximum chain speed.

Additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

First Aid Kit

In the UK, workers are required to carry a first aid kit containing at least a large wound dressing.

Whistle

In the UK, workers are recommended to carry a whistle to call for help if they are injured. Colleagues may be close by, but unable to hear over the noise of chainsaw(s) still running. The whistle tends to overcome this.

Peltor Sportac Electronic Ear Defenders

At Granite Workwear we took some time sourcing ear defenders. We wanted products that were high quality and with a good reputation. We decided that Peltor products ticked all the right boxes and that has been backed up by our customers. Peltor Sportac ear defenders are a classic example of that quality.

Active-volume hearing protector from Peltor eliminates harmful noise so fast you don’t even notice it.

The Peltor SportTac is an active-volume hearing protector for shooting applications. With new digital technology, the hearing protector has sound reproduction and a sense of direction that are as close to nature as humanly possible. They have a very fast reaction speed, so you don’t notice when the hearing protector blocks out harmful noise. The new electronics in the Peltor SportTac react instantaneously, protecting the hearing from loud impulse noises. But it does so softly, so that the hunter or marksman rarely even hears the clip as the protection is activated.

The active-volume function adjusts smoothly, ensuring the user very pleasant sound reproduction and less irritation. The digital sound circuit eliminates the sharp sound clip that is typical for most active-volume hearing protectors on the market. Many people find that sound unpleasant and disturbing.
The specially designed digital circuit provides unique sound reproduction and better performance – higher amplification of ambient noise and 600 hours’ operating time.

Comfortable and Safe, With Interchangeable Shells in Different Colours

Another new feature with the Peltor SportTac is the interchangeable shells. Now for the first time, hunters and marksmen can choose their colours to suit the hunt or their mood. They are available in red/black combination or orange/green. The hearing protectors were designed for extra comfort during long hunts that last all day. And of course they can be connected to a hunting radio or dog tracker.

Agriculture Safety and PPE

Over half a million people currently work in Agriculture which in the current context includes, farming, arboriculture, horticulture, fish farming and of increasing significance, amenity use of the countryside. Although employment has steadily been declining, the industry has remained a priority for HSE because of its notoriously poor injury record

Agriculture is also an industry with a poor record of occupational health. The SWI (Self-reported Work-related Illness) survey in 2001/02 estimated that 30,000 people (whose current or most recent job in the last eight years was in agriculture) suffered from an illness, which they believed was caused or made worse by their job sectors.

With a prevalence rate of 6,500 per 100,000 people, agriculture has one of the highest prevalence rates of self-reported ill health of all industries.

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSD), exposure to dusts and respiratory sensitisers, zoonoses, noise and vibration (whole body and hand/arm) are the main causes of illness:

• 80% of those working in the industry suffer some form of musculoskeletal injury;
• the incidence of asthma is twice the national average, and 40% of those working in the industry suffer respiratory disorders;
• 20,000 people suffer some form of zoonotic infection each year; and
• 25% of those working in the industry suffer some form of noise-induced hearing loss.

At Granite Workwear we have first hand farming knowledge with one director running a family farming business. We think farmers need to be more aware of the modern range of PPE, or Personal Protection Equipment, available.

Many farmers avoid wearing safety boots as they are seen to be uncomfortable and heavy. However the latest footwear incorporates high tec materials with steel toecaps and midsoles replaced with lightweight modern materials and uppers made from breatheable and waterproof materials. Trainer and hiker styles allow a comfortable choice. Wellies can now be now comfortable and safe with toe protection, ankle support and non slip soles.

Hearing protection and ear defenders is now covered by our Peltor range. Comfortable, lightweight with options for radio, intercoms etc.

Eye protection by Bolle and Peltor is stylish and comfortable with a huge range of glasses that will protect in the workshop, out in the field and from the sun.

Gloves are a rare sight on UK farms but there is a massive range of gloves to protect hands from many risks – infection, chemicals, heat, cuts, cold the list is endless.

Hi-vis clothing is standard practice on building sites and factories wherever a risk of vehicle or other impact is possible. It is high time this policy was adopted on busy farms. Granite workwear offer a large range of hi-vis clothing from a polo shirt to full waterproof breathable gear.

The safety record on UK farms need to improve, PPE is an easy and low cost way to help protect farm staff. See our range at www.graniteworkwear.com

Do You Have A Noise Problem At Work?

This will depend on how loud the noise is and how long people are exposed to it. As a simple guide you will probably need to do something about the noise if any of the following apply:

• Is the noise intrusive - like a busy street, a vacuum cleaner or a crowded restaurant - for most of the working day?
• Do your employees have to raise their voices to carry out a normal conversation when about 2 m apart for at least part of the day?
• Do your employees use noisy powered tools or machinery for more than half an hour each day?
• Do you work in a noisy industry, eg construction, demolition; woodworking; plastics processing; engineering; textile manufacture; forging, pressing or stamping; board making; canning; foundries?
• Are there noises due to impacts (such as hammering, pneumatic impact tools etc), explosive sources such as cartridge operated tools, or guns?

Noise can also be a safety hazard at work, interfering with communication and making warnings harder to hear.

The health effects of noise at work

Noise at work can cause hearing loss that can be temporary or permanent. People often experience temporary deafness after leaving a noisy place. Although hearing recovers within a few hours, this should not be ignored. It is a sign that if you continue to be exposed to the noise your hearing could be permanently damaged. Permanent hearing damage can be caused immediately by sudden, extremely loud, explosive noises, eg from guns or cartridge-operated machines.

But hearing loss is usually gradual because of prolonged exposure to noise. It may only be when damage caused by noise over the years combines with hearing loss due to ageing that people realise how deaf they have become. Eventually everything becomes muffled and people find it difficult to catch sounds like 't', 'd' and 's', so they confuse similar words.

Hearing loss is not the only problem. People may develop tinnitus (ringing, whistling, buzzing or humming in the ears), a distressing condition which can lead to disturbed sleep.

Remember

By law, as an employer, you must assess and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from exposure to noise so that you can protect the hearing of your employees.

Where required, ensure that:

• hearing protection is provided and used such as ear defenders;
• any other controls are properly used; and
• you provide information, training and health surveillance.
  

A wide array of noise protection is now available from the simple disposable ear plug to electronic ear defenders with intercom and radio features.

At Granite Workwear we have chosen to sell the Peltor range of ear defenders. Peltor offers a huge range of ear protection supplying the military, industry, police etc.