David Clark, MD of the Hultafors Group UK which owns Snickers Workwear, looks at why garments with ‘Climate Control’ can stop you from getting hot under the collar.
Working on-site can be a hazardous business. Bumps, cuts and bruises are everyday occurrences and more serious, long term injuries often happen. With so much happening at the job site – machinery, materials and even potentially dangerous working locations – the potential for accidents is everywhere.
There’s a host of training and PPE products to keep us safety-aware and protected. But it isn’t just physical hazards in the working environment you should be conscious of, as you need to be aware of how weather conditions can affect your performance and wellbeing on-site. That means dressing correctly.
We’re all looking forward to sunny, warm weather this year. As long as you’ve got plenty of sunscreen to protect exposed skin, it’ll produce a great tan, but it can also compound the health and safety issues by creating an extra hazard for personal wellbeing.
So dressing right for the environment you’re grafting in is important – not only for working efficiency, but also for personal comfort and wellbeing.
SUMMER WORKWEAR: TOP TIPS
The best workwear for professional tradesmen and women is designed to create a Climate Control System for your body. It will help you stay cool so that you can get the job done as easily and comfortable as possible.
There are many factors that affect how comfortable your work clothes and safety shoes are, particularly the materials they’re made of and whether they’re right for the type of work you’re doing.
Feet
If you’re on the move a lot or want to keep your feet cool, why not try out some of the newer-style safety trainers, that combine lightweight, breathable uppers and composite midsoles for comfort and protection. You can even get socks that will keep your feet cool, dry and ventilated.
Legs
Shorts are fine in really warm weather and some working environments, but they won’t provide protection for your knees and lower legs. Work trousers made from heavy fabrics can be uncomfortable and impractical, so think about getting yourself a pair of lightweight work trousers made from a hi-tech fabric that combines comfort with durability.
Upper body
Keeping comfortable and dry will ensure you work more efficiently. Our advice is to get yourself topwear like shirts and lightweight jackets – including hi-vis vests – that work for you by pulling sweat away from your skin to keep you dry and your body temperature on an even keel. The last thing you need is for your clothes to get damp through sweat, leaving you feeling uncomfortable and cold when the temperature drops.
Get the right fit
To make sure that your working clothes fit your body and the jobs you’ve got in hand, here’s some basic advice:
- Choose clothes that not tight, but lightweight and comfortable.
- Choose ‘Climate Control’ fabrics that wick away sweat away from your skin.
- In general, keep in mind that you don’t want any clothing that gets in the way of the work you’re doing.
- Don’t wear clothes that become uncomfortable and therefore affect your concentration. For your own comfort and wellbeing, it’s important to stay alert and to pay attention to how you’re feeling when you’re working hard on a hot day.
Turning down the heat
When the going gets really hot and humid, ventilation is the key. Look for hot weather garments that feature advanced designs and ‘intelligent’ materials – such as A.V.S and Coolmax – which is a soft fabric designed to transport moisture away from your body, helping you to stay cool and dry.
“The high-tech A.V.S. fabric features an innovative blend of polyester and bamboo carbon”, says David. “The bamboo is ground down to nano-size – one millionth of a millimeter – and blended with the polyester fibre. The result is a highly breathable material, giving you exceptional moisture (sweat) transport, UV protection and anti-odour comfort”.
He adds: “On a hot day you really need a garment made from a fabric that has the ultimate capacity for ventilation and moisture transport. That’s why we at Snickers Workwear have chosen 37.5 technology to provide hardworking craftsmen and women with the coolest experience”.
37.5 is a ground-breaking new fabric technology – largely used in high-performance sportswear – with unmatched efficiency when it comes to ventilation and moisture transport. Instead of being applied to the surface of the fabric, 37.5 fibres are woven into the fabric. This means they never get washed out so you get the full benefit wear after wear.
For more information about the Snickers range of Climate Control workwear visit: www.snickersworkwear.co.uk
