Cutting corners in PPE
September 1st 2007

Jim Findlay, product specialist at W.L. Gore and Associates (UK) explains why you cannot afford to make dedicated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) an optional extra

Developments in PPE over the past 30 years have been contributed significantly to prevention of injury and saving life in the work environment where demanding manual work in sometimes hazardous conditions is a reality. However, diminishing budgets threaten to make quality PPE provision and worker protection more of a financial decision rather than one purely focused on safety and protection.

Governments and industrial organisations, including Health and Safety experts, recognise that it is imperative to ensure that the employees are protected in case of unforeseen incident and are able to function safely, effectively and efficiently in all environments where protective clothing is required.

Procurement of PPE needs to be a structured, planned and well thought out process and not one that is in danger of misinterpretation or mismanagement. It is essential that technical specifiers and procurement teams recognise that buying just to the Norm may not be the correct decision. Is the Norm test the correct test for the risk identified? Is the Norm performance level understood relative to the likely hazard? Is the Norm performance level fully understood? In the field of foul weather wear and wind protection, including flame retardant and antistatic garments for the Utility industry W L Gore & Associates (UK) works closely with companies and industries across the globe to develop appropriate, functional and dedicated PPE solutions for each individual group of workers in any given sector of industry.

Recently GORE worked with Swiss company Securitas to develop an improved trouser for its employees.

Securitas employees had already been wearing GORE-TEX clothing for many years, but the company was keen to experience the benefits of a more functional trouser design.

GORE identified its WINDSTOPPER membrane as the possible solution to the development of more functional workwear trousers for Securitas. Securitas asked 54 employees in six different locations, spanning a range of Swiss climate zones to test the trousers. The employees all wore the same style of trousers made with the 3-layer WINDSTOPPER laminate.

The workers were asked regularly for their views, and over 2,500 questionnaires were completed. The trousers performed in cold and/or warm surroundings, and were rated by the testers as light, windproof, breathable, water-repellent, well cut and skin-friendly.

The test clearly confirmed GORE's predefined development goal for the 3-layer WINDSTOPPER trousers – to combine the protection of a functional trouser for outdoor wear with the comfort of a trouser for indoor wear.

When it comes to a garment being fit for end use, it is imperative to use experts who offer accountability along with strict quality and technical manufacturing techniques.

A case in point is the Vienna Airport Fire Service who took over two years of testing and modifying in conjunction with GORE their protective workwear samples until they were convinced that they were completely satisfied they had met their own personal requirements, which also complied with and excelled European standards for EN469* – protective clothing for fire services.

The Vienna Airport Fire Service set up a four-phase model for the procurement process, at each phase they discarded samples, which didn't reach the level of protection or high expectation. During the first phase of testing, 2/3 of protective clothing tenders were eliminated from consideration.

The remaining eight protective outfits were then submitted for further testing and were examined for technical suitability.

Following this, the four short-listed outfits were tested as everyday wear by fire fighters for a month to see how they faired in typical active service situations, not only fire-fighting but also stand-by motorway technical operations, aeroplane rescues, operations involving hazardous substances and in a range of other situations.

As a final phase of the procurement procedure, the two remaining outfits, both made from a NOMEX inner lining and GORE-TEX laminate were presented to the fire service teams. Criticism, suggestions and wishes were collected, assessed and incorporated into the call for tenders.

The result was that GORE-TEX AIRLOCK fabric technology was combined for the first time with a flameproof PBI Gold outer material for the Fire Service. The new protective clothing has now been in active service with the Vienna Airport Fire Service for over 18 months.

When considering PPE for a workforce, best working practices need to be put into place in order to maintain, develop and review end user needs and the changing working environments and subsequent demands in the work place. Senior management need to discuss changes, demands and needs with the workers at a grass roots' level. Structured approaches, reviews and prototype product testing in the field are essential for ensuring quality products that are fit for use are supplied.

Selection processes should also involve analysis of the credibility of the ingredients used in the manufacture of the PPE as well as the manufacture's history and experience, and their ability to offer repair and warranty guarantees. Design and functionality of the end product is key to ensuring the garment or footwear is fit for end use.

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