The latest trends in PPE

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an important element of a worker’s arsenal against health and safety dangers in the workplace — essentially anything used or worn by a person to minimise risk — and it continues to evolve with technological advances and wearer demand.

Manufacturers are increasingly looking to create protective equipment that incorporates style and comfort as well as compatibility when used in tandem with other gear. Safe Work Australia has conducted a number of surveys throughout workplaces that rely heavily on PPE for their primary welfare. These have highlighted that safety and health professionals aim to consider all types of PPE and workwear being used when selecting specific models, and prefer equipment that works well together, in terms of fit, comfort and style. Safety managers are also asking for PPE that not only protects workers, but allows them to maintain a high level of productivity.

PPE’s evolution

Collaboration between industry and science has produced much of the well-known and well-used materials found in PPE today. One such material is a para-aramid synthetic fibre, commonly known as Kevlar. This high-strength material was first commercially used in the early ’70s as a replacement for steel in racing tyres. Typically, it’s spun into ropes or fabric sheets that can be used as a strengthening composition. Kevlar is used to make a variety of clothing, accessories and equipment safer and more cut resistant, and is now used to not only strengthen the wearer’s protection, but lighten its load.

Another significant innovation in PPE technology is fire-retardant fabrics, which are more resistant to flames through chemical treatment. It allows workers like firefighters or smelt workers to remain relatively cooler in hot-temperature environments for extended periods of time. Once only available for military or government use due to higher manufacturing costs, fire-retardant fabrics are now more easily accessible to manufacturers to incorporate in PPE, for example, pants, shirts, face masks and coveralls.

An emerging current issue is the need for end-of-service-life indicators for products such as respirators and body protection. Currently, the change schedule is based purely on the wearer’s inspection and best judgment. New technology, however, has evolved to take out the guesswork and offer the wearer a more accurate report on the product’s end-of-life status. Some brands have even implemented a dial that allows the wearer to tailor their protective equipment to behave differently in certain situations, giving them full control over the product’s protection.

Trendy PPE

Fashion in the workplace is no longer the domain of the corporate office, and more protective equipment brands are striving to reflect this in their products for industry workers. Safety and health professionals are well aware that PPE needs to not only be functional, but also possess comfort for prolonged use; however, they also know that a degree of style to ensure workers feel good while wearing it goes a long way towards compliance. This trend can be seen with companies such as Eleven — distributed by personal protection providers such as RSEA — which design fashionable safety footwear and apparel for men and women. Eleven has recently launched a range of cargo pants that merges street style with workwear fabrics and functionality so workers can more easily flow from the worksite to after-hours socialising. RSEA provides a large selection of fashionable and functional PPE products from many well-known and trusted brands, but recommends workers first check with their employers that these products follow workplace guidelines and codes before purchasing.

Safety workwear is increasingly available in a variety of colours, styles, functions and materials, but still provides the wearer with the necessary protection that they were designed for. This shift towards more fashionable products is certainly visible in footwear, with brands like Steel Blue, Cat and Blundstone, tailoring shoes for fashion and optimum workplace safety.

Other trends can be seen in safety glasses, which have been designed to look more like snowboarding sunnies and less like laboratory protection ware. Not only do these safety glasses feature a more attractive look, but some also include anti-fog elements and foam technology for a custom-designed fit.

The future of PPE?

Incorporating digital technology

Using digital technology to create safer PPE for workers is already evident with companies such as Daqri and Laing O’Rourke working on the development of high-tech hats. US start-up Daqri in 2014 designed an Android-powered hard hat capable of augmented reality, featuring sensors, cameras and a transparent visor that works as a head-up display. It can show instructions and other digital elements overlaid against real-world equipment and objects without having to be manually operated. News that Laing O’Rourke is trialling a smart hard hat has also come out recently. Its version essentially consists of sensors incorporated onto a sweatband with a data collection unit that can be inserted onto a standard hard hat. The sensors can then monitor temperature and a worker’s heart rate as well as external conditions, alerting them to potential health concerns such as heatstroke.

Sustainable PPE

As changing demands for safety and style make themselves present in the workplace, new technology will undoubtedly find ways to quench that demand. Currently, most manufactured PPE materials are derived from fossil fuel resources, such as polyester and polymers. Today, companies are more increasingly conscious of their environmental footprint and are driving demand for more environmentally friendly products as part of their operations. Manufacturers are therefore looking towards using more biopolymers and natural fibres for disposable PPE — determined to find a balance between the reduction in the carbon footprint and the demand for a fashionable item. And as the demand for such products increases, so too will research and innovation.