Protective Apparel at the Tip of the Pyramid

What are the innovations and strategies impacting protective apparel for workers in extreme environments such as foundries and pulp paper mills?

• By David Kopf
• Oct 11, 2023

The more extreme the work environment, the more protective apparel can mean the difference between a job well done and a disaster. Recent trends in fibers, materials, and coatings are impacting how the developers of apparel help employees do tough jobs.

For example, workers in foundries are regularly exposed to extreme temperatures and situations. Molten metal can exceed temperatures of 2,500°F. This exposes workers to a high risk of burns if safety measures aren’t followed. For another example, pulp and paper mill workers can be exposed to chemicals like chlorine, chlorine dioxide and sulfur compounds that can lead to respiratory issues, burns, and other health concerns. Also, the paper drying process requires high temperatures, putting workers at risk of heat-related illnesses and burns.

While just two industries, these two environments underscore why workers in those industries need protective apparel that’s on par with the seriousness of their environments.

The Hazard Pyramid

Jake Hirschi, general manager of CarbonX, a TexTech company that makes PPE and fire-resistant apparel, paints a picture of the protective apparel landscape using a metaphor he calls the “hazard pyramid.” At the pyramid’s base, you find protections against more common, albeit less deadly, threats such as welding splatter — products such as FR cottons and acrylics.

Those items can still protect against severe events, such as flash fires or arc flash incidents, but the likelihood of something extreme happening is low. However, as you climb the pyramid, the threats become more lethal, and the solutions grow more specialized.

“We operate at the very top of the hazard spectrum,” Hirschi explains. “If you could die from heat exposure or from metal splash or from fire, that’s where we are at.”

When it comes to recent protective apparel innovations at the hazard pyramid’s apex, one of the most significant shifts has been a newfound appreciation for the benefits of layering that has emerged over the last seven or eight years. Rather than the materials, it’s how they’re worn.

The Shift to Layering

Prior to that, workers might just don an aluminum jacket and coveralls and believe they were adequately protected. Now, there’s a deeper understanding of layering’s compounding protective effect.

“It’s not just an addition, it’s a compounding effect in protective capability,” Hirschi explains. “There’s also a recent recognition that there’s multiple exposure.”

Layering also stems from a paradigm shift in recognizing that extreme work environments are multi-exposure environments and need solutions that are designed with that in mind. For instance, in a steel mill, there aren’t just hazards stemming from extremely hot metal; there is also a lot of electricity in play that carries its own risks.

So, an employee might face a slew of hazards: arc flashes, electrical threats, steam exposure, and metal splashes. Previously, safety measures approached these hazards individually when it came to the protective apparel and gear being used.

“Now [those industries] realize those hazards are all in the same environment and that you need to have something that can withstand all of that,” Hirschi says. “So just qualifying different products for multi-use environments has changed the way a lot of these safety directors make their decisions on what to wear in their specific location.”

In essence, the top of the hazard pyramid requires not only higher protection levels but also a holistic approach, understanding the complex, multifaceted risks workers face and designing apparel to address them all.

Emphasizing Comfort

But it’s important to think about how that layering plays out in the real-world setting presented by these extreme environments. Using the example of safety protocols for workers in steel mills, a three-layer system is employed that involves a base layer, followed by a coverall, and finally, an aluminized outer layer. That’s a lot of coverage for a worker in a still mill, Hirschi notes.

“No one wants to be wearing three layers when you’re standing in front of a 3,000-degree furnace,” he says. Yet, the efficacy of these layers is undeniable. Those three layers will protect against an incident such as a molten metal splash. “There haven’t been any injuries reported when they’re compliant.”

The key phrase in that sentence is “when they’re compliant,” Hirschi underscores.

“Say you work in the south at a pulp paper mill,” he continues explaining, using another example where the layers might even be fewer. “It’s 100 percent humidity, 90 degrees outside, and you’re supposed to throw on multiple layers in front of a 2,000-degree furnace. It’s simply not feasible for someone to work long hours in that environment.”

The key lies in making each layer as light as possible, ensuring that workers are more likely to wear them and remain safe in case of unforeseen accidents.

“Comfort equals compliance is kind of what everyone says in the industry,” Hirschi explains.

The mantra is simple, but it’s profound. The basic idea is that if the personal protective equipment (PPE) handed to a worker isn’t comfortable, there’s a good chance it will be modified, altered, or worse, left unworn. The result? Potential injuries and non-compliance with safety standards.

Innovations for the Industrial Athlete

Herein lies the need for innovation — to create protective apparel options that provide layered solutions for extreme environments that also feature multiple hazards and, at the same time, make it something workers will truly be able to wear.

“The more comfortable you can make it, the better,” Hirschi says. “So, if you can innovate and create options that workers and safety managers can choose depending on what that hazard is, then that leads to greater protection and better compliance for onsite safety overall.”

Developing fibers, materials and coatings that are lighter, more flexible and moisture-wicking for workers’ protective layers is essential. The sources for some of those innovations might be a little surprising.

“Actually, we take a lot of cues from the outdoor industry and the activewear industry,” Hirschi explains. Those companies focus considerable attention on researching and developing clothing that has to deal with factors such as sun, rain and moisture management.

And those athletic wear innovations perfectly align with how many workers see themselves: as industrial athletes.

“They see what they’re doing as athletic as there are so many physical requirements,” he explains. “It’s grueling. You have to be in shape. You can’t just show up and hope to last through an eight-hour shift of sweat and through your clothes. You actually have to be able to manage that, and whatever apparel you’re wearing should complement that.”

Striking Balances

That said, Hirschi notes that the fibers and materials have to protect against exposure to the hazards of the work environment. That can create a balancing act when it comes to product design. For example, a certain type of inherent non-flammability might be needed, but it doesn’t allow for moisture wicking.

“The trade-off is you have to prioritize safety,” he explains, “but also get the apparel as lightweight or as flexible as possible to allow workers to be able to perform their job task for a longer and more effectively.”

Another sporting realm that has helped drive protective apparel innovation that aims to strike that balance is motorsports. Mike Chapman, a race car driver, sought a material to insulate heat transfer within an engine. This quest led to the application of Oxidized Polyacrylonitrile (OPAN) fiber, a precursor to carbon fiber. Blending these OPAN fibers with strengthening fibers produces a fabric that undergoes a carbonizing process when exposed to heat, which effectively absorbs the heat.

Hirschi’s company, CarbonX started using the material to create much lighter protective apparel for extreme environments. Jack demonstrates the efficacy of his company’s material by applying a 2000-degree butane torch to a glove woven with CarbonX. The weave is loose, and his skin is visible. The glove absorbs the heat and spreads it across its surface.

Incorporated into outer jackets for environments like steel mills, CarbonX can get its material down to 10 ounces per square yard, which marks a significant weight savings against materials that protect at the same level but at between 19 and 24 ounces a yard.

At the same time, Hirschi acknowledges that innovations come at a cost. Gear that provides protection against multiple hazards in extreme environments and is lighter and easier to wear requires materials that will entail a higher price. But for jobs at the top of that pyramid, those capabilities can feel like a good bargain.

“These are jobs that people have to do,” he emphasizes. “There’s no way around doing them. So, to make workers as safe as possible is the challenge. The best way to do that is to find ways to protect them that make them more comfortable and compliant when they do it. That’s the overall arc of where the innovations need to go.”

This article originally appeared in the October 2023 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.