Hot & Cool survival garments

08 Apr '08

3 min read

The most elaborate travel-wear in Norway keeps the body cool in hot helicopter cabins, but will turn into a heat-retaining suit if the helicopter should fall into the sea.

Tests in SINTEF's laboratory basin show that the smart helicopter survival suits offers good protection against loss of heat when the wearer is in the sea.

The new suit has been jointly developed by SINTEF, which is a Norwegian research institute, and Helly Hansen, a Norwegian producer of textiles and special gear for sports and work on the ocean and in the mountains.

Thanks to a cooperative project between these two partners offshore platform personnel on the Norwegian continental shelf have been issued with – literally – smart helicopter survival suits.

These offshore workers are among the first people in the world who can go to work in clothes with built-in intelligence.

The new suit has already aroused the interest of design experts.The partnership is one of the recipients of the 2008 Good Design Mark, an award given by the Norwegian Design Council.

Ever since the “Oil Age” came to Norway, platform workers have been easily recognisable in the heliports at Norwegian airports as they troop out to waiting helicopters in bright orange suits that will keep them from either drowning or freezing to death in the event of an emergency landing or a helicopter crash-landing at sea.

Now this group of workers is in the process of putting on a new generation of colourful suits. Thanks to their special qualities, the garments can be used both during helicopter transport and as survival suits out on the platform.

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