Glen Raven launches new safety protective apparel fabric

06 Jun '06

2 min read

Increasingly stringent safety standards for workers exposed to electrical hazards and fire are leading to the development of new high-tech fabrics that not only offer on-the-job protection, but are also comfortable to wear in hot work environments that require strenuous physical activity.

"There is growing recognition that it is not enough to just provide you employees with garments that meet the various government safety standards," said Mike Jeffrey, marketing agent with Protective Textile Solutions, an Ontario, Canada-based company that specializes in high-tech fabrics for industrial applications throughout North America.

"If the garment is too stiff, too hot or not comfortable to wear, then you will have significant compliance issues with your workforce," he continued. "It does no good at all to provide protective apparel if your employees refuse to wear it consistently, or if they modify it by cutting off the sleeves to make it more comfortable."

"The challenge in developing protective fabrics and apparel is to balance protection, economy and comfort," Jeffrey said. "The fabric absolutely must meet government standards, but it must also be long lasting and provide a good value for the investment. Finally, everyone in the industry has come to appreciate the importance of comfort if you are to achieve consistent protection for your workers."

"GlenGuard has received a great deal of attention within the industry because it is the first real breakthrough in the protective apparel market in 20 years," Jeffrey said. "GlenGuard offers the best protection to weight ratio available today for a single layer garment, such as coveralls, pants and shirts. With GlenGuard, workers can have the safety protection that the government requires, and still wear a garment that looks great and feels good."

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