09 August 2007

For workwear to function correctly in all its forms, designers, employers and wearers must share responsibility for creating the right product, and investing in its care and maintenance.

Beware the pitfalls even for basic workwear - which offers only protection against cold or common dirt - when you allow employees to take it away for home or launderette washing.

The best that might happen with inappropriate laundering is that the workforce all have different shades of gear, but there are greater risks, such as a garage mechanic developing mild dermatitis from donning inadequately cleaned workwear. Workers (or whoever is washing their kit) should be aware that wash processes must suit the fabric, colour and soil type and  degree.

Instructions that should follow the work clothing home include:

• check the washing instructions from new and always follow them
• take the soiled garment home in a bag, brush off or rinse any heavy soil or deposits, and check carefully and empty pockets
• only add the clothing to a comparable wash load, or wash alone 
• pay special attention to finishing; don't tumble try or iron too hot.

In sectors such as food, pharmaceuticals, electronics and healthcare - where the garment essentially protects the product, not the wearer - the same rules apply as to general workwear. But often the garments' construction and fabric are lighter and the design more complex, so they must be treated with greater care. Garments should always be washed independently from other items and in conditions which achieve chemical or thermal disinfection. This sort of requirement is already leading us away from home washing.

Protective qualities

The next level of protective clothing - with flame retardant (both inherently resistant and retardant by treatment), chemical resistant or high-visibility qualities and their various combinations - calls for special treatment.

The degree and type of soil and the special laundering processes required so as not to damage the fabric, treatment or adornments (such as reflective tape) now often dictate the assurances of a managed service which should bring with it the confidence that the garment is supplied to the wearer in a condition which is always fit for purpose.

An unsupervised laundering process will have no validation and may damage the properties of the garment, cause it to retain residual soil (which may be flammable) and adversely impact garment life. These, in addition to colour loss, shrinkage and risk of contamination, render home or launderette washing unadvisable.

Even where you use a specialist laundering service, protective clothing will need testing to check it is still performing to the required standard. Tests (which should only be carried out by an accredited laboratory or competent person, as appropriate) include checking high-visibility garments against original fabric swatches for degradation and chemical resistance to see if garments require periodic treatment with the approved anti-penetrative finish. Flame retardancy is difficult to check by non-destructive means, but it may be possible to sacrifice a portion(s) of the fabric and send it to an accredited laboratory for testing.

It is best practice to keep a record, from new, of the number of washes and always examine washed garments for residual soil, tears and holes, and missing fasteners. Workwear is key to protecting your business. Treat it with respect and train workers to do the same and it will not let you down.

Richard Newton provides technical consultancy to the industrial and commercial laundry industry. He can be contacted at richard@opeque.com.

Categories:
Chemicals, Construction, Personal protective equipment (PPE), Utilities, Article, Manufacturing / engineering