Sep 27 2010
Loughborough University is participating in a three year European Union funded project which could see a new generation of workwear being developed and produced to prevent workers in hot industrial environments suffering from heat exhaustion.
The PROSPIE Project is developing the workwear, which features a dynamic cooling system, and is set to become an integrated part of industrial safety systems with its ability to alert a worker and their supervisors when their critical heat limits begin to exceed.
Dr George Havenith, Professor of Environmental Physiology and Ergonomics at the University's Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, is leading the project for the UK. He said: "We expect this workwear to reduce work related accidents through the early warning system alerting the wearer they are at risk of suffering from hyperthermia. The use of this protective clothing could see a substantial reduction of heat related accidents, therefore potentially reducing absence from work, disturbance in production process and lead to increased productivity of workers in hot environments.
"We expect the results of the PROSPIE Project to be transferable to other sectors, for example first response emergency teams like firemen and paramedics, sports and healthcare for the elderly."
The clothing's integrated warning system measures the physiological conditions of the wearer as well as the conditions in their workplace environment leading to a swift identification of potentially dangerous situations. If the wearer does not react to the alert, supervisors will be alerted to the danger.
As part of the design process special attention is being given to safety of workers, how comfortable the protective clothing is, the reliability of the functions, the production and maintenance of it, training the wearers and potential buyers for the product.