Canadian Occupational Safety

www.thesafetymag.com/ca 17 boundaries of health and safety onsite. Wearable tech in particular can be an interesting solution for employers looking to track heat exposure — and there is a growing demand for these smart devices. "[Kenzen is] focused primarily on heat, but when we started the company, for most industrial companies that we talked to, this was a growing problem that was happening on the worksite," says Lehmann. "[Smart PPE] is definitely a trend that is growing and a lot of it is because safety is now encompassing sensors and technology in a way it never did before," she says. Kenzen manufactures smart PPE that helps monitor workers for signs of heat stress. These wearable devices monitor physiological indicators (core body temperature, heart rate, etc.) to give the worker and their supervisor an accurate view of the impact of heat on the worker's body. If a worker is at risk, the worker's device will vibrate and suggest that the worker stop, seek shade, hydrate, etc. Lehmann says it is also essential that the device is waterproof, due to sweat "My whole goal and intention in the world is for safety people to understand how important it is what you wear next to your skin." Simon Levin, True North/Dragonwear and hot temperatures. She says these products are most commonly asked for in industries such as construction, mining, renewable energy, utility and field services, as well as mining, although an intrinsic safety (electrical) certification is essential for a device to operate within coal mines, as well as the oil and gas industry. The Kenzen device is currently designed for intrinsic safety with the certification to follow over the next several months. Heat exposure, as mentioned before, is a significant and growing threat. For example, she says there has been an increase of almost 60 per cent of heatstroke and exhaustion cases in the U.S. military since 2008. But heat also impacts productivity, says Lehmann: There is a 26-per-cent loss in productivity when workers labour in 35C heat. Fire resistant vs. fire retardant Fire protection can be a bit more confusing. "People get very confused between what is fire resistant and fire retardant," says Simon Levin, Canadian sales manager at True North/ Dragonwear. Fire retardant is a term that denotes that something extinguishes fire or prevents the fire from spreading. A hand-held fire extinguisher is a good example as it contains chemicals that, when applied to a fire that is in progress, the chemicals hold back the fire and if the conditions are ideal, the chemicals will completely extinguish or "put out" the source of the fire. "Retardant" means to delay or hold back in terms of progress. All garments used that are FR certified are flame resistant. This means that the garments "resist" being ignited in the presence of direct contact from flames. The mechanism that makes a garment resist flames is because the garment contains flame- retardant properties. That is, all the way down at the yarn and fibre level, the garment contains flame-retardant chemistry that allows the garment to resist flames and thus resist ignition. Garment ignition a primary driver of personal injury, not the source fire to which the end user has come in contact or is in close proximity. There are two primary types of flame-resistant garments in the market. Those that have been manufactured with fabrics that have been chemically treated with flame- retardant chemistry are referred to as "treated FR garments" and those that have been manufactured with flame- resistant fibres, yarns and fabric are FR without needing a subsequent garment treatment with flame-retardant chemistry. These garments are referred to as "inherently flame resistant." Flame resistance is a natural property of the garment itself and not the result Indeed, this is an environment that is very much concerned by heat protection: Steel mills that are processing molten metals or refineries where there is high heat around may have workers that are worried by not only the liquid heat but also the steam that comes out of the lines. There are several other industries where workers are exposed to heat stress and other such dangers. These include agricultural or forestry settings, where seasonal workers or others are working outside in the summer. Indoor workers are also at risk. This includes the aforementioned steel mill workers but also welders and metal fabricators and those who work in foundries or bakeries, for example. Workers should wear breathable, lightweight fabrics that are comfortable and light-coloured (to avoid absorbing heat). Workers may want to look into wicking fabrics, which pull moisture away from the body and push it toward the surface of the fabric where it can evaporate. Many wicking fabrics are made of high-tech polyester. Another material commonly used for heat- protective workwear is polyvinyl acetate (PVA). Not so much heat resistant as it is cooling, it is ultra absorbent and can hold water for a long time. There is also protective clothing such as vests that use water or ice packs integrated into the garment to keep the user cool for a number of hours. Smart PPE Protective clothing is important, but tech advances are also pushing the

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