Author: NGoodale

Multinorm clothing is a range of personal protective equipment (PPE) which offers multiple protective properties, against the elements and occupational hazards in the workplace. These products are typically worn by those working within industrial operations such as offshore oil rigs, where protection against a number of hazards is essential.

Unlike workwear which only conforms to a single EN Spec, multinorm items are required to pass multiple tests for each safety norm they provide; all within a single garment – This is why your typical multinorm garment will cost a considerable amount more than traditional, single spec clothing. We have prepared a few examples in the table below, where you can see the unique and comprehensive benefits they provide:

Product	Image	Combined EN Specifications	Protects against	Typical usage
Blaklader 6368 Multinorm Winter Coverall		EN 471-3 EN 1149 EN 343 EN 342 EN 11612 EN 14404	Foul weather Heat and flames Cold Anti-static Low light conditions	Hazardous indoor and outdoor environments, petrochemical facilities, oil rigs.
Portwest Hi Vis Multi-Norm FR Trousers		EN 471-2 EN 1149-5 EN 11612	Heat and Flame Anti-static Low light conditions	Factories, refineries, off-shore operations.
Blaklader Multinorm Sweatshirt FR		EN 1149-5 EN 11612 EN 61482-1	Arc Flash Heat and flames Anti-static	Workshops, petro-chemical environments
Blaklader 1828 Multinorm Briefs		EN 11612 EN 1449-5	Heat and flames Anti-static	Auto workshops, welding operations, forges.
Blaklader 2168 Multinorm Hood		EN 343 EN 471-1 EN 1149-5 EN 11612	Foul weather Low visibility Anti-static Heat and flame	Petrochemical, factories, off-shore rigs, refineries
Helly Hansen Rothenburg FR Hi Vis Jacket		EN 343 EN 471-2 EN 1149-5 EN 11612	Foul weather Low visibility Anti-static Heat and flame	Roadsides, factories, Refineries, off-shore.

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When working on construction sites, railroads and roadside environments it’s always important that you’re seen by others, especially in conditions where visibility is hampered by lack of light or bad weather. High visibility clothing utilises a combination of fluorescent fabrics and reflective striping to help increase the wearers visual presence and in doing so, help to reduce the likelihood of an accident.

High visibility clothing comes in a number of different classifications as defined by the European Committee for Standardization. These products are broken up into three classes based on their levels of fabric and reflective material present – level 1 being the lowest standard, and level 3 being the highest. There is also a special rating for railway and highway use which gains its own safety specification – GO/RT 3279.

EN Classification	Level of protection	Minimum background material	Minimum reflective material	Compliant garment colours	Typical usage environments
EN ISO20471 Class 1	Low	0.14m2	0.10m2(2m of 5cm wide reflective tape)		On site environments such as depots and factories.
EN ISO20471 Class 2	Medium	0.50m2	0.13m2(2.6m of 5cm wide reflective tape)		Suitable for use in public where traffic speeds are less than 40mph.
EN ISO20471 Class 3	High	0.80m2	0.20m2(4m of 5cm wide reflective tape)		Suitable for use in public areas where traffic speeds exceed 40mph.
GO/RT 3279 (rail spec)	Medium	0.50m2	0.13m2(2.6m of 5cm wide reflective tape)		Railways and roadsides
EN 1150 (non-professional use only)	Very Low	Combination of any fabric and retro reflective material		Any colour	Any non-professional purpose such as cycling

Can I get hi-vis clothing with other benefits?

Yes! Just because a product is EN ISO20471, doesn’t mean that is the only protection it offers. Hi-vis products can also be waterproof, anti-static, flame retardant and much more – Always check the En accreditation of each item before you buy to ensure it is up to task. Clothing with multiple features is referred to as multinorm clothing.

What type of high visibility products are available?

There are a number of hi-vis and enhanced vis clothing products available, with items such as:

 

 

 

 

 

 

* these items do not conform to the EN ISO20471 standard.

How can I determine if my existing Hi Vis Clothing is fit for purpose?

Most EN compliant garments have the specification they conform to printed on the inner labels. If you are unable to find this information on the label, contact the store you purchased the item from and ask them for the EN specification number for the garment. Once you know the specification, use the table above to determine if your hi vis garment is suitable for the environment you are working in.

My workers already wear fluorescent clothing, isn’t this safe?

Many assume that because a product is made with fluorescent fabric, or that it has some reflective piping or stripes, that it conforms to EN ISO20471 – this isn’t strictly true. The combination of fabric and retro-reflective material itself is what classifies what level the clothing is. The bright colours are designed to make visual presence better in daytime, but the reflective stripes are what gives it the visual impact in low light conditions. Without reflective strips a fluorescent fabric would actually be less effective than white which reflects more light.

Does washing impact the usefulness of the hi-vis?

The reflective properties are impacted from washing, and depending on the manufacturers guidelines the amount of washes can vary. The effectiveness of any hi-vis clothing is also impacted adversely by dirt and grime, so washing is advised – but it is always a good idea to refer to the manufacturer washing guidelines. Do bear in mind that any item which also has special coatings or properties such as flame and heat resistance will eventually weaken with each subsequent wash.

I require some personalised hi-vis clothing for my company – can they be embroidered or printed on?

Of course. Hi-vis vests are often printed on for branding purposes, although if the product has any waterproofing or flame resistant properties, then special steps must be taken in order to preserve its protective attributes.

What separates the EN ISO20471 classifications?

As previously mentioned, the ratings for EN ISO20471 high visibility clothing are determined by two attributes: The total surface area of the fluorescent fabric, and the length of reflective tape which has been used on the garment. Reflective tape should be 5cm/50mm wide to be compliant. For the three classes of this standard, the only acceptable colours are Yellow, orange, and orange red. Go/RT clothing only comes in orange, and usually has the same surface properties and length of tape as any EN ISO20471 class 2 product.

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Safety is vital onsite, so its no surprise that visitors to our retail store often ask us what the difference is between a composite and a steel safety boot toecap. Although in essence they provide the same functionality, each one has specific characteristics – pros and cons which give them different properties. We’ve broken down the differences for you.

Composite Toe Caps

The composite toe cap is a new take on the traditional steel toe cap which has been the industry standard since the first safety boot was manufactured in the 1930’s. One of the main characteristics which sets them apart is they are lighter in weight than traditional toe caps which makes for a more comfortable fit over long periods. Like their steel counterparts, composite toe caps offer the same 200kj maximum pressure conformity, however they will not warp under impact.

The use of non-metallic safety shoes and boots also offers a unique advantage for security workers, especially those who work in customs at airports, as their lack of metal ensures they do not set inadvertently set off metal detectors.

Steel Toe Caps

First manufactured in response to increasing numbers of work-related accidents involving workers dropping heavy loads onto their feet, steel toe cap boots became popular almost overnight. The modern day steel toe cap is affordable and offers excellent puncture resistance.

They can easily withstand the same 200kj of pressure which their composite counterparts can, but they are heavier on the feet and the caps can become deformed after an impact – trapping feet inside the boots. Steel toe caps are also not ideal for security workers as they set off metal detectors, and they are reactive to heat which can make them uncomfortable in cold weather.

We have a fantastic selection of safety boots available in store.

It’s safe to say that technology over the past 20 years has come on in leaps and bounds. Everything from televisions, mobile phones, video game consoles, car and much more have accelerated in ways we could never have imagined – fancy telling somebody playing snake on their phone back in the mid 90’s that they’re going to be able to watch movies, order their shopping and much more on a phone with no physical buttons!

But whilst electronics and other mediums have benefit from leaps in technological advancement, workwear has yet to make a true to form “next generation” leap. What does the future hold in terms of workwear and safety? We’re going to take a look at a few of the exciting possibilities in the future of workwear.

Illuminated Clothing

Its a worrying statistic, but on average the number of fatal road related accidents increases by up to 400% in low light conditions. This applies to pedestrians on their travels, and workers on roadsides. Typically the professional workers are bound by law to wear high visibility garments at all times, but no pedestrian is likely to wear a high vis jacket – its hardly a flattering look.

However, recent advancements in illumination technology might just hold the key to an exciting safety breakthrough. By infusing items with EL fabrics and a series of microprocessors, it now may be possible for any item of clothing to effectively become an illuminated safety garment, changing the way we look at safetywear and protective clothing forever. Forget low-light clothing, the future is no-light clothing.

Reflective strips could become a thing of the past, with lights interwoven into the fabrics themselves, capable of turning a bog standard T-shirt into a light show – lets face it, you’re not going to miss somebody if they’re lit up like a Christmas tree!

Advanced Cooling Polymers

Working indoors and out, you know after a few hours hard work that you’re going to build up a sweat. There are currently a whole host of specialist fibres and garments which provide moisture transportation and effective cooling methods – but wouldn’t it be much “cooler” if these shirts actually reacted to your body heat, and cooled you down?

Sportswear brand Colombia are gearing up to release their Omni-Freeze ZERO range in 2013. These shirts and shorts, and in future – trainers, incorporate special polymers which react to body sweat, and expand to increase airflow around the garment. Colombia claim this new technology is that efficient, its actually cooler than taking your top off altogether! Its unclear about any further applications, but it promotes an exciting step forward, and has some brilliant uses if it was effectively combined with workwear in the future.

Heads up displays (HUD)

Google’s Project Glass was announced earlier in the year, creating a massive media buzz that in the future you will be able to use augmented glasses, which could pave the way for a million different possibilities. Imagine for the business owner on the move – being able to read your e-mails, video call, send files and share documents via a pair of glasses? What about if you’re a delivery driver? Google maps overlay giving you detailed route information, such as directions to your next delivery, traffic information – you’re never going to get lost again.

This could also have applications in medical and health-care sectors, and when combined with other technologies, could even provide you with the health status, and location of work colleagues or clients when working large sites, shaving vital seconds off of reaction times to accidents and emergencies.

These are just some of the possibilities in the future, with technology moving forward at the rate it is, then its only a matter of time before things such as the examples above become mainstream, commonplace sights in our day to day lives.

Thats the exciting future of work clothing covered, but for the time being don’t forget to check out our excellent range of high vis and PPE available online.