Working on a site in the middle of a heatwave is particularly hard, and even harder when you have to wear protective equipment (helmets, gloves, safety jackets, etc.). In response to changing climatic conditions, Delta Plus is studying a new generation of thermoregulating equipment, and in particular the properties of graphene in thermal comfort.
Working on a site in the middle of a heatwave is particularly hard, and even harder when you have to wear protective equipment (helmets, gloves, safety jackets, etc.). In response to changing climatic conditions, Delta Plus is studying a new generation of thermoregulating equipment, and in particular the properties of graphene in thermal comfort.
Experiencia, EPI, Productos
Update 25.06.24
We've all experienced it over the last few years: hot weather affects the world of work. But it also has an impact on a greater or lesser scale:
- firstly, technicians and operators: according to the INRS (Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité), there is an increased risk to health when working :
. above 28°C for a task requiring physical effort,
. above 30°C for sedentary activity.
Heat and dehydration can lead to a loss of alertness, reactivity, or even fatigue, malaise or sunstroke, increasing the risk of accidents in the workplace.
- France Stratégie points out that the heatwaves that have occurred in Europe in recent years have had an economic cost in terms of lower GDP,
- Finally, a global study carried out between 2001 and 2020 indicates that exposure to heat is the cause of 650 billion lost working hours per year*.
Construction, industry, agriculture, maintenance of electrical or communications networks... In these front-line sectors, guaranteeing safe and comfortable working conditions for operators is not only a duty, but also in the interests of employers.
Last January, the World Meteorological Organisation confirmed that:
2023 was the hottest year on record. Adapting work to climate change is therefore an essential economic and public health issue.
Delta Plus teams are taking up the challenge to develop technical outdoor equipment with heat-resistant properties. This is particularly the case with graphene fibres.
Graphene was first extracted from graphite 20 years ago by André Geim and Konstantin Novoselov, winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics.
A sheet of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice, graphene is :
- resistant,
- light,
- flexible,
- hypoallergenic,
- antibacterial
- and heat conductor.
Researchers were quick to see the benefits in textiles. Inserted into a garment, graphene disperses and regulates heat, ultimately lowering the wearer's body temperature.
The use of graphene represents a significant advance in the field of Personal Protective Equipment. This material enables the design of intelligent, hard-wearing textiles that offer improved thermal comfort while preserving workers' freedom of movement.
As part of the preparations for its Spring-Summer 2024 collection of protective clothing, Delta Plus is working to select outfits designed to withstand extreme heat, including graphene-based PPE. Equipment to discover now.
In line with its focus on climate change, Delta Plus has already selected modular PPE against the cold for its Autumn-Winter 2023-2024 collection: to provide à la carte protection against the cold, adapting to changing temperatures. For greater worker comfort and adapted safety.
