What Makes An Effective Safety Work Coat?

Work sites during the winter months can be particularly precarious, and to avoid potential injury and illness affecting workers and thus the overall productivity of a site, the right workwear needs to be provided at all times to people working exposed to the elements.

This includes robust shoes and potentially ice grips in the event of heavy snowfall, gloves to protect hands against the cold, thermal layers and an effective safety work coat.

The latter is the piece of equipment most associated with winter working and one that throughout history has changed significantly in terms of the materials used. 

Whilst the ultimate goal has always been to keep workers warm, how it does this and the compromises that have to be considered have altered tremendously, and here are some of the features to consider when choosing the right work coat for your workforce and ensuring thermal comfort.

Flexibility

Choosing the right winter clothing is a matter of compromise, as simply wearing the thickest coat possible, especially if a worker is performing a job that requires flexibility to perform it safely and comfortably.

Flexibility takes several different forms, with the most obvious being the choice between thick coats that are harder to move in but provide significant levels of warmth during freezing periods, or a coat that is lighter and easier to move around in but may not be suitable for sub-zero conditions.

There is another aspect of flexibility to consider and that is the option of wearing multiple layers. 

Many thermal jackets do exactly this, featuring both a thick waterproof layer and a thinner fleece layer, each of which can be used when it is suitable.

Breathability

It is possible to overheat even in icy temperatures if the thick winter clothes do not allow your skin to breathe, and there is a compromise between waterproofing and breathability for this very reason.

Great Britain has some rather infamous rainstorms and weather storms, and whilst a high level of waterproofing is important in a winter coat, it also has to have layers that can channel water away from the skin, as being drenched in sweat when it is cold can cause skin issues and even dehydration.

Ripstop Material

Because coats are bigger than other pieces of workwear, there is consequently greater wear and tear on the material as it is battered by the elements

It makes it more essential than ever to have suitable ripstop fabric, as this can avoid potentially dangerous situations when around the levels of industrial risk that can be found on outdoor construction sites.

High Visibility

One aspect of your PPE risk assessment that will not change is the importance of high visibility, and regardless of whether it takes the form of a jacket or a coat, the level of hi-vis required for the work site will be the same.

This means that some safety coats will be in the fluorescent yellow familiar to hi-vis and feature the same strips of reflective tape.

Both will be especially important on colder nights, where there is a greater chance of fog or rain hampering visibility.