Cold comes in many shapes and sizes, and the need to plan for it exists in nearly every climate zone.
By David Miller
For many of us, autumn is the favorite season of the year. Across the country, the oppressive heat of summer is finally abated and the whole world seems to be in the mood to dig out a sweater, breathe in the fall air and glory in brightly colored leaves shimmering against a cobalt sky. It is also a great time to fill up a mug with hot apple cider and sit down to plan for winter. Among other things, it is time to start bringing in supplies to keep your staff鈥攅specially your haulers鈥� as comfortable as possible in the days of winter that are soon to follow.
Down here in north-central Florida, it gets pretty cold in the wintertime. I understand how anyone reading this from Minnesota or Maine might ridicule that assertion, and you certainly have bragging rights over me when it comes to braving the elements. But my point is, cold comes in many shapes and sizes, and the need to plan for it exists in nearly every climate zone.
Some things to consider when purchasing winter apparel are compliance with visibility standards, team pride and comfort.
Class Distinction
Some waste firms require outside staff to conform to ANSI Class 2; others have taken it up to Class 3. The stricter specs required by Class 3 means it costs more. For those Class 3 shops, it may be helpful to know that any Class 2 top when worn with hi-vis pants with an ANSI Class E rating equals Class 3. No other article of clothing鈥攏ot hi-vis hats or gloves鈥攈as the ability to change a Class 2 to a Class 3 ensemble.
More and more companies are starting to take notice of the 鈥渢wo-tone鈥� offerings in the hi-vis apparel market. These are shirts and outerwear that have strategic areas of black where workers are most likely to accumulate dirt and stains. This is a godsend for haulers, who can take a brand new shirt and get it permanently stained within the first 10 minutes of wearing it. The black areas, which cover the belly and sometimes sleeve ends and collars, don鈥檛 diminish the garment鈥檚 class rating, but they do camouflage dirt and stains where they are most likely to occur and keep a top looking clean for a very long time.
Esprit de Corps
Despite any evidence to the contrary, most people in dirty jobs still care about their appearance. If they can equip themselves in a way that allows them to look presentable in an environment where looking presentable is next to impossible, they will usually make the effort to stay presentable. Having a black area on their clothing to wipe dirty hands can be a game changer.
There really is no downside to having employees showing pride in their appearance. It not only affects their attitude, but it also reflects positively on the company鈥檚 public image. This is why imprinting your company name and logo on your team鈥檚 outerwear is such a good investment. Sometimes management is skeptical of going all-in on an identity program for their haulers, concerned that a soiled uniform will cancel out the value of the logo on the uniform. Two-tone jackets equipped with a logo are the effective rebuttal to those concerns.
Winter Wear Arsenal
So, what is the range of apparel and equipment under consideration to stock up on in the winter months? Your climate will dictate how far you need to go with these things, but here are some items to consider.
Hands
versions for winter use. Another strategy is to
wear a cut resistant liner inside an outer glove
that is water resistant.
Insulated gloves, possibly waterproof. Pigskin works much better when wet than other leathers. Liners can combine with leather gloves to raise the cut and puncture level. Other cut- and-sewn gloves with cut resistant materials offer better performance than leather and are available with cold insulating materials such as Thinsulate鈩�.
Knit gloves can be used as insulating liners. Avoid HPPE or Dyneema庐 in cold temperatures because these yarns do not insulate against the cold. Aramid yarns such as Kevlar庐 insulate much better.
Hot Rods, which are inexpensive, chemically activated hand warmers can be just the thing to ward off frostbite in the really bitter cold. The small pillows slip inside your gloves and stay hot for hours.
It is impossible to go into any detail on the rapidly evolving world of gloves in this article, and in fact, I will be devoting much time to the subject of gloves in future articles.
Head
Hi-vis knit caps are excellent for keeping heat loss from occurring, which enhances the effectiveness of jackets, boots and gloves. Plus, they have the added safety bonus of bright colors and reflective material. Most parkas and jackets include hoods of some sort. Scarves are problematic because they pose a risk of having a loose end entangled in the machinery. A better idea in bitter weather is a facemask or balaclava. These come in many styles, including at least one with pockets provided in strategic spots where one can slip in a Hot Rods pillow.
Feet
Waterproof boots with steel toes are essential in any climate that has snow. Cleats are sometimes required for traction on icy pavement.
Core
Layers are the time-honored key for effective temperature control. Outerwear comes in many choices from many manufacturers. Hi-vis bomber jackets with two-tone color scheme are a very versatile choice. Zip-out liners allow for adjustments when the weather is not quite so bad.
Look for other refinements like storm flaps that cover the front zipper, fleece collars and pockets in appropriate places. Coveralls are even better than jackets to prevent wind penetration in really cold climates.
Your supplier can be a valuable source of information about the latest innovations in effective winter clothing. Small improvements can alleviate big misery for your haulers and other staff that have to make things happen out in the biting cold.
David Miller is the Waste Industry Manager for HUB Industrial Supply (Lake City, FL). He is a Certified Safety Professional and works with managers to effectively implement and manage PPE and MRO programs in the waste industry. David can be reached at [email protected]. HUB Industrial Supply is an Applied MSSSM company.