One of the most important elements to take into account when assessing risk and selecting the appropriate protective equipment is the thermal stress the worker will experience.

Thermal stress is defined as the heat load that workers undergo, which then accumulates in their body. Thermal stress is caused by the interaction between the environmental conditions in the workplace, any physical activity carried out and the clothing worn.

Thermal stress is not just one pathological effect on workers caused by heat, but rather the result of several pathological effects that occur when excessive heat builds up in the body.

When working under conditions of thermal stress, the body undergoes changes. The worker suffers a physiological overload as the temperature rises, as the body’s physiological mechanisms try to lose the excessive heat building up in the body (primarily through sweating and peripheral vasodilation). If the core body temperature of an individual exceeds 38°C despite these measures, the result is harmful to the worker’s health, with the severity of the damage depending on the amount of heat that has accumulated in the body. It is therefore imperative to provide the proper equipment to protect workers from their work environment.

The intensity of the thermal stress and the severity of its effects depends on three determining factors. Thermal stress is higher when the three factors occur together. This can happen in enclosed or semi-enclosed spaces where heat and humidity are inherent to the work process, such as smelters, furnaces, ceramics, in emergency work, etc.

An additional factor to take into consideration when selecting the appropriate PPE is the time of exposure to the heat (in hours of work). If the worker will be subjected to a long period of thermal stress, the worker can accumulate dangerous levels of heat even if there is a low level of thermal stress.

All these aspects are studied and taken into account by ITS as input data to factor into the design of our PPE. This means we can offer PPE that is fully tailored to the needs of workers in sectors that require thermal protection for the most extreme situations.

estres-termico

ITS provides numerous solutions to protect workers performing welding work.

It should not be forgotten that there are many different types of welding, depending on the way the metals are fused together. Each type of welding has specific characteristics and corresponding risks. When designing and developing our products we have taken this information into account and factored it into the design process. Therefore, the clothing we offer is designed to protect the worker from the following risks, as required in each situation:

  • Flying particles:
    Arc welding can generate sparks or melt material which can then fall or fly out at any moment. Additionally, these particles are at high temperatures and can fall on the people doing the welding, or on other items in the vicinity.
  • Electrical Contacts:
    When dealing with situations of manual electric arc welding, relatively low voltages are used, but the high intensities put workers at risk.
  • Thermal contact:
    Electric are welding produces rays of up to 6,000ºC, which produces infra-red and ultraviolet rays which can cause severe skin burns.
  • Fires and explosions:
    During welding operations flying incandescent particles are produced, which are like small ignition sparks that can start fires. If these particles make contact with flammable or combustible materials that are in the vicinity there is a high possibility of a fire starting.

We offer solutions for each of these risks that protect workers while maintaining their comfort, due to the ergonomic design of our clothing.

When designing our products we always try to cover the two essential needs of a worker in extreme conditions with important protection requirements:
Providing maximum protection to safeguard health and safety.

Providing ergonomically designed clothing that allows the worker to carry out his/her job in comfort.

To achieve this, in many cases the best solution lies with a layered protection system. Especially when there is a high risk of thermal stress, the best method of protection is using layers:

    • C1: An outer layer that protects from the direct heat or cold experienced

 

    • C2: An insulating intermediate layer to delay the arrival of heat or cold to the body

 

    • C3: A final layer or underwear, in contact with the body. This keeps the body dry and protected

 

The layered protection allows workers to add or remove layers depending on the level of risk faced. This allows the wearer to adapt to the necessary level of protection, depending on the time of day or work process.