Combating Heat Stress

Heat Stress is the single biggest problem affecting our customers at work. Heat stress is not only uncomfortable but can result in serious injury or even death in extreme cases.

Under the workplace health and safety act 2011 (AS) it is the legal obligation of employers to put plans in place to mitigate the heat stress risk. Bruxy helps combat heat stress with our range of highly breathable workwear, while also increasing tear strength by more than 70% compared to industry alternatives.

What is heat stress?

The term ‘heat stress’ refers to the body suffering adverse side effects from not being able to cool itself enough to maintain a healthy temperature. On top of this heat stress can also cause other safety problems such as falling, cutting corners, losing grip on tools etc and not wearing PPE correctly. One of the key elements in an employer’s heat stress plan should be providing the coolest and most appropriate clothing.

Conditions caused by heat stress can include:

• Heat cramps – painful cramps in muscles, caused by heavy sweating that uses up the body’s supply of salt and water.
• Heat exhaustion – weakness, fatigue, dizziness, visual disturbance, feeling of intense thirst and heat, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, tingling and numbness of fingers and/ or toes.
• Heat rash – an itchy rash of small raised red spots on the face, neck, back, chest and thighs.
• Heat stroke – a life threatening condition that requires immediate first aid and medical attention, caused by overexposure to heat and often dehydration. Symptoms are dry, hot skin, high body temperature (possibly over 41°C) and may include mental confusion which can result in collapse.

Our workwear technology solutions

Bruxy’s HexStrength fabric is 100% cotton, produced in a hexagonal weave construction.

The garment features:

1. Open weave that allows the maximum amount of air to pass through the fabric.
2. Extensive mesh venting and vented tape to increase the breathability of the garments.
3. Ripstop fabric construction which uses thick reinforcing thread throughout to make the fabric stronger while not limiting the breathability.

If you want to give additional protection from heat stress to your workers, check out the TechTemp range of products. Working in high temperatures and high humidity can lead to serious injury. Through the combination of specialised fabrics and fibres, TechTemp gives you access advanced evaporative and phase-change cooling products that protect from heat stress, heat stroke and heat exhaustion.

As a leading manufacturer of custom workwear, hi-vis uniforms and PPE, Bruxy is counted on to go beyond global safety standards – including employee identification, safety, high-tech cooling and warming fabrics. Click here to learn more about high visibility standards in Australia and New Zealand.