Overalls or work clothes are clothes that are used in activities for which specific clothing requirements are imposed. Most often, its necessity is due to interaction in the course of activities with adverse or dangerous environmental factors. But it can also be used as an attribute of corporate style.
Protective clothing is used to protect a person from the damaging effects of the external environment or provides comfort for the activities performed. For example firefighters, road workers, workers employed in hazardous industries, whose work requires protection from exposure to chemicals.
Workwear sizes
When choosing the size of overalls they are guided primarily by chest volume and height. Other parameters can be taken into account if they exceed the normal height and chest coverage. In this case it is recommended to use clothes one size larger.
Depending on the activity for which it is intended, the choice of the size of overalls has its own characteristics. First of all it must be borne in mind that overalls are usually worn over other clothing. So its size must be selected with a margin so that it does not create discomfort.
Such is the clothing of firefighters, workers and workers in hazardous industries, etc. Clothing which is used only as a distinctive attribute, has a minimal increase or does not have it at all. For example, the clothes of doctors waiters, etc., which are worn directly over underwear
Marking
Another feature is the marking of the sizes of workwear. The sizes in it are grouped by adjacent values, for example 56-58. That is, clothes with the indicated size will suit a person wearing any size from 56 to 58. For workwear, such an error is permissible, since its main function is not aesthetic, but protective or distinctive.
So here you can neglect within certain limits the fact that it can sit on the body is not ideal. At the same time, this approach not only facilitates the selection of the size, but also significantly simplifies and reduces the cost of production.
There are state standards that establish standard sizes for special clothing. However, they are defined separately for men and women.
Men’s sizes
For men, the sizes are set in the range from 170 to 188 cm. The chest volume varies from 87 to 126 cm, while clothes are sewn for height no more than 176 cm and for height from 188 cm. There is also an indication of a narrower choice of height for one or another size
Women’s sizes
Women’s overalls take into account the average parameters of the corresponding gender. Height varies between 158 and 176 centimeters. Chest – from 87 to 126 centimeters and each size is also sewn for heights of 158-164 and 170-176 cm.
In mass production, the maximum size is 60-62. Also available in larger sizes. Their cost is higher than standard ones, since more fabric is needed to make them.
The minimum size is 44-46. It is also possible to manufacture smaller sizes. Of course, less material is spent on their manufacture, but the low demand for them determines the low volumes of their production, and therefore it is difficult to purchase workwear of non-standard small sizes, which can also increase the cost of production.
Colors
The color of special clothing for many activities is determined by the characteristics of the activity for which it is intended. Often this is due to the need to provide increased visibility. This is true for road workers, for other activities where attention is required. For such clothes, fabrics of red, orange, yellow and other bright shades that are visible in low light are chosen.
For other species, on the contrary, minimal visibility and uniformity of color with the color palette of the environment is required. These include all kinds of camouflage, which is used by military personnel, hunters, etc.
For clothes, the color of which does not carry any function in itself, their choice is limited only by the imagination of the customer. It should be noted that, for example, reflective fabric, originally used in overalls, has long been used in tailoring casual clothes that do not have a special purpose.
For certain activities, there are traditional colors, for example, for medical workers, cooks, but there are no strict standards here.
It is also necessary to take into account the seasonality and weather conditions of the activity. Summer overalls are preferable to light colors because they reflect sunlight. For work related to interaction with polluting factors, you should use clothes whose color makes it easier to clean – gray, brown, etc.
Workwear materials
When choosing a material, it is necessary to focus on both ensuring maximum comfort and sufficient protective properties of clothing. Certain requirements are also imposed on the operational properties of overalls. The fabric for it should be hygienic, Hi vis hoodie, breathable, wear-resistant, comfortable, easy to clean.
All these requirements led to the publication of state standards, which materials for workwear must comply with. They guide the manufacturer to certain production standards and allow for quality control of the finished product.
In the production, natural fabrics, synthetic materials and mixtures of both are used.
Natural Fabrics
These include cloth, twill, tarpaulin, calico. Their advantages are that they breathe well, hypoallergenic, have good antistatic properties. There are natural materials and disadvantages. First of all, it is a shorter service life, susceptibility to pollution.
Synthetic Materials
Synthetic materials differ from natural ones in higher strength and wear resistance, are easier to clean and retain their original appearance longer. Their disadvantages are that they are usually poorly ventilated and can cause discomfort at elevated temperatures, can cause allergies when worn,
Blended fabrics
Blended fabrics allow you to combine the advantages of synthetic and natural materials and thereby get rid of the disadvantages of each of them. They are breathable and do not cause allergies and at the same time strong and durable. The specific properties of each species are different for a particular mixture. Most often, a mixture of cotton and polyester is used in a ratio of 1 to 3.
In mixed fabrics, it is also convenient to use all kinds of impregnations, which give the fabric important functional properties. Along with water-repellent and refractory impregnations, antiseptic, antistatic and other types of impregnations are also used.
It is forbidden to issue overalls that do not meet the requirements of industry standards. Protective functions must be displayed in the certificate or declaration.
Properly maintain and record and control workwear. The employer must take responsibility for the storage of clothing. To do this, locker rooms, hangers, booths on the territory of the facility should be provided. The fact of issuance must be recorded in personal cards under the signature of employees. The employer will have to track the service life, issue new sets in a timely manner.
Choice of Clothing.
Be careful with your choice of clothing. It is important that overalls correspond not only to working conditions, but also to the gender and size of each employee. At the same time, the employer is not obliged to satisfy the aesthetic, stylistic needs of subordinates.
The main criterion for choosing a material is its compliance with the tasks for which the clothes sewn from it are used. And the more mandatory requirements, the less wide the range of materials that meet all the requirements, and the more carefully and responsibly one should treat his choice. It also needs to be balanced.
For example, a fabric may provide excellent protective properties, but be heavy and uncomfortable, making work difficult. Or vice versa, a fabric may be light and comfortable, but not provide sufficient protection and endanger the health or even life of the person using it.
Use and storage of overalls
Overalls experience adverse effects, therefore, when using it, it is recommended to follow a number of recommendations that will not only extend its service life, but also retain its protective characteristics.
First, you should adhere to the storage conditions specified by the manufacturer. The storage should be ventilated, should be protected from insects, excessive moisture. Upon completion of direct work, it is required to inspect clothing for damage – this is especially important for clothing designed to work with harmful production factors.
Also, overalls need to be washed in a timely manner, which is especially important for clothes for work that requires compliance with sanitary standards. For clothing made from impregnated fabrics, in order to maintain the protective properties. It is necessary to avoid chemical influences that are not intended by the manufacturer. You also need to remember that the useful properties of overalls may decrease with intensive use, so they are not suitable for use for personal purposes that are not related to work.
When cleaning overalls, means and methods are used that correspond to the nature and persistence of contamination. Industrial cleaning, dry cleaning and washing in a washing machine (water cleaning) are used. As with regular clothing, overalls are labeled with cleaning requirements. The designations are usually applied in such a way that they are not erased and remain legible after repeated cleaning.
Protective properties of overalls
The protective properties of overalls are determined by the tasks for which it is used. The degree of such protection is the main indicator of the quality of clothing for work with harmful working conditions. Low values of the same protective property for different types of overalls may make them unsuitable for certain types of activities and limit their scope.
The severity of the protective property serves as the basis for determining the protection class. For example, depending on the minimum permissible ambient temperature, the permissible duration of stay in an open fire, the permissible intensity of radioactive exposure, etc.
