Intro:
Coveralls are one-piece protective wear for manual and heavy work. Different types of protective coveralls are used to ensure a high level of protection during work.
The purpose of this type of attire is to replace personal clothing and protect workers from chemical, biological, mechanical, thermal, electromagnetic and electrical hazards.
It is an effective way to protect workers who are working in relatively dangerous places. Workers can be exposed to serious health issues such as mesothelioma and cancer.
Quality coveralls can help staying safe at work and avoid any of these dangers. However, ensuring the quality of these types of protective equipment can be a challenge.
As these are safety items, quality and effectiveness check is a must before using it. So if you are looking for similar items, the quality check is a primary thing you do.
In this post, I am going to show you 5 easy ways you can identify quality coverall items and ensure utmost safety in required work stations.
1. The Level of Protection
Depending on the type of task, the protection level is the first thing you check while ordering for coverall items. There are different levels of protection for coverall items starting from 1 to 6.
Type 1 is a completely enclosed protective coverall to prevent chemical contamination in the form of liquid or gas. Type 2 are coveralls that prevent dust, liquids & vapours.
Another liquid tight coverall is type 3 which has to endure powerful directional jets of a liquid chemical during its test. Then we have type 4 coveralls that are spray tight and Type 5 coveralls that protect from airborne particles.
Lastly we have type 6 coveralls that protects users from light spray and splashes. Depending on the protection requirement, you have to choose the right type of coverall.
2. The Right Fabric
Fabric is an essential part of coverall items. If you are not using the right fabric on these gears, the items will not function properly and for the right purpose.
Polypropylene or trademarked fabrics are commonly used in protective coverall items. Such as SMS, MPF, TYVEK, PP etc.
The SMS stands for spunbond / meltblown / spunbond fabric which are breathable and have powerful strong barrier properties.
MPF or microporous fabric are not breathable in contrast. These are made from a thin microporous film bonded to a spunbond polypropylene base.
TYVEK fabrics are great to resist wear and tear as it has a very strong surface for not being layered
PP or Polypropylene fabrics are normally used for lower risk work stations. This is not a very dense type of fabric and mainly used to protect against nuisance dust and dirt.
3. Usability of Coveralls
The usability of coverall or any other safety gears is an important issue to check before ordering. In most cases, users prefer disposable coveralls for single use.
Single use coveralls are only for one time use. It helps users to ensure more security to the workers as each coverall will be used only once.
On the other hand, limited use coveralls can be used until they are damaged, contaminated or altered during work or under any other situation.
Lastly we have resuable coveralls that can be used multiple times but with some precautions.
Such as the suits have to be decontaminated after everyday use and the barrier performance of the fabric needs to be checked regularly.
Depending on the requirement, coveralls are prepared for work places. Single use coveralls are very popular and convenient to use. However, it is relatively more expensive.
On the other note, reusable and limited use coveralls are less costly to use. But it would need some time and effort to maintain its effectiveness.
4. Size and Comfort
Before ordering coveralls, you will have to assess various factors. Such as the work place environment, temperature, your work suitability etc.
Make sure there are no size disruptions. Sometimes coveralls may not fit exactly and that can be a little unsettling in work places.
So check if the size of the coveralls are suitable for your works.
Fabric is a vital part to check for comfortable coveralls. You will find both breathable and non- breathable coverall fabrics.
But make sure you choose fabrics that have some air permeability. Otherwise it may become suffocating for works to work under extreme conditions.
The weight of the coverall equipment is also a key factor. zipper, seams and fabric all are important needs to have a detailed look before ordering.
In summary, checking size, fabric and weight of coveralls are the key fundamentals to ensure utmost comfort and effective usability.
5. Sustainability and Power
Coveralls are used for protection in hazardous work environments. Hence, its sustainability and robustness will be important for its maximum effectiveness.
You will find different types of coveralls in the market from disposable to limited and reusable.
If you are using limited and reusable coveralls,they need to be decontaminated frequently and have to be maintained in a variety of other ways.
Moreover, coveralls are used against challenging environments and situations. So it has to be built in a way that can face-off against all the odds.
So before ordering, make sure the fabrics and accessories are powerful enough to withstand heavy duty work and consistent maintenance.
Final Thoughts:
It is sometimes difficult to specify what can be the best option for you when you are trying to find suitable coveralls. In this post, we have tried to explain to you the basic requirements of coverall outfits which you can not ignore while ordering. You can contact coverall manufacturers or simply reach out to clothing sourcing agencies to help you find the best products at a reasonable cost.
