Winter Workwear Standards Explained

Why winter workwear is important

While working in a cold climate, your body can use up to 75% of its energy to maintain your normal body temperature. This means that keeping warm is your body's priority. So, you could become far less aware of what's happening around you due to the lack of energy and become far more likely to have a workplace accident

What safety standard do cold climate clothes follow?

EN 342 is the cold climate standard for protective clothing. This winter workwear cold climate clothing is designed to protect you from the Humidity and Wind at temperatures below minus 5 Degrees C. The standard has specified requirements and test methods for properties of clothing ensembles (i.e., two-piece suits or coveralls) and of single garments for protection against cold environments.

Without the garment layers next to the body get moist or wet by sweat or condensation, losing their thermal insulation and leading to hypothermia. The standard EN 342 defines 3 criteria to ensure the function of protective clothing against cold. The standard EN 342 the outerwear's air permeability and water vapour resistance are classified into 2 classes each, expressing the material's quality for the use in cold protective clothing. Class 3:2 indicates the highest level of performance.

The following parameters are used:

• a – Thermal insulation properties with motion
• b – Thermal insulation properties without motion (optional)
• c – Air permeability
• d – Waterproof penetration properties (optional)

Requirements for effective thermal insulation of clothing in relation to ambient temperature conditions for heat balance at different durations of human exposure to cold according to PN EN 342:

Requirements for resultant effective thermal insulation of clothing in relation to ambient temperature conditions for heat balance at different activity levels and duration of exposure to cold according to PN EN 342:

S U M M A R Y

With the EN 342 cold climate standard and the four parameters that are used within this standard explained, here's a link to some of our winter coats and jackets to help you work efficiently until summer comes back around

to view our winter coats and jackets