How Stretch Enhances Ergonomics in Protective Workwear

What Are Ergonomics?

When you hear the word ergonomics, you might think of an ergonomically designed desk chair, or the “ergonomic way” you’re supposed to sit in that chair and where your wrists should be as you type. All of these are examples of what ergonomics is concerned with, which is understanding the ways people interact with the things they use and designing them so that those interactions are safe and efficient.

Ergonomics in Workwear

For workers in hazardous environments, ergonomics are even more important to ensure that they can carry out their job duties without putting themselves at greater risk of harm. One way to use ergonomics to support these workers is by providing them with protective garments that are optimized for safety and efficiency with enhanced comfort.

Comfort Matters

when it comes to protective workwear. Uncomfortable clothing can make a worker’s job needlessly difficult and can even compromise their safety by discouraging proper wear, either by choice or accident. If a shirttail always comes untucked when the wearer raises their arms over their head while doing their work, they’re at much higher risk of severe burns on their torso in the event of a flash fire.

Enter Stretch

The ability to incorporate stretch into FR workwear has been a game changer for comfort and therefore ergonomics for end users. Now that shirt has a little give to it when a worker raises their arms up, so that shirttail stays tucked.

Protective fabrics and garments with no stretch are increasingly falling by the wayside as people recognize the impact of wearing clothing that moves with you rather than limiting your range of motion. For workers in industries that require protective garments, that’s important.

Stretch Increases Range of Motion

Whether you’re a lineman climbing up a pole, a fireman executing a rescue, or an oil and gas worker handling heavy machinery, these jobs can be very physical and include a wide array of movements you don’t necessarily do in everyday life. Wearing protective garments with minimal give is like going to the gym in tight leather pants. You’re probably going to be thinking about the pants a lot more than your workout.

Stretch has allowed for the development of FR workwear that feels.  And it’s hard to go back from that. If you’ve made the switch to jeans with a little stretch in them, the alternative probably feels a bit stifling and unappealing in comparison.

The more that protective workwear can feel like regular mainstream clothing, the more end users can focus on the task at hand and the clothes they’re wearing just fade into the background, like an expertly crafted movie soundtrack—if you’re noticing it instead of the scene, it’s too obtrusive.

Comfort Is Measurable: Stretch & Recovery

There are several ways we measure comfort-related factors in FR fabrics and garments, both objective and subjective. For stretch and recovery, we use objectively measured percentages to indicate how far a fabric will stretch and how well it returns to its original shape after being stretched. 15% stretch with 95% recovery would be a good amount of stretch with excellent shape-retaining abilities, for example.

Fabric weight is another objectively measured stat that is usually expressed as ounces per square yard (OSY) or grams per square meter (GSM), ranging from 2oz or 60g on the lightest end of the spectrum (fabrics like gauze or chiffon in the mainstream fabric world) up to 14oz or 500g at the heaviest end (extra heavy canvas, upholstery velvet, etc.). While the development of lighter weight fabrics has certainly lightened the load (literally) on wearers, lightweight doesn’t always mean the most comfortable. A trash bag is lightweight, but you’d be awfully hot wearing one.

Stretch and recovery test. When wearing a safety garment made with stretch, you want the garment to retain its original shape without sagging or growing loose over time. During this test, the fabric gets measured to show the degree of stretch and the rate of shape retention.

What’s More Important Than Fabric Weight?

Breathability is even more important for comfort than fabric weight. Air permeability in a fabric can be measured objectively, but subjective feedback can come into play here as well. Moisture management and a soft touch are other factors that affect comfort as well. At TenCate Protective Fabrics, we use a third-party lab to conduct wear trials with products we’re working on, during which they have participants do calisthenics wearing the product under evaluation and then record their responses about how it felt. The effects of added stretch can also be measured subjectively in these wear trials.

Cost and Quality

While stretch can greatly enhance comfort, it can also increase price. But when you compare stretch and non-stretch products side by side, it’s very clear how much of a difference that added stretch can make in allowing ease of movement, full ranges of motion, and “hardly notice it” comfort.

Stretch and Garment Construction

Stretch fabrics also give garment manufacturers more options in how they construct garments, leading to better fitting–and better looking–workwear. And when workers feel good and feel that they look good, they can wear their workwear in more environments, giving them more bang for their buck.

Worth the Investment

Fabrics with stretch are newer to the market and tend to be more durable than older non-stretch products. TenCate Protective Fabrics’ Tecasafe® 360+ is even more durable, standing up to the rigors of industrial laundering, which can degrade the quality of other stretch products, causing them to lose their recoverability and therefore the garment’s shape and fit.

Tecasafe® 360+ is made with a blend of modacrylic, lyocell, aramid, and XLANCE®. XLANCE® is a stretch fiber that is considered a better and more sustainable alternative to spandex, with greater resistance to high temperature, and a cleaner production process. TenCate Protective Fabrics has an exclusivity with XLANCE®, allowing us to develop stretch FR products that are durable, comfortable, and more sustainable.

Despite their higher upfront cost, recently introduced stretch fabrics like Tecasafe® 360+ last longer, feel better, and lead to garments that can be worn more places. And with only more stretch products coming to market, you’ll have plenty of options at various price points to choose from.

Enhanced Ergonomics Enhance Safety

The development and proliferation of stretch FR fabrics in the marketplace have signaled a major shift in the way protective workwear will be expected to perform. At TenCate Protective Fabrics, it is our goal to create FR fabrics that go into workwear that feels indistinguishable from the athleisurewear in such high demand in mainstream fashion. Because the less you’re thinking about the garments you’re wearing, the more you can focus on doing your job safely and efficiently. And that’s ergonomics.

Get in touch

Interested in learning more about stretch in FR and how you can find more ergonomic products for your protective workwear program? Reach out here: