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Are you confused by the style options available in Switching Clothing?
Long Coat & Leggings or Jacket & Trousers for body protection?
Lift Front or BeeKeeper style Hood for face protection?
Long Coat & Leggings
In Australia, wearing of a Long Switching Coat usually around 1300mm length matched with a pair of 400mm long Switching Leggings has historically been a popular choice to provide full
body protection.
This was particularly the case Pre-COVID when a Long Coat could be shared by multiple operators of varying sizes. It was also easy to don and doff which was important especially if only worn for a very short period of time. But the biggest drawback of the Long Coat & Leggings option is the limitations of use for upright operations. Whilst the Long Coat is able to be used safely for simple, upright tasks, it is not suitable for operations which involve squatting, getting on your knees or even when there is a need to spread your legs wide to maintain balance. Indeed in such conditions the Long Coat itself could become a safety hazard! For these reasons the Long Coat & Leggings option has never been as popular overseas as what it has been in Australia.
The shorter Switching Jacket matched with Switching Trousers is globally accepted as the best option for body protection as it may be used for all operations whether they be upright or otherwise. The development of lighter fabrics such as Gore®Pyrad® used in UltraLight SLX garments has increased the popularity of this option as Jacket & Trousers are now far more comfortable to wear. With specific design features such as Leg Zips the garments are also easier to don and doff when compared to the heavier traditional switching fabrics.
These comments made in relation to body protection are relevant irrespective of the potential arc flash energy level whether it be
8 cal/cm2 or 50 cal/cm2.
