Superior freezer apparel helps Tegel boost productivity

Tegel Foods, New Zealand’s largest chicken producer, recently asked Armour Safety Products to develop freezer apparel that would better suit their needs.

The problem

Employees at Tegel’s processing facilities work in a huge freezer environment where temperatures reach a chilling minus 20 °C and below.

Despite being kitted out in freezer jackets, bib pants and gloves, Tegel’s workers couldn’t withstand the cold for even 20 minutes. Consequently, to maintain steady production, Tegel rotated staff frequently, which, from a productivity point of view, was far from ideal.

The obvious solution, of course, was for Tegel to source freezer apparel that was better fit for purpose. The problem was that there was no such product on the market.

An introduction

At Armour Safety, we develop fit-for-purpose products. For our customers, this maximises safety and minimises costs over time.

Part of our business model is to sell only to the re-sellers who work day to day with the end users. To solve problems like Tegel’s, though, we often meet with end users to hear about the problems straight from the ‘horse’s mouth,’ as they say.

So, we met with Tegel to listen, ask questions and brainstorm ideas.

The cool store jacket problem

We learned there were a couple of main issues:

• After laundering the current jackets and bib pants over time, the materials bunched into pockets. As a result, cold air would get in through the outer and inner liners and cool the workers down.
• As workers’ bodies heated up, warmth would escape through the open cuffs of pants and jackets.

Objective

Our job was clear: to develop bib pants and jackets that would enable Tegel’s employees to work in minus 20 °C and lower temperatures for a more practical period. The products also, of course, needed to meet industry safety and quality standards.

Finding a solution

Having an understanding of the problems, we began sourcing hard-wearing materials that could cope with extreme temperatures. To fix the issue of heat escaping from jacket sleeves and pant legs, we looked at types of neoprene cuffs for around employees’ wrists and ankles

Trial and error

Samples are integral to product development. For Tegel, we supplied several options before settling on the final solution.

Early in the process, for example, we supplied samples of bib pants with plastic clips (like those on a backpack) to attach braces over workers’ shoulders. Tegel came back to us and said, “The pants are great, but the clips make getting the pants on and off quickly too difficult. Also, the plastic becomes brittle at 20 °C." So, we supplied bib pants with elastic braces instead. Simple.

Testing to meet industry standards

To ensure the freezer apparel provided the required level of protection, we had them tested in Europe to EN 342 standard.

The EN 342 is determined by four factors:

1. thermal insulation properties with movement
2. thermal insulation properties without movement
3. air absorbency
4. waterproofing properties.

We also sent the apparel to Napier, here in New Zealand, for AS NZS 4602 to ensure it performed in relation to reflectivity at night and visibility during the day.

The result

The final result was bib pants and jackets, as well as gloves, that Tegel's workers can now wear — for almost an indefinite length of time — in temperatures as low as minus 40 °C. Tegel’s employees are warmer and happier, and, because staff needn’t be rotated as often, the company’s productivity has increased considerably.

Do you need fit-for-purpose safety products? If so, please get in touch at sales@armoursafety.co.nz or 0800 148 383.

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