“People who work in cold environments are at risk of cold stress, also known as hypothermia. Hypothermia means literally, low heat. It refers to the health hazard of dangerously low internal body temperature. Hypothermia occurs when too much body heat is lost, and the body’s internal temperature control mechanisms cannot adequately re-warm the body. 

The individual is at risk for hypothermia when he or she starts feeling uncomfortable, cold and begins shivering. Hands and feet become especially uncomfortable as the body temperature decreases blood flow to the hands and finger, joints stiffen and a sense of feeling decreases, diminishing manual dexterity and making walking difficult.  Delf manufactures and supplies all types of clothing from jackets. Trousers, salopettes and coveralls. We have a range of gloves to suit all, our G01 leather cold store gloves are lined with thinsulate™, a lightweight insulating fabric that protects the hands from the cold without hampering hand and finger dexterity.

We also have a range of cold store boots, two of which are tested to -30ºC. Wearing adequately insulated, properly fitted clothing, gloves and footwear is a primary defence against cold stress.”

For information, click here.

Many occupations involve working in cold conditions, ranging from outdoor tasks in cold climates to indoor work in food storage freezers. Suitable clothing needs to be incorporate a range of properties to enable wearers to perform their work. The clothing must be lightweight so as not to impede the wearer but it must be sufficiently insulating, in temperatures potentially as low as -50 degrees C to keep the wearer at a comfortable temperature. The clothing must be wind-resistant and should also have a degree of water vapour permeability to prevent the unacceptable build-up of moisture from perspiration inside the garment.

Clothing claiming protection against the cold, and which is to be placed on the European market, falls within the scope of the European Personal Protective Equipment Directive (Council Directive 89/686/EEC). Products are required to be submitted for third party independent testing and also require an EC type examination certificate from a Notified Body, such as SATRA, before they can be sold in Europe. To help with this process the European standards body, CEN, has published European Standard EN 342:2004 Protective clothing (ensembles and garments) for protection aganst the cold.

The principal test in EN 342 uses a heated manikin to acess a complete garment or ensemble. The aim of this test is to determine the total thermal insulation of the garment. The manikin is first dressed in the underwear specified in the standard, then dressed with the test garment. During the test the manikin is heated to, and maintained at, a specified temperature above ambient. Thermal insulation is determined from the power required to maintain the various sections of the manikin surface (torso, arms, legs etc) this constant (elevated) temperature.

The total thermal insulation value is used to classify the performance of the garment. It can also be used to estimate the maximum duration of wear based on the activity level of the wearer, the temperature of the environment and the insulation value of the clothing. These wear duration guidelines are given in an informative annex of the standard.

Other tests required by EN 342:2004 include measurement of air permeability (for assessment of the water resistance of the material) which is classified using tests carried out on the garment’s least air-permeability layer. The garment’s outer fabric must also meet defined minimum criteria for tear strength. An optional test is resistance to water penetration (a hydrostatic head test), which has two performance level classifications. Clothing that claims this optional property must also be breathable and pass a test with the water vapour resistance of the complete material ensemble i.e. outer, insulation and lining.

Delf Coldwear Solutions supply 2 Cofra cold store boots, both with non-metallic toe caps and midsole

F06 – This boot is CI* marked down to -30°C, with a TPU outsole flexing resistance 30,000 cycles at -30°C.

The upper is water repellent grain leather, with a breathable lining which absorbs and releases moisture. With a B600 Thinsualte® cold insulation lining this is an extreme quality cold store boot.

F01 – Flexible light and practical with thermal insulation CI*. The upper is water repellant and the lining is ecological fur that absorbs and releases moisture.The boot is good all rounder for both chill and frozen applications and great value for money.

*Minimum requirements – UNI EN 20344:04 -17°C for 30 minutes

Please call our sales team for more information – 020 8941 2802

Delf manufactures a comprehensive range of cold and chill store clothing, with an extensive complementary range of accessories. We constantly seek better materials for making products that perform well in low temperature environments.

Our cold store clothing conforms to PPE directive 89/686/EEC and the label confirms that it meets the requirements of BS: EN340 and EN342 and that the garments are machine washable.

The range is made of 300g Thermolite Plus wadding, with hollow fibers to trap the warm air generated by the body. The outer is 250g polyester with an anti-fray, water and dirt repellant finish.

Please go our website for the full range of cold store clothing and accessories.

                     IB4                                  IB6 cloned neck and colour

                                          IB7 Coverall

Delf Coldwear Solutions manufacture and supply a comprehensive range of clothing and accessories for personnel working in low temperature environments. Price’s start from £32.00 for the IB4 jacket and £29.00 for the salopette trousers.