This year saw the return of the biennial Expoprotection show, the leading forum for risk prevention and management, held in Paris, on 6-8 November.
The exhibition welcomed over 20,000 trade visitors
The event welcomed more than 20,000 visitors and almost 750 international exhibitors from 110 countries. The two main themes of the show included security and firefighting and occupational and industrial risks, with big names such as Teijin, Kermel and Honeywell exhibiting their latest innovations.
In addition to the exhibitors, the show hosted its own Start Up Village, inviting 18 companies to showcase and pitch their products to others in the industry. Companies included Nap&UP, specialising in pop-up napping areas for work, and ComHAND, a new type of wearable, ergonomic radio control designed for industrial use.
Four Expert Villages were also present at the event. The four villages were structured around current trends – MSD prevention, IoT and smart protection, private security and technology, and crisis management.
What’s more, the 2018 Expoprotection Award winners and nominees also showcased their products at the show. The awards took place back in September to find the most innovative products for the occupational and industrial risks and security and firefighting sectors. Among the Gold, Silver and Bronze winners was the CleanAir Ultimate GX suit with an integrated panoramic mask and double overpressure – a first in ventilated protective clothing; Solidur’s Infinity trousers with Class 3 protection; the Laevo exoskeleton, a new solution for preventing and reducing back problems in the workplace; and the SCANFORCE system, a miniaturised metal detector integrated into a glove or a bracelet. See the full lists of winners and nominees here: https://www.expoprotection.com/en/Visit/2018-Expoprotection-awards/
Alfredo exhibited graphene-enhanced workwear and protective garments
Sustainability
Throughout the event, there was a key emphasis on sustainability – potentially one of the biggest challenges facing the textile industry at the moment.
Companies such as Lenzing, TenCate Protective Fabrics and Sympatex were present at this year’s exhibition, showcasing some of their latest innovations.
Sympatex showcased its new recycled membrane technology, while Concordia Textiles exhibited its recycled polyester collection, and TenCate Protective Fabrics presented its Tecawork Ecogreen product line.
Oliver Spocker, director of Workwear and Protective Wear and global commercial director for FR Fibres at Lenzing, says: “Our latest fibres include Refibra, the first cellulose fibre featuring recycled material, and EcoVero, a green viscose fibre produced under the highest ecological parameters.
“The ‘green’ concept is not new, but it is now something that is on the consumer’s mind. Though, consumers need to be prepared to pay for sustainability and manufacturers need to be prepared to develop solutions.”
Lenzing showcased its latest sustainable innovations
Balancing weight and protection
One of the other key themes that kept cropping up throughout the event was the issue of balancing protection with lighter weight fabrics.
Kirsty Kirk, research and development at Carrington Textiles, the largest producer of workwear fabrics in the UK, reiterated this point and explained that it is difficult to get the same level of protection from a fabric that is lighter weight.
“We sell a lot of products to the Middle East where it is extremely hot, and many workers struggle with heat stress due to the flame-retardant finish. So, a challenge is trying to find the right protection that is lightweight and also breathable,” says Kirk.
Valerie Hostyn from Concordia Textiles also mentioned the difficulty with developing lighter weight protection: “With heat and flame protection it is difficult because the lighter you go, the less protection you will have.”
Comfort
And while it is paramount to receive the correct level of protection, comfort is also a very important aspect to consider when it comes to workwear.
Diadora Utility showcased its new collection of safety shoes that combine three important components needed to be considered comfortable – breathability, lightweight and cushioning.
Similarly, Puma Safety showcased its new generation MOTION shoe line at Expoprotection. The company has incorporated a unique sole structure made with IMPULSE FOAM to create a workwear shoe line that is adapted to long working days.
Taking a different approach to achieving comfort in workwear, Italian company Alfredo Grassi showcased its graphene-enhanced workwear at this year’s event – the result of its partnership with Directa Plus. Among the collection were construction worker and law enforcement uniforms, as well as firefighter and military gear.
According to Alfredo Grassi’s R&D manager Daniela Ferroni, integrating graphene into its garments achieves thermal comfort – ‘spreading heat throughout to improve the performance’.
Women in the industry
When people think of industrial workwear, an image of men in high-vis suits usually springs to mind, and yet it is becoming increasingly common for women to be working in this sector now too.
One company that is ahead of the game when it comes to supplying women with workwear is P&F Workwear, a Canadian company founded in 2007.
“We have developed a workwear line exclusively for ladies,” says Esther Pelletier, product manager at P&F Workwear.
“More and more women are working in industry, yet when we started out, no one was making clothing for them, they were buying menswear in smaller sizes that do not fit properly,” adds Pelletier.
Overall, this year’s Expoprotection highlighted the huge growth opportunities presented by the protective textiles industry. Not only do key players continue to innovative to meet emerging needs such as sustainability, but start-up companies show promise when it comes to developing new and insightful products too.
Expoprotection will return for its 28th edition in 2020. For more information, visit: http://www.expoprotection.com/
