Anyone who regularly wears protective clothing at work appreciates ergonomic products that are comfortable to wear. It’s important that personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn at all times so that it can protect the wearer properly. However, if it becomes uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, or if it restricts movement too much, there is a high risk that it won’t be used as prescribed. But even short breaks in wearing the PPE significantly increase the risk of injury.
That’s why uvex safety offers a wide range of ergonomic protective workwear. The uvex i-performance product range has been available for several years. Recently, the uvex i-gonomics line has been added to the range of PPE specially designed to meet ergonomic needs. This innovative product system incorporates the latest physiological findings on how wearers of PPE can be supported in a targeted and effective manner.
Looking back: the idea behind uvex i-performance
When the uvex i-performance product system was developed in 2013, the focus was already on combining the usual levels of uvex protection with the best possible fit. This can be achieved, for example, by designing protective work clothing that specifically accommodates the movements that are carried out during certain activities. To a certain extent, the right ergonomic workwear even supports physiological processes. All in all, this reduces strain and maximises comfort – and thus also efficiency, i.e., performance.
uvex i-performance is based on the systematic development of the uvex 3D philosophy, in which products are developed using realistic 3D models. This makes garments for protection from head to toe, such as safety helmets or face protection, safety gloves but also safety shoes, comfortable to wear – and thus significantly improving safety.
Products from the uvex i-performance line are characterised by high levels of protective functionality, top design, optimum quality and durability, offering real added value for uvex customers.
The uvex RX goggle safety spectacles are also still setting standards today. They were the first goggles with prescription safety lenses. Compared with conventional eye protection, they offer an 18 percent higher transmission rate. This prevents optical aberrations – and headaches. Because, unlike overspecs, which use different media that need to be “looked through”, these goggles offer high levels of visual comfort as well as the necessary glare protection required for working with brightly lit displays or with frequent changes between artificial and natural light.
i-gonomics: an innovative index for ergonomic products
What differentiates good PPE from excellent PPE? This is the question that’s asked when buying the best possible protective equipment for a company’s workforce. The problem is that although there are countless standards for PPE protective properties, there are none at all for ergonomics or wearer comfort.
Force: What kind of strain does it put on the wearer?
Climate: Are the products breathable or anti-fog?
When compared with each other, these key figures make ergonomics a measurable and comparable variable – an innovative approach that supports those responsible for choosing PPE.
All newly developed uvex safety products are classified according to this system on a scale of 0 to 5. For the i-gonomics line, the bar is set particularly high: only developments that have a high Relief Index also receive the uvex i-gonomics seal of approval.
Would you like to find out more about the uvex Relief Index? We discuss it in detail in this blog article.
The evolution of ergonomic protective clothing: from uvex i-performance to uvex i-gonomics
Anyone who regularly wears protective clothing at work appreciates ergonomic products that are comfortable to wear. It’s important that personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn at all times so that it can protect the wearer properly. However, if it becomes uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time, or if it restricts movement too much, there is a high risk that it won’t be used as prescribed. But even short breaks in wearing the PPE significantly increase the risk of injury.
That’s why uvex safety offers a wide range of ergonomic protective workwear. The uvex i-performance product range has been available for several years. Recently, the uvex i-gonomics line has been added to the range of PPE specially designed to meet ergonomic needs. This innovative product system incorporates the latest physiological findings on how wearers of PPE can be supported in a targeted and effective manner.
Looking back: the idea behind uvex i-performance
When the uvex i-performance product system was developed in 2013, the focus was already on combining the usual levels of uvex protection with the best possible fit. This can be achieved, for example, by designing protective work clothing that specifically accommodates the movements that are carried out during certain activities. To a certain extent, the right ergonomic workwear even supports physiological processes. All in all, this reduces strain and maximises comfort – and thus also efficiency, i.e., performance.
uvex i-performance is based on the systematic development of the uvex 3D philosophy, in which products are developed using realistic 3D models. This makes garments for protection from head to toe, such as safety helmets or face protection, safety gloves but also safety shoes, comfortable to wear – and thus significantly improving safety.
Products from the uvex i-performance line are characterised by high levels of protective functionality, top design, optimum quality and durability, offering real added value for uvex customers.
The uvex RX goggle safety spectacles are also still setting standards today. They were the first goggles with prescription safety lenses. Compared with conventional eye protection, they offer an 18 percent higher transmission rate. This prevents optical aberrations – and headaches. Because, unlike overspecs, which use different media that need to be “looked through”, these goggles offer high levels of visual comfort as well as the necessary glare protection required for working with brightly lit displays or with frequent changes between artificial and natural light.
i-gonomics: an innovative index for ergonomic products
What differentiates good PPE from excellent PPE? This is the question that’s asked when buying the best possible protective equipment for a company’s workforce. The problem is that although there are countless standards for PPE protective properties, there are none at all for ergonomics or wearer comfort.
To avoid having to rely purely on gut feeling, uvex safety recently collaborated with the Prüf- und Forschungsinstitut Pirmasens e. V. (PFI Germany), the Hohenstein Institute and the Chemnitz University of Technology to introduce a new performance indicator called the Relief Index. The index includes three categories:
When compared with each other, these key figures make ergonomics a measurable and comparable variable – an innovative approach that supports those responsible for choosing PPE.
All newly developed uvex safety products are classified according to this system on a scale of 0 to 5. For the i-gonomics line, the bar is set particularly high: only developments that have a high Relief Index also receive the uvex i-gonomics seal of approval.
Would you like to find out more about the uvex Relief Index? We discuss it in detail in this blog article.