Published in Australia's Longwalls
In what could be the world’s first development in clothing specifically designed for mining, Riverina in conjunction with Centennial’s Springvale longwall mine developed a shirt utilising a new waterproof fabric that boasts comfort and breathability. A knitted backing cloth provides a soft finish that separates the skin from the outer waterproof film, encouraging air circulation around the body to enhance comfort.
Last year Springvale purchased more than 200 garments for its workforce, after finetuning the product in conjunction with Riverina through the trial of three samples. The Techniflex fabric competed against several other materials during the trial. It was noted that all other fabrics rapidly lost their waterproof characteristic as the garment became soiled, whereas Techniflex remained waterproof. Techniflex was also nominated as the most comfortable of all the fabrics trialed.
“We have difficult conditions here, in the winter time it is freezing and we have a lot of water on the face area which drips down onto the miners. We needed a garment that was lightweight and practical for work but kept the miners dry and warm,” said Springvale associate training manager Mark Warren.
Although originally designed for workers at the coalface, the Springvale workforce has found other areas of use. “It is ideal for an after work garment to wear on the way out of the mine instead of a cumbersome jacket. Vehicle operators have also found it perfect for thermal protection and because it is a luminous green, it offers high visibility,” he said.
“A number of outbye miners working in high-flow ventilated areas have found this unit to be great because of its thermal resistance. Persons on the surface driving machinery have also found them to be excellent because they are lightweight and flexible to work in and they don’t have to wear two jackets and a jumper to keep warm in the cool climate conditions,” he said.
Riverina has taken the stresses of longwall mining into consideration with a number of special design features to increase practicality. The collar is a stand-up design to eliminate the possibility of water running down the inside of the garment. It also features an extended tail to keep miners' bottoms dry, a great feature when operating or having to sit on damp machinery. By extending the back panel of the garment, incidence of kidney chill in wet working environments is eliminated.
Touch tape, fixed from the bottom of the jacket up to the top of the collar allows for individual adjustment to suit the level of comfort and protection required. A three-quarter sleeve design also uses touch tape as a means of tightening the hemmed end to fit the worker's forearm.
Techniflex had its first taste of the rigors of the mining industry in 2001 in a NSW hard rock mine when it was trialled against PVC. At the time of the mine ceasing to track the performance of the garment, it had outlasted its nearest competitor 16 times.
Until the introduction of Techniflex, PVC was the only waterproof garment on the market that did not require reproofing to maintain its waterproof characteristic. However, its use has been limited because of its reputation for discomfort, an area Techniflex has overcome.
Techniflex weighs half of what an equivalent PVC garment would. The garment also has the ability to stretch up to 150%, elevating the level of comfort for the wearer.
Puncture has been noted as the most common form of damage to clothing in the mining industry and Techniflex’s puncture resistance will be a welcome relief to miners.
A Riverina spokesperson summed up the seven secrets to the success of the garment: “Its lightweight quality, its stretchability, its extreme puncture resistance, its unique waterproof characteristics, its soft feel backing cloth, its breathability and its ability to transport moisture away from the skin.”
