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50 Pratt’s Junction Road
Sterling, MA 01564
(P): 978-422-3400
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1024 Roelofs Road
Yardley, PA 19067
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Kool Suit Bechtel-DOE Report
Download Kool Suit Sizing Chart
The following Bechtel Jacobs Company Lessons Learned was developed by Safety Systems Integration for distribution and utilization. This report will reside on the US Dept. of Energy's database as a 'lessons learned' report.
TITLE: Personal Cooling Equipment Evaluation
IDENTIFIER: G-2006-OR-BJCSSI-0301
DATE: March 20, 2006
LESSON LEARNED STATEMENT: Worker acceptance of personal cooling equipment is a highly individual issue, with the popularity of a given item varying widely from site to site. Several types of this equipment are available for widespread use and breathable personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used wherever possible.
DISCUSSION OF ACTIVITIES: In 2004 and 2005, Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI) and Bechtel Jacobs Company LLC (BJC) commenced evaluations to determine if commonly available heat-stress relief equipment could provide relief from the high temperatures prevalent in the summer. Both sites have extreme climates with high temperatures and respectively low and high humidity. The heat loading on workers can be extreme. The work-rest regimen can drop to as low as 25% work - 75% rest. The evaluation demonstrated that the acceptance of cooling equipment is a highly personal issue, with the popularity of a given item varying widely from site to site.
While some cooling equipment has been in use for years, such as ice vests and pre-cooled supplied air, these are frequently not available or unpopular with the work force. For example, ice vests are cited as uncomfortably cold, then heavy and hot once the ice has melted. However, new generations of cooling equipment are now available, working with different principles. Lightweight, breathable PPE that improved natural cooling was also examined.
The evaluation reviewed several types of cooling equipment- evaporative, phase change, and active cooling. The evaporative cooling equipment works when the environmental heat or heat from the worker causes the water held in the garment to vaporize, and the water vapor carries the heat away. The phase change is functionally similar to ice vests, but uses other materials changing from solid to liquid at 65 instead of 32 degrees. The active cooling used water circulating around the torso cooled by an ice reservoir. All types of cooling had advantages and disadvantages.
The evaluations reviewed several garment types: vests, wristbands, hard hat liners, baseball hats and bandannas, as well as breathable PPE. One purpose of the evaluation was to determine the effect of personal preference on the worker's acceptance of the different types of equipment. A predictable but interesting effect was that of individual safety leadership, where it appeared that the acceptance of a type of equipment was often tied to one individual's vocal appreciation for that type of equipment, and championing it within the group.
ANALYSIS: The following types of cooling equipment were evaluated.
Evaporative Cooling: The evaporative cooling (EC) equipment used two different techniques to hold water in the equipment. One group used polyacrylamide crystals (PA) (the same material used in diapers) to hold the water. This group of equipment generally held more water, but had a drawback from the inability to wash the equipment. The equipment tended to work well, and was inexpensive. This type of cooling works well only in low humidity environments.
The PA equipment tested included hats, hard hat liners, bandannas, vests and wristbands. This equipment was procured from the Kool-N-Safe Company. The hats were issued to promote the technology, but were not usable as PPE. Two items from this group that gained widespread acceptance were wristbands and hard hat liners. The wristbands were popular only on some sites, but were very popular at those sites.
The hard hat liner was the single most popular cooling equipment at BHI. The hard hat liner fit under the hard hat and included a flap to shade the neck. This flap also kept insects off of the worker's neck. As the hard hat liner offered both cooling and shade, it was a desirable item for the workers. The bandannas met with success, but not as much as the hard hat liner.
The PA vests met with mixed success. This equipment demonstrated the absolute necessity of clearly communicating proper use of PPE and the effect of safety leadership. At one site, the vest was used improperly under impermeable PPE that did not allow the water vapor to escape. In this circumstance, the vest added to the heat load instead of improving it. As a result of this event, none of the EC equipment of any type gained acceptance at that site. At other sites, the PA vests met with mixed success. The success appeared to be tied to acceptance instead of performance.
A separate group of EC equipment procured from Silver Eagle Outfitters tested. This equipment held the water in fibers that were in the middle of two other layers of cloth. The fiber EC material held less water. This equipment offered the advantage of being washable, and being more durable than the PA equipment. The fiber EC equipment was popular because of its durability, but it did not appear to provide the same perceptible level of cooling as the PA equipment.
Phase Change: The evaluation tested vests using phase-change (PC) materials. These phase change vests were similar to ice vests, but used various materials that changed phase at higher temperatures and were easier to 'recharge' than ice packets. These vests were procured from Kool-n-Safe.
Phase change (PC) vests met with mixed acceptance. While several testers at BHI were very positive on the PC pests, other testers were not. Some evidence supported that the workers associated the PC vests with ice vests and would not voluntarily use the vests. The PC vests did not get a widespread test at BHI.
A similar phase-change test with the same equipment in 2005 at BJC in Oak Ridge Tennessee met with good worker acceptance and multiple follow-on PC vests were procured. Increased use is anticipated for 2006.
Active Cooling: These vests, originally designed for military use, combined several features from older cooling systems very successfully. The "Kool Suit" sold by TP Manufacturing Sales, circulated chilled water continuously around the torso, using a heat exchanger contained in an ice reservoir in a backpack. The device was significantly lighter than full-body suits and was also less cumbersome. The Kool-Suit won worker acceptance.
Breathable PPE: This evaluation explored the concept of improving the natural cooling abilities of the workers. The evaluation procured lightweight, disposable PPE from the OREX Company. This PPE has a tight weave pattern and a smaller pore-size than the washable cotton PPE typically used. However, the OREX PPE was thin enough to allow breezes to pass through the material. The OREX coveralls were popular at every site that allowed their use. The OREX coveralls were not used at sites where the contamination could be transported in water and waterproof PPE were required. The OREX material allowed and promoted natural evaporative cooling and allowed the other EC materials to work though at diminished efficiency. While other breathable PPE were reviewed, OREX seemed to offer the best balance of breathability and splash resistance.
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS: The evaluation demonstrated that cooling PPE that gained worker acceptance, most notably active cooling, evaporative hard hat coolers and breathable PPE demonstrated a net benefit to the workers. PPE that did not gain worker acceptance did not get used despite a demonstrable benefit. While this evaluation would benefit from a scientific analysis of the core body temperature of the workers, it is unlikely that the data would change the conclusion regarding worker acceptance.
Several types of this equipment will be made more available for widespread use in the future and the breathable PPE will be provided wherever possible.
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PRIORITY DESCRIPTOR: Green/Good Work Practice
FUNCTIONAL CATEGORY (S) (DOE): Radiological Protection
BJC TREND CODE (S) (USER-DEFINED): RP Radiological Protection
ORIGINATOR: Bechtel Jacobs Company, LLC; Grant Ceffalo; 865-241-4171
VALIDATOR: Bechtel Jacobs Company, LLC; Michael McIntosh; 865-241-9877
CONTACT: Grant Ceffalo; 865-241-4171
NAME OF AUTHORIZED DERIVATIVE CLASSIFIER: Doris Frazier
NAME OF REVIEWING OFFICIAL: Patrick Willison
KEYWORDS: Cooling Equipment; PPE; Heat Stress
REFERENCES: Kool-N-Safe Company; Silver Eagle Outfitters; OREX Company, TP Manufacturing Sales
HAZARDS: Temperature Extremes; Weather Related
WORK ACTIVITY: Radiological
ISMS CODE: Develop & Implement Hazard Controls; Hazard Controls Tailored to Work Being Performed
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