Teijin has developed a cooling vest that is designed to protect firefighters with unprecedented heat-resistance, flame-retardance and body-heat reduction, including through the use of small electric fans. The company will unveil the cooling vest during A+A 2017, the leading international trade forum for work-related safety and health, which will take place at Messe Dusseldorf in Germany from 17-20 October.

The cooling vest is said to effectively reduce body temperature and heart rate through sweat absorption, quick drying and moisture permeability. The electric fans pull in outside air for up to eight hours.

“Conventional flame-retardant protective clothing for firefighters tends to trap body heat, raising the risk of heat stroke, particularly in the summer. The cooling vest helps firefighters maintain performance and energy levels while fighting fires, as well as benefit from high levels of comfort and flexibility,” the company explains.

The outermost of three fabric layers is made with Teijin’s Teijinconex, a heat-resistant, flame-retardant meta-aramid fibre. The middle and innermost layers are made with high-functional polyester fabrics for sweat absorption, quick drying and moisture permeability.

Teijin will start selling its cooling vest in the European protective apparel market from spring 2018, working in collaboration with LHD Group Deutschland, a provider in the management of professional and protective clothing, through the final measurements in functions such as comfort, fabrication and cooling.

In the future, Teijin plan to incorporate the cooling vest in its new smart protective system (SPS), which Teijin has recently developed, as a total safety solution to prevent the risk of heat strokes.

“The Teijin Group is strengthening its leading position in protective apparel market, putting forward new solution line-ups and will accelerate its business development for safety/security/disaster mitigation solutions, one of the core priority fields in the medium-term management plan for 2017-2019,” the company reports.

www.teijin.com