Can common finishing treatments used in chef jacket fabrics improve protection against scald injury?

Abstract

Chefs and other food preparation workers are at a high risk of scald injuries from hot liquids. Chefs’ clothing has the potential to act as a protective barrier between the skin and the thermal hazard. Although, impermeable barriers coupled with an insulating layer of fabric tend to offer the greatest protection against hot liquid penetration, the potential for heat strain and discomfort to workers may make them impractical in the kitchen environment. This study examined the effects of common finishing treatments used in chef jacket fabrics and the impact of layers on the protection offered against hot water burn injuries. The Teflon® treated fabrics offering combined stain and water repellency, provided the greatest protection with the lowest absorbed energy and longest times to second degree burn injury compared with the other finishes (i.e., regular, water repellent and soil release). Findings also showed that in most cases, increasing the number of layers improved protection provided by the fabric systems, with the Teflon® finished fabrics providing the highest protection against scald injuries as fabric layers increased.

Aşçı Ceketlerinin Performans ve Konfor Özellikleri Üzerine Aşçıların Görüşleri

“…Unsatisfactory thermal conditions negatively affect the performance and productivity of workers and also might present occupational safety hazards [8]. Therefore, a chef uniform, which is a barrier between the environment and the skin of the wearer, should help to eliminate people's discomfort sensations, as well as should be a protective layer against burn injuries caused by occupational accidents [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Chef jackets can be made of various materials, and the most known are cotton and cotton/polyester blended woven fabrics having twill weave type [9].…”

“…The textiles made from cotton and polysulfonamide/Aramid 1313 blended yarns might be an option for using in chef jackets thanks to good flame retardance and permeability properties [12]. Teflon ® finished cotton/polyester blended fabrics can ensure the protection against scald injuries and improve repellency against oil and water-borne stains [13]. Another essential criterion for chef jacket selection is its design properties.…”

Furan-based self-healing breathable elastomer coating on polylactide fabric

“…Thus, more study on sustainable materials is needed for better performance. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] In this research, breathable waterproof fabric was fabricated with polylactide fabric as an eco-friendly material and biomass-based self-healing polymer.…”