Published by: FlexiTog, 12/10/2020 4:05 PM

With over 40 years in the business, we understand the cold store industry well. During this time, FlexiTog has continuously innovated and invested heavily in R&D to develop our thermal protective clothing collections and secure our place today as the European market leader in our field. 

Sub-zero heroes

It takes a strong and determined person to work in cold stores as the conditions can be notoriously tough. It’s an unforgiving environment and takes a strain physically and mentally on those who will operate 8 hours shifts in sub-zero temperatures. The conditions are so unique that there are only a handful of places in the world that could be compared to those working in a freezer! 

Similar temperatures can be found at Mount Everest where the temperature at its peak averages -36 degrees and the Antarctic where at the South Pole it will get as cold as -50 degrees and that’s not even taking into consideration the effects of windchill!

Struggling with high staff turnover? 

With such challenging conditions facing cold storage workers, many businesses encounter issues such as higher staff turnover, staff complaints and sometimes even legal cases due to injuries caused by sub-zero temperatures. But something so simple as just kitting out your workforce in the correct gear, can make a huge difference and alleviate all of these issues. 

We saw this in practice when we worked with the European leader for temperature-controlled logistics. This company has over 18,000 employees, 236 cold storage sites and a turnover of 3.2bn Euros. They were having various issues within their workforce in relation to their cold store clothing. 

The clothing issued to staff was heavy and bulky and had little to no breathability meaning the clothes got too hot and sweaty. Together, over 12 months and with 4 iterations on spec and design, we developed a solution that provided the perfect balance between warmth and breathability. The team were delighted and told us, “The staff are really enthused as a result of this journey with FlexiTog. The gear is far more lightweight and ergonomic than what they used to wear. It’s helped them perform better in the freezing conditions.”

Introducing the triad of comfort

We know that wearing the right clothing to suit your job is of paramount importance, so our team of product designers and innovation specialists clearly identified the key properties each of our garments must possess to successfully meet the demands of those working in cold stores.

There are:

Breathability 

Comfort 

Flexibility

We call these three features the triad of comfort; without one of these, the ultimate comfort can’t be achieved, and this is what sets us apart from other thermal clothing providers in the market.

These three features are achieved through unique technology such as FlexEasy, and Clo Insulation that helps keep people warmer and safer for longer which can help to lift staff morale and therefore reduce staff turnover. The right clothing from FlexiTog can also help to increase enthusiasm – imagine when a guy comes to work dressed in something that makes him look and feel good, he’s naturally going to be more enthused to do his job.

And of course, FlexiTog clothing complies with the necessary regulations including the EN342 clothing standard which is the standard that clothing must be tested for use in the cold store, so it helps keep people safe and reduce injury or illness.

Does your team deserve the best?

Ask yourself if you’re giving your team the best opportunities to excel in their role by providing them with the right clothing and if the answer is no, then give our team a call or send us an email today. https://www.flexitog.com/contactus

Download our cold store user guide to learn more about what garments are best suited to which roles. Plus you can find out what protection is required in addition to jacket and trousers so you’re fully certified, according to the EN342 standard, and get to grips with the standards required for headwear, gloves, and footwear required in the cold store. https://cp.flexitog.com/coldstore-clothing-guide/