New e-guide explores how measurable PPE comfort and breathability can help improve worker safety as temperatures rise.
LUXEMBOURG, 24th June 2026 – DuPont (NYSE:DD) is calling for greater awareness of heat stress as a growing workplace safety challenge, particularly in physically demanding industries where personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential.
The warning comes as climate forecasters predict another exceptionally warm year, with rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves increasing the risks of occupational heat exposure across the UK and Europe*. For workers operating in hot environments or wearing protective clothing for extended periods, heat stress can not only affect comfort but also concentration, decision-making, and overall safety.
“Heat stress doesn’t just make work more uncomfortable – it can compromise the ability to work safely,” says Chloé Caux-Wetherell, EMEA Marketing Manager, DuPont Personal Protection. “Safety professionals are facing a complex challenge: protecting workers from exposure to hazardous particles and liquids while also helping to reduce the physiological strain associated with heat. If PPE is perceived as too hot or restrictive, workers may adjust it incorrectly or remove it altogether, creating additional compliance and safety risks.”
While heat stress management has traditionally focused on hydration, ventilation, and work-rest cycles, DuPont believes the role of PPE itself is becoming increasingly important. Protective garments can restrict airflow, limit moisture evaporation, and trap heat close to the body, increasing thermal burden during prolonged wear.
To support health and safety professionals, DuPont has published a new e-guide: Heat Stress in the Workplace: Rethinking Comfort as a Measurable Safety Factor. The guide explores how advances in materials science and testing methodologies are changing the way PPE comfort and breathability are evaluated.
Historically, comfort has been treated as a subjective issue based on wearer feedback. However, measurable parameters such as Water Vapour Resistance (Ret) now enable safety professionals to compare how effectively garments support heat and moisture transfer, helping to inform PPE selection decisions more objectively.
“Comfort is no longer simply a matter of perception,” says Chloé Caux-Wetherell. “Scientific testing and physiological validation methods are enabling the industry to understand how PPE impacts the body under real working conditions. This is helping drive the development of protective garments that support both safety and wearer performance.”
The e-guide examines how new approaches to fabric engineering, garment design, thermal manikin testing, and predictive thermoregulation modelling are contributing to the development of more breathable materials without compromising protection or durability.
One recent innovation from DuPont, based on the principle of comfort as a science, is Tyvek® APX™ fabric, which achieves an extremely breathable classification while maintaining the chemical protection and durability required in demanding working environments. Garments made from this fabric can help reduce physiological burden with no reduction in barrier performance.
Heat Stress in the Workplace: Rethinking Comfort as a Measurable Safety Factor is free to download here: https://www.dupont.co.uk/personal-protection/dupont-tyvek-apx.html
