The employees of the French firm Groupe Ledoux use Tyvek® coveralls to carry out their daily duties. In this interview, purchasing managers Morgan Barbinek and Maurice Guillaud explain why they selected Tyvek® to protect their workforce.
Journalist: Good morning, as buyers for an industrial firm working in industrial design, renovation and maintenance, you use Tyvek® coveralls. In what circumstances do you require the protection provided by DuPont™ Tyvek® coveralls?
Maurice Guillaud: One of our tasks is to renovate machinery for use in automotive and railway plants. We are in charge of dismantling, appraising, repairing and reassembling this machinery.
After dozens of years in production, machinery can be extremely dirty when we start work, soiled by contaminated dust and liquids, so we use Tyvek® coveralls to keep our technicians clean. It’s easier to change your coverall than to wash workwear, which would have to be changed twice a day in some cases. Our technicians wear these coveralls for rough work in conditions where you can get filthy very quickly, but the coveralls don’t hamper their movements.
Morgan Barbinek: When designing special machinery, we start from scratch and design tools to manufacture vehicle parts (for automotive and aeronautical industries) to be used every day or for storing, handling, and wrapping foodstuffs and medication. We sometimes have to work using special standards and products, which is where the Tyvek® coveralls come in, since they offer optimum protection from splashing while helping ensure freedom of movement for users.
We also use Tyvek® coveralls for more basic applications such as cleaning and industrial maintenance, as well as painting our parts and sub-assemblies. Tyvek® coveralls are smooth and water-repellent so users benefit from complete freedom of movement and don’t get wet. Moreover, the coveralls are disposable and lightweight, making them suitable for jobs performed at other premises, which is quite a considerable asset.
Journalist: There are several competing brands, why choose Tyvek® coveralls?
M.G & M.B: We use about a hundred coveralls a year. We have tried cheaper versions but our technicians have been disappointed each time: they're either too stiff, rip too easily, or the elasticized cuffs, ankles or hood are too loose or not sturdy enough. At the same time, the coveralls have been found to be too thick, too hot, too heavy, and so on. All the more reason to choose Tyvek® protective coveralls. Furthermore, as we work in line with several industrial standards, including, for example, ISO 9001, we have adopted our responsible procurement policy accordingly. The fact that the material used to make Tyvek® coveralls is produced in Europe was another factor that influenced our choice.