The cooperative dairy company LAÏTA adopts the new Tyvek® 800 J protective garment for the safety and comfort of its employees

Comfort and safety in food processing

LAÏTA, a cooperative dairy company from western France, performs three main activities: the collection, processing and marketing of its dairy products. The spirit of innovation is not just one of LAÏTA's founding values, it is also what drives the company's development and guarantees its activities are sustainable in the long-term. This also includes adapting to technological developments and the delivery of excellent quality on a daily basis.

At its production site in Yffiniac, where dried dairy ingredients and crème fraiche are produced, the quality requirements are very high, including those for health and safety. To optimise the cleaning and disinfection of workshops, whilst ensuring the comfort and safety of employees, the company has opted for the new Tyvek® 800 J single-use protective garment.

The health and safety measures taken in a dairy product manufacturing workshop, like the one in Yffiniac, are rigorous. The cleaning and disinfection of the workshops, machinery and containers are the responsibility of the operators who use cleaning detergents to eliminate all undesirable micro-organisms. They are, therefore, exposed to a number of chemical products that often vary in order to maximise antibacterial action.

The use of foam guns for these cleaning operations requires adequate protection against liquid splashes from a large range of chemical products. Only Type 3 chemical protective clothing against pressurised liquids is suitable. Making the right choice is of the utmost importance, because it should not only meet the safety requirements for appropriate protection of the employee, but also be comfortable enough to allow its users to work in the right conditions, stress-free, as explained by Gunwal Joly, Environmental Safety Manager on the LAÏTA group's Yffiniac site.

"Whilst the protection equipment we were using before the DuPont™ Tyvek® 800 J protective garment did meet safety standards, they also had a number of drawbacks. It was difficult to put on, and was much too hot to work in. It did not fit correctly, even in the right size. The garment got in the way of the employees' movements, especially around their lower legs, which could lead to falls. This is why we wanted to find another safer and more comfortable solution for the operators in charge of cleaning the workshop."

After studying all the Type 3 garments available on the market, LAÏTA decided on the Tyvek® 800 J from DuPont. This new chemical protective garment has been developed to offer a more efficient solution, combining superior comfort and a pressurised liquid jet resistance normally associated with coveralls made from waterproof materials (such as triple-layer polyethylene) which can be stiff, ill-fitting, and, above all, very hot to work in.

The garment is actually based on the durable barrier performance of Tyvek®, enhanced with Tyvek® Impervious Technology, which is an extremely light, supple material that is permeable to air and moisture vapour. It behaves like a virtually imperceptible second skin and allows the user to work with total peace of mind, as confirmed by Gunwal Joly.

"The feedback from the cleaning and disinfecting teams is very positive. They find that the Tyvek® 800 J suit is easy to put on, and fits very well. Being very light, the garment allows a freedom of movement that is particularly appreciated by everybody, whilst they feel well-protected with the integrated hood and the little finishing touches at the wrists and legs. They are considerably less warm than our previous non-breathable Type 3 chemical protection solutions, and this is a really important point, as the use of very hot water during cleaning noticeably increases the temperature in the workshop. Some employees have to wear the suit all day when cleaning the containers, and wearing the Tyvek® 800 J suit is no longer restrictive for them."

About Laïta

LAÏTA, a cooperative dairy company from the Grand Ouest, was created on the 1st July, 2009. Built on the basis of cooperation, this company of Men solidly rooted in its homeland and spreading out on an international scale is cultivating operational excellence and an innovative spirit around milk and dairy products.

Laïta in figures

3 750 dairy farm suppliers

1.3 billion litres of milk collected per year

2 400 employees

1.2 billion Euro turnover