Sanitation Worker Uniform Testing

Sanitation worker clothing testing mainly conducts scientific testing and analysis on visibility, colour fastness testing, mechanical physical property testing, flame retardancy testing, waterproof and moisture-permeable performance testing, and toxic and hazardous substance testing, objectively assessing the product quality grade and issuing a detailed test report, providing a basis for manufacturers' quality control and downstream users' product acceptance.

Testing Items

Visibility (retroreflective performance) testing: In accordance with the relevant standards, the coefficient of retroreflection of the retroreflective materials on the sanitation worker clothing is determined. This is the core indicator for ensuring the safety of sanitation workers at night or under low-illuminance environments, mainly evaluating the reflective brightness of the material at a specific observation angle and incident angle, ensuring that it can form an effective warning when illuminated by vehicle lights.

Colour fastness testing: Mainly evaluates the ability of the colour of the sanitation worker clothing fabric to withstand rubbing, perspiration, washing and sunlight exposure. This includes dry/wet rubbing fastness, washing fastness and light fastness, to prevent fading and staining of the clothing during daily wear, cleaning and long-term outdoor work, affecting the appearance and the recognizability of the reflective markings.

Mechanical physical property testing: Covering items such as the breaking strength, tearing strength, bursting strength and seam strength of the fabric. These indicators are directly related to the durability and resistance to external force damage of the clothing, ensuring that it is not easily snagged and torn in complex sanitation operations, and guaranteeing the basic protective function of the clothing.

Flame retardancy testing: Tests the combustion characteristics of the sanitation worker clothing fabric when it contacts an open flame, including the afterflame time, afterglow time and damaged length. For specific positions that may contact sparks or high-temperature environments (such as around incineration plants), flame retardancy is an important safety indicator, aiming to reduce the risk of clothing combustion.

Waterproof and moisture-permeable performance testing: Evaluates the water penetration resistance and water vapour transmission rate of the sanitation worker clothing fabric. The fabric is required to resist rain and sewage while timely discharging the perspiration vapour generated by the human body, keeping the wearer dry and comfortable, and improving the work adaptability and comfort under bad weather.

Toxic and hazardous substance testing: In accordance with the ecological textile standards, hazardous substances in the fabric such as the formaldehyde content, pH value, cleavable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes, heavy metals (such as lead and cadmium) and phthalates are tested. This ensures the safety of the clothing in direct contact with the skin, preventing potential harm to human health.

Testing Scope

Retroreflective safety marking tapes: As the core safety component of the sanitation worker clothing, their coefficient of retroreflection, washing resistance, flexing resistance and temperature resistance need to be tested. This includes 360° encircling reflective strips and local warning markings, ensuring good visibility in all directions under all-weather conditions, and that the performance does not significantly decay after multiple washes.

Main body fabric: The testing scope covers the woven fabrics, knitted fabrics or nonwovens used in the main parts of the clothing. Its colour fastness, strength, functionality (such as waterproofness and flame retardancy) and hazardous substance content need to be comprehensively evaluated, ensuring that the basic material meets the comprehensive requirements of safety, durability and comfort.

Sewing threads and accessories: Including sewing threads, zippers, Velcro, buttons and reflective badges. The strength and abrasion resistance of the sewing thread, the durability and corrosion resistance of the accessories, and the attachment fastness of the reflective accessories on the clothing need to be tested, ensuring that the integrity and functionality of the whole clothing are not affected by small components.

Finished garment structure: Tests whether the overall design of the clothing conforms to ergonomics, and whether the position, width and spacing of the reflective strips comply with the standard provisions. At the same time, it evaluates whether the seam treatment and pocket design are reasonable, and whether they affect the work activities and the effectiveness of the safety performance.

Specific functional styles: For sanitation worker clothing with special protective functions, such as winter cold-proof clothing, summer breathable clothing and raincoats, the testing scope needs to be extended to special performance indicators such as the thermal insulation rate, moisture permeability index and surface water resistance (spray rating), to meet the requirements of different climates and working environments.

Performance after cleaning and maintenance: Simulating the actual use conditions, key items (especially the retroreflective performance, colour fastness and strength) of the sanitation worker clothing after a specified number of washing and drying cycles (such as 5, 25 and 50 times) are re-tested, verifying its performance durability and service life.

Testing Methods

Coefficient of retroreflection test (GB/T 28468-2012 and EN 471): A coefficient of retroreflection measuring instrument is used to measure the retroreflective material under the standard specified geometric conditions (such as an observation angle of 0.2° and an incident angle of -4°). The sample needs to undergo pretreatments (such as washing, rubbing and temperature and humidity conditioning) to evaluate its initial performance and durability.

Colour fastness test (GB/T 3920, GB/T 3921 and GB/T 8427): A rubbing fastness tester is used for the rubbing fastness; a soaping fastness testing machine is used for the washing fastness, and after washing under standard conditions, the rating is carried out by comparing with a grey scale; a xenon arc lamp sunlight fastness tester is used for the light fastness, simulating sunlight irradiation and evaluating the degree of fading.

Fabric strength test (GB/T 3923.1, GB/T 3917.2 and GB/T 19976): A constant rate of extension (CRE) strength tester is used for the breaking strength and elongation; the trapezoid method or single tongue method is commonly used for the tearing strength; the ball burst method or pneumatic/hydraulic method is used for the bursting strength. Before the test, the sample needs to be balanced under standard temperature and humidity conditions.

Flame retardancy test (GB/T 5455): A vertical fabric flame retardancy tester is adopted. A specimen of a specified size is vertically hung in a combustion chamber, ignited with a specified flame for a certain time, the afterflame time and afterglow time are recorded, and the damaged length is measured, thereby determining the flame retardancy grade.

Waterproof and moisture permeability test (GB/T 4744 and GB/T 12704.1): The hydrostatic pressure method is commonly used for the water penetration resistance, testing the vertical water pressure borne by the fabric per unit area; the desiccant method or evaporation method is commonly used for the moisture permeability, testing the mass of water vapour passing through the fabric per unit area per unit time, comprehensively evaluating the protection and comfort of the fabric.

Chemical analysis of hazardous substances (GB 18401 and GB/T 18885): The formaldehyde content adopts the water extraction method, determined by a spectrophotometer after color development with acetylacetone; the pH value adopts the water extraction electrode method; the cleavable aromatic amine dyes are analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). All tests need to be carried out in a professional chemical laboratory.

Testing Standards

Domestic Standards:

1. GB/T 3920-2024, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to rubbing

2. GB/T 3921-2008, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to washing with soap or soap and soda

3. GB/T 8427-2019, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Colour fastness to artificial light: Xenon arc fading lamp test

4. GB/T 3923.1-2013, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of breaking force and elongation at breaking force using the strip method

5. GB/T 5455-2014, Textiles — Burning behaviour — Determination of damaged length, afterglow time and afterflame time

International Standards:

1. ISO 13934-1, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation at maximum force using the strip method

2. ISO 105, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness

Note: The applicable standard can be selected according to the product use and customer trade requirements; standards agreed in the contract take precedence over general standards.

Testing Instruments and Equipment

Coefficient of retroreflection measuring instrument: The core optical measuring equipment, used to precisely determine the coefficient of retroreflection of the retroreflective material. The instrument has a built-in standard light source and photoelectric detector, can precisely control the incident angle and observation angle, and directly reads or calculates the coefficient of retroreflection value. It is the key tool for evaluating visibility.

Universal material testing machine: Equipped with different fixtures, it can carry out various mechanical property tests of the fabric such as tension, tearing, bursting and seam slippage. Through high-precision sensors and a control system, the load-displacement curve is recorded and various strength indicators are automatically calculated, with objective and accurate data.

Colour fastness test equipment series: Including rubbing fastness testers, perspiration fastness testers, soaping fastness testing machines and xenon arc lamp weather aging test chambers. These devices can simulate the influence of different environmental factors on the colour, and the fading and staining conditions are rated with standard grey scales or colorimeters.

Fabric flame retardancy tester: Mainly composed of a combustion test chamber, specimen clamping device, automatic igniter and timing device. It can precisely control the ignition time and flame height, and safely collect the combustion gases. It is dedicated equipment for objectively evaluating the flame retardancy of fabrics.

Hydrostatic pressure tester and moisture permeability cups: The hydrostatic pressure tester applies gradually increasing water pressure to one side of the fabric until three water penetration points appear on the other side, recording the pressure value at this time. The moisture permeability cups are used for the moisture permeability test, measuring the water vapour transmission in a constant temperature and humidity chamber. The combination of the two evaluates the waterproof and moisture-permeable function.

Chemical analysis instruments: Including pH meters, ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometers (for formaldehyde), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS, for aromatic amines and plasticizers) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometers (ICP-MS, for heavy metals). These high-precision instruments are the necessary guarantee for detecting toxic and hazardous substances.

Standard washing and drying equipment: Such as standard household washing machines, tumble dryers or ovens. They are used to carry out pretreatments of the sample according to the specified procedure, to simulate the actual use and cleaning process, providing standard preliminary conditions for testing the performance durability (such as the retroreflective performance after washing).