Like most of the garments used today, the reflective vest sold made from this chemical material, which is highly flammable, but this also occurs with other products.
The professor of the Faculty of Chemical Sciences of the U. of Chile, José Romero Reyes, told 24Horas “all material is burned,” but that the difference lies in the time it takes some to be burned. “The most advisable thing would be to use cotton or wool vests, they will burn, but much slower”, explained the chemist.
“As a synthetic fiber, polyester burns much faster and sticks to the skin if exposed to high temperatures,” he added. It should be note that the reform approved to the Traffic Law, does not explain the material that the high visibility vest must have, but the components of it must possess. In this regard, the Executive Secretary of the National Traffic Safety Commission, Gabriela, told this website that “the fabrics used for its manufacture do not differ much from those used in common clothing, which would be exposed at the same risk of flammability as any other.”
NON-PROFESSIONAL USE
Although it may trigger consequences for the health of people, in this case the manufacturing material is not a relevant issue for the emergency management expert Michel. In conversation with 24Horas, De Herb said that the criticism for polyester “occurs out of context,” since the law was made so that the vest is worn for non-professional use. “It does not have to be greater or less flammable,” said the aforementioned, clarifying that the implement only fulfills functions to provide greater visibility. The Cohasset shares the assertion, since it accentuates the objective of the regulation, being the vest “an element to be visible” and not of risk.
REGULAR YOUR SALE
According to he added, one of the objectives should focus on improving the standard in the sense that the sale of safety vests that meet all the recommended characteristics is guarantee. That is why the expert emphatic in declaring that “the norm says that the tapes have to be seen, but nothing guarantees you that it complies with, for example, the size of these or other fundamental aspects, which generates an informal trade”.