Vortec Cooling Vests (VCVs) are a type of specialty protective equipment that is designed to maintain healthy body temperatures in extreme environments- making employees more comfortable and productive. Cooling vests can counter-act the negative effects of both dangerously high and low temperatures that can cause harm to workers, including fatigue and stress.

Heatstroke and other heat and cold-related illnesses can commonly occur in the following industries:

• Construction
• Agriculture
• Warehousing
• Marine services and shipbuilding
• Iron and steel foundries
• Industrial painting
• Smelters
• Boiler room workers

These are just a few examples of some of the settings where workers may be exposed to environments that may require the use of special equipment to regulate their body temperatures. Under the Occupational and Safety and Health Act (OSHA) of 1970, employers are required to keep workplaces free from recognized hazards. Wearable air conditioners are an economical choice for keeping employees safe from temperature related hazards while they conduct their daily work requirements.

Cooling vests can not only help with improving working conditions for employees but can also help save on your company’s bottom line. There are many positive benefits to implementing the use of personal air conditioning equipment.

Workers in extreme temperatures wear VCVs to minimize the negative effects of extreme environments. The Vortec Cooling Vests improve employee’s comfort and safety by keeping their body’s at healthy temperatures. When employees are comfortable, they become productive. All models carried by Vortec can achieve temperature differentials of +/- 45 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit from the inlet compressed air temperature using vortex tube technology.

In Vortex Tube technology, compressed air is forced through a generation chamber, which spins the air at a high rate of speed (1,000,000 rpm) into a vortex. The high-speed air heats up as it spins along the inner walls of the tube toward the control valve, where a percentage of hot, high air speed is permitted to exit at the valve.

The remainder of the now slower stream is forced to counter flow up through the center of the high-speed air stream into a second vortex. The slower moving air gives off energy and becomes cooled as it spins up the tube. The now chilled air passes through the center of the generation chamber, finally exciting through the tube into a vest as extremely cold air. 

The VCVs have two components, they combine vortex tube technology with a durable vest. The vest is made out of plasticized PVC, a unique material that repels sweat and other contaminants. The simple design will not impair any movement and can be worn under other protective garments.

If you’d like to learn more about how VCVs can positively impact your production process feel free to contact a sales associate from Vortec for pricing information or to answer any questions you may have. VCV’s are also available for order online here.

If you’d like to see more literature to learn how PACs have positively impacted businesses, please visit our case study page entitled, “Cooling Vest Keeps Paint Booth Workers Safe and Comfortable.” In it, you will see how the implementation of VCVs in the Cadillac of South Charlotte plant helped improve the comfort and productivity of its staff.