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"Protective clothing"
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Investigation of the air permeability of fabric weaves to increase the wearing comfort of firefighter clothing and improve stab and cut protection
Firefighter protective clothing is composed of multiple layers, each serving distinct functions. The outer layer shields the user from fire, chemicals, cuts, body fluids, and water, while also permitting water vapour to escape. The middle membrane layer acts as a thermal and moisture barrier, preventing heat and liquid penetration but allowing vapour diffusion. The inner layer enhances thermal protection and wearer comfort. A nationwide German survey and risk analysis with different fire brigades identified a need for enhanced comfort, reduced physiological heat load, and improved protection against stabs and cuts. Enhanced tear resistance is one proposed method for increased stab and cut protection. Wearer comfort parameters include water vapour permeability, breathability, air permeability, efficient cooling and increased breathability of the protective clothing are crucial for comfort. Sweat is diffused through the jacket due to differing water vapour partial pressures inside and outside the jacket. Enhancing air permeability of the outer layer and reducing the water vapour transmission resistance across the entire layer structure improve cooling by lowering the external water vapour partial pressure, thus facilitating better sweat transport and heat dissipation. To increase breathability and stab- and cut protection, different fabric weaves for the outer layer of a firefighter´s jacket are produced and compared with each other. The Honeycomb and the Huck-a-back fabric achieve better properties than Twill 2/2 fabric used as standard.
Journal Article
Protective armor engineering design
\"This new book, Protective Armor Engineering Design, provides an in-depth survey of the state of the art of research and practical techniques in the area of protected fabrics, especially stab-resistant and bulletproof fabrics. There is increasing interest in the area of protective vests, either for protection against bullets or protection from the most realistic threats within domestic frontline operations: edged weapon, knives, and medical needles, and this volume addresses that interest. The book discusses The history of the protective armor: The book discusses the art of the protective armor manufacturing, which has a long history that started in ancient Egypt and China civilizations. Materials used for body armor: The book looks at the design and materials used for soft armor to increase its perforation-resistance utilizing high-performance fibers. The different fabric structures and fiber type properties are thoroughly outlined. Anti-stab and anti-bullet armor design: The different design parameters required for the design of flexible armor in order to stop high-velocity projectiles are discussed. The comfort of the body armor design: Protection and comfort are significant aspects for body armor. These take into consideration the flexibility, thermal resistivity, and evaporative moisture resistivity through the fabric. Method of testing the flexible body armors: Methods of testing the components of the flexible body armor are considered, according to the level of the protection required, such as NIJ Standards, HOSDB Body Armour Standards for UK Police, German SK1 Standard, among others. Written by an expert in textile composite material engineering, this volume fills an important gap the area of the protective fabric against stabbing or bullets and provides practical knowledge for body armor design. Protective Armor Engineering Design will be highly valuable for designers of protective armor, professionals in the body armor industries, materials science researchers and students, textile technologists, and others\"-- Provided by publisher.
BOOK
Personal Safety during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Realities and Perspectives of Healthcare Workers in Latin America
Healthcare workers exposed to coronavirus (COVID-19) may not have adequate access to personal protective equipment (PPE), safety procedures, and diagnostic protocols. Our objective was to evaluate the reality and perceptions about personal safety among healthcare workers in Latin America. This is a cross-sectional, online survey-based study administered to 936 healthcare professionals in Latin America from 31 March 2020 to 4 April 2020. A 12-item structured questionnaire was developed. A total of 936 healthcare workers completed the online survey. Of them, 899 (95.1%) were physicians, 28 (2.9%) were nurses, and 18 (1.9%) were allied health professionals. Access to protective equipment was as follows: gel hand sanitizer (n = 889; 95%), disposable gloves (n = 853; 91.1%), disposable gowns (n = 630; 67.3%), disposable surgical masks (785; 83.9%), N95 masks (n = 516; 56.1%), and facial protective shields (n = 305; 32.6%). The vast majority (n = 707; 75.5%) had access to personal safety policies and procedures, and 699 (74.7%) participants had access to diagnostic algorithms. On a 1-to-10 Likert scale, the participants expressed limited human resources support (4.92 ± 0.2; mean ± SD), physical integrity protection in the workplace (5.5 ± 0.1; mean ± SD), and support from public health authorities (5.01 ± 0.12; mean ± SD). Healthcare workers in Latin America had limited access to essential PPE and support from healthcare authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Journal Article
The Antimicrobial Scrub Contamination and Transmission (ASCOT) Trial: A Three-Arm, Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial With Crossover Design to Determine the Efficacy of Antimicrobial-Impregnated Scrubs in Preventing Healthcare Provider Contamination
OBJECTIVE To determine whether antimicrobial-impregnated textiles decrease the acquisition of pathogens by healthcare provider (HCP) clothing. DESIGN We completed a 3-arm randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of 2 types of antimicrobial-impregnated clothing compared to standard HCP clothing. Cultures were obtained from each nurse participant, the healthcare environment, and patients during each shift. The primary outcome was the change in total contamination on nurse scrubs, measured as the sum of colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Nurses working in medical and surgical ICUs in a 936-bed tertiary-care hospital. INTERVENTION Nurse subjects wore standard cotton-polyester surgical scrubs (control), scrubs that contained a complex element compound with a silver-alloy embedded in its fibers (Scrub 1), or scrubs impregnated with an organosilane-based quaternary ammonium and a hydrophobic fluoroacrylate copolymer emulsion (Scrub 2). Nurse participants were blinded to scrub type and randomly participated in all 3 arms during 3 consecutive 12-hour shifts in the intensive care unit. RESULTS In total, 40 nurses were enrolled and completed 3 shifts. Analyses of 2,919 cultures from the environment and 2,185 from HCP clothing showed that scrub type was not associated with a change in HCP clothing contamination (P=.70). Mean difference estimates were 0.118 for the Scrub 1 arm (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.206 to 0.441; P=.48) and 0.009 for the Scrub 2 rm (95% CI, -0.323 to 0.342; P=.96) compared to the control. HCP became newly contaminated with important pathogens during 19 of the 120 shifts (16%). CONCLUSIONS Antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs were not effective at reducing HCP contamination. However, the environment is an important source of HCP clothing contamination. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT 02645214 Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:1147-1154.
Journal Article
Thermal and Moisture Management Properties of Knitted Fabrics for Skin-Contact Workwear
Thermal and moisture properties of the textile materials worn in close contact with the skin greatly contribute to the comfort of the workwear and of the personal protective clothing (PPC) assemblies they are part of. This study examines in depth the thermoregulatory properties of eighteen knitted fabrics used in polo shirts and T-shirts, which function as thermal underwear, standard workwear compliant with various regulations, or as base layers in PPC systems. Most of the fabrics specifically engineered for heat protection demonstrated superior air permeability (ranging from 700 to 1200 mm/s) and efficient moisture management (OMMC 0.5–0.7). Their drying time varied between 12 and 18 min, comparable to most commodity fibre blend fabrics investigated. Generally, the heat-protective fabrics were heavier and exhibited greater thermal and vapour resistance. However, despite minor variations in predicted thermal comfort, seventeen of the fabrics were classified in the same cluster. These findings offer valuable insights into the thermal and moisture management properties of knitted fabrics with various levels of protection, and the correlations found between their thermoregulatory and physical properties, such as mass and thickness, provide guidance for the development of innovative knitted materials for workwear that enhance wearer comfort.
Journal Article
Educational inequalities in sun protection practices among Brazilian adults
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major risk factor for skin cancer, yet sun protection behaviors vary widely across different populations. This study examines the association between sun protection behaviors and educational attainment among Brazilian adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the Brazilian Surveillance System for Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey (Vigitel) from 2007 to 2010. Sun protection behaviors were assessed based on self-reported habitual avoidance of sun exposure, use of sunscreen, hats/umbrellas, and protective clothing. Educational attainment was analyzed as the main explanatory variable, along with other sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Poisson regression models with robust variance estimation were used to identify factors associated with sun protection practices. Nearly half of the population reported not using any form of sun protection, with prevalence ranging from 45.9% (2007) to 52.5% (2010). Sunscreen was the most commonly used method (38.2% in 2010), followed by hats or umbrellas (7.2%), those who do not usually expose themselves to the sun (3.7%), and 1.2% reporting combined use of appropriate clothing. Women, older individuals, and those with higher educational attainment were more likely to use sun protection. Higher education was associated with greater sunscreen use, but less sun avoidance and protective clothing (PRs: 2.63, 0.71, and 0.70, respectively). This study demonstrates that educational attainment is a determinant of sun protection behaviors among Brazilian adults. Individuals with higher education are significantly more likely to use sunscreen, while those with lower education levels report greater use of physical barriers or avoidance of sun exposure.
Journal Article
Firefighters’ Clothing Contamination in Fires of Electric Vehicle Batteries and Photovoltaic Modules—Literature Review and Pilot Tests Results
The electric vehicle (EV) market, together with photovoltaic (PV) installations continues to develop at a pace. However, there are concerns that EV and PV installation fires may create more harmful substances than other types of fire. PV modules and car battery fires emit a range of carcinogenic and highly toxic compounds that are not yet fully understood and may pose a threat to firefighters’ health. This also raises the question of the impact on firefighters’ clothing and the safe handling and cleaning after such fires. This article presents a literature and standards review of the firefighters’ protective clothing maintenance and cleaning. It also contains test results showing that firefighters’ clothes accumulate harmful substances after fighting these types of fires. Pilot tests for the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and formaldehyde showed that levels exceeded limits in all clothing samples. For example, the cobalt level was 24 times higher than that considered safe in the test carried out with car battery fire. Although it is recognized that liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2) methods of cleaning may be more effective than traditional water washing, further research on cleaning efficiency for clothing containing substances emitted from car battery and PV modules fires is required.
Journal Article