Design considerations for low-level risk personal protective clothing: a review

Abstract

Personal protective clothing (PPC) is mandatory in hazardous industrial workplaces, but can increase thermophysiological strain, causing fatigue, reduced productivity, illness and injury.We systematically reviewed the literature on PPC and heat stress, focusing on research relating to working conditions of high temperature and humidity. PPC must protect industrial workers from a wide variety of hazards, including sun damage, abrasion, chemical spills and electrical burns; these competing demands inevitably compromise thermal performance.Fiber type, textile material construction and treatment need to be considered alongside garment fit and construction to design functional PPC providing wearers with adequate protection and comfort. Several approaches to materials and PPC testing -objective benchtop evaluation, mathematical modelling, and physiological testing -can be combined to provide high-quality thermal and vapor performance data. Our review provides a foundation and directions for further research in low-level risk PPC, where current research in fabrics and clothing in this category is very limited, and will help designers and manufacturers create industrial workwear with improved thermal management characteristics. KeywordsProtective clothing; industrial workwear; low-level risk protective clothing, heat stress; thermal comfort, functional design Disclosure statementThe authors have no financial interest in and receive no benefit from the direct applications of their research.3

COVID-19 and heat waves: New challenges for healthcare systems

“…Spires, M., Kadihasanoglu, 2019) •Establishing shorter work cycles in overheated rooms, more frequent breaks, changed shift patterns, better staff shift schedules ( Jacklitsch et al, 2016 ) •Planning/shifting longer activities with the need for infection control to times of day/building areas with lower temperature/solar radiation •Taking organisational measures within the team, e.g. for early symptoms of heat stress -> stop working in the heat -> seek cooler premises and direct help (colleagues) •Encouraging mindfulness of oneself and colleagues; fostering open communication of problems in the institution ( www.ghhin.org/assets/technical-brief-COVID-and-Heat-final.pdf ) •Wearing adequate clothing under the protective equipment, if necessary, consider special clothing (cooling vests) in particularly stressful conditions ( Bach et al, 2019 ; Daanen et al, 2020 ; Gao et al, 2018 ; Luze et al, 2020 ; Morris et al, 2020 ; Quinn et al, 2017 ; Teunissen et al, 2014 ; Watson et al, 2019 ) •Consideration of the possible overlap of hot spells (increased need for personnel) with the summer holidays (less available personnel due to increased holiday volume) in the duty roster or holiday planning (consider heat warnings) ➢ Personal measures •Heat acclimatization and aerobic conditioning to enhance heat tolerance ( Alhadad et al, 2019 ; Douzi et al, 2020 ; Lee et al, 2008 ; Leyk, 2019 ; Morris et al, 2020 ) Start to work precooled ( www.ghhin.org/heat-and-covid-19/PPE ) ( Alhadad et al, 2019 ; Daanen et al, 2020 ; Douzi et al, 2020 ; McLellan et al, 2013 ; Morris et al, 2020 ) •Encourage staff to self-monitor their hydration; drinking unsweetened liquids/sports drinks/cold fluids/ice slushies before and during work; self-control of the body's own fluid balance (toilet); start work cooled and well hydrated ( Foster et al, 2020 ; Lee et al, 2020 , ...…”

Sustainable solutions to mitigate occupational heat strain – an umbrella review of physiological effects and global health perspectives

“…Subsequently, 64 articles were read in full with 10 papers removed as they did not report effects on either health, physiological parameters of importance or productivity effects [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47]. Furthermore, 13 papers were removed for having some but not all aspects required to be considered a systematic review [48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60] and three articles [61][62][63] were excluded for having too low quality score (AMSTAR checklist score of 3; see Table 1). As such, 36 articles were included in our final review ( Table 2).…”

How to protect agricultural workers from exposure to pesticides: Effectiveness of woven and natural resin-coated fabrics

“…However, these materials have low air permeability and agricultural workers may experience physical and physiological discomfort. Thermal discomfort and heat stress are the main reasons why many workers choose not to wear protective clothing (Macfarlane et al, 2013;Watson et al, 2019). Several manufactures have tried to produce protective clothing which improves comfort in terms of thermal physiology.…”

“…Garrigou et al (2020) stated that thermal discomfort is one of the most highly influential factor affecting wearing of PPE failure. Watson et al (2019) also suggested that the design of personal protective clothing should be considered both high protection and comfort. However, fabric C1-R is the heaviest when compared with other fabrics, possibly resulting in discomfort while working.…”