Evaluating the Effectiveness of Different Laundering Approaches for Decontaminating Structural Fire Fighting Protective Clothing

Structural fire-protective clothing must be effective at minimizing the thermal effects of fire. However, water remaining on the outer shell might play an important role in conducting heat transfer, which causes skin burns in a firefighter when he douses a fire with water through a hose. Therefore, this research demonstrated the difference in the heat transfer and humidity created by the remaining water or lack of water on the outer shell under a condition in which the temperature (45 ± 1℃) of the external environment was higher than that of the skin. Two types of multilayered systems, which simulated real fire-protective clothing (outer shell, moisture barrier, thermal liner) were tested by using a human–clothing–environment (HCE) simulator. The experimental results verified that water on the outer shell increased the microclimate temperature in the structural fire-protective clothing. In particular, we assume that air permeability in the outer shell can be an important factor to control heat and mass transfer within the microclimate.

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Comparison of standards for chemical protective clothing on performance requirements and measurements

Journal of Industrial Textiles ◽

10.1177/1528083720980774 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152808372098077

Author(s):

Qing Chen ◽

Rong Zheng ◽

Bailu Fu ◽

Xin Yang ◽

Jing Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protective Clothing ◽

Test Methods ◽

Fire Fighting ◽

Performance Requirements ◽

Leak Tightness ◽

Chemical Protective Clothing ◽

Comparison Of Standards ◽

Liquid Repellency

Chemical protective clothing is widely used by emergency teams in certain industries and such as fire-fighting and medical protection fields. Due to the differences of assessment, specific requirements for target products, and test methods, the relevant standards for such clothing vary greatly. By analyzing standards on chemical protective clothing, this study summarized their differences in assessment items and test methods for basic performances such as seam strength, leak tightness, permeability by liquid/gas chemicals, resistance to ignition, liquid repellency and penetration by liquids.

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Firefighters’ preferences regarding underwear – survey results

Occupational Safety – Science and Practice ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0012.4721 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 564 (9) ◽

pp. 14-17

Author(s):

Grażyna Bartkowiak ◽

Pamela Miśkiewicz

Keyword(s):

Work Environment ◽

Water Vapour ◽

Protective Clothing ◽

Fire Fighting ◽

Hydrothermal Conditions ◽

Physical Effort ◽

Thermal Discomfort ◽

Survey Results

People working as firefighters are frequently exposed to heat factors such as flame or hot objects and surfaces associated with the work environment. As a result of the combination of protective clothing and physical effort in the hot microclimate, unfavorable hydrothermal conditions are formed under clothing, causing serious thermal discomfort. Improving comfort and safety of firefighters can be obtained among others through properly selected underwear clothing made from materials supporting the removal of sweat, water vapour and heat, limiting the accumulation of heat. In order to obtain information about the clothing worn under protective clothing and underwear which is most often used and to recognize preferences and expectations in this area, a survey was carried out among firefighters who are exposed to heat factors during fire-fighting activities.

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