A Survey on Satisfaction of Protective Clothing for Riot Policemen

Abstract

This paper examines the protective clothing satisfaction rate of riot policemen. The protective clothing currently in use is the version that underwent enhancement and was distributed in 2009. This version underwent significant enhancements compared to the protective clothing introduced in 1996 in terms of safety and body fitness; however, there is room for further enhancement in terms of activity, thermal comfort and easiness. In this research, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 386 riot policemen working at the Seoul Riot Police Station to study their use of protective clothing and satisfaction rate. The survey questions included safety, activity and body fitness in terms of functionality and comfort as well as easiness and design in terms of wearing comfort. Activity scored the lowest (2.89) in terms of functionality as well as comfort (2.40) that scored the lowest in terms of wearing comfort. It is concluded that, in order to correct deficiencies, the weight of protective clothing must be reduced and design changes must be made to eliminate unnecessary areas in clothing and facilitate faster dressing/undressing. In addition, it is strongly recommended that shock absorption materials be inserted only in vital areas in order to enhance thermal comfort.