Design Of Personal Protective Equipment Research Articles

Personal protective equipment for preventing highly infectious diseases due to exposure to contaminated body fluids in healthcare staff.

Personal protective equipment for preventing highly infectious diseases due to exposure to contaminated body fluids in healthcare staff.

Cross-cultural comparison of firefighters’ perception of mobility and occupational injury risks associated with personal protective equipment

Purpose. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of personal protective equipment (PPE) on firefighters’ perceptions of mobility and their experienced occupational injury risks between China and the USA. Materials and methods. An online survey was conducted and a total of 328 firefighters, including 203 Chinese firefighters and 125 US firefighters, participated in the survey. Results. Both Chinese and US firefighters ranked mobility restriction as the most dissatisfactory characteristic of the current PPE. US firefighters reported the upper body as the most restricted region and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) as the most dissatisfactory item. Chinese firefighters ranked boots as the leading cause of dissatisfaction, but they did not indicate any particular discomfort region. Moreover, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) were the most prevalent occupational injury reported by both Chinese and US firefighters. Restricted mobility while wearing PPE was closely related to the risk of MSDs. Conclusions. The findings suggested that PPE design for US firefighters should consider a balance in the weight distribution of SCBA and the overall interface of turnout gear and equipment. For Chinese firefighters’ PPE, flexibility of materials for boots should be emphasized to increase mobility and reduce the risks of MSDs.

Improving the Use of Personal Protective Equipment: Applying Lessons Learned.

Unrecognized transmission of pathogens in healthcare settings can lead to colonization and infection of both patients and healthcare personnel. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is an important strategy to protect healthcare personnel from contamination and to prevent the spread of pathogens to subsequent patients. However, optimal PPE use is difficult, and healthcare personnel may alter delivery of care because of the PPE. Here, we summarize recent research from the Prevention Epicenters Program on healthcare personnel contamination and improvement of the routine use of PPE as well as Ebola-specific PPE. Future efforts to optimize the use of PPE should include increasing adherence to protocols for PPE use, improving PPE design, and further research into the risks, benefits, and best practices of PPE use.

The Impact of High-Level Isolation Units Beyond High-Consequence Pathogen Preparedness.

In response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) funded the creation of 10 Regional Ebola and Other Special Pathogen Treatment Centers (RESPTCs) across the United States. These high-level isolation units are designed to provide care for patients infected with high-consequence pathogens, such as viral hemorrhagic fevers, in an environment that is safe for patients, staff, the hospital, and surrounding communities. This commentary describes the impact on infection prevention and preparedness that the Johns Hopkins biocontainment unit has on the hospital and health system beyond the unit itself. Training, research projects, and collaborative partnerships conducted by a high-level isolation unit team while the unit is not activated for patient care can enhance infection prevention, multidisciplinary training and innovation, personal protective equipment design and testing, clinical skills, and infection prevention beyond the isolation setting.

Human factors-based risk analysis to improve the safety of doffing enhanced personal protective equipment.

To systematically assess enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) doffing safety risks. We employed a 3-part approach to this study: (1) hierarchical task analysis (HTA) of the PPE doffing process; (2) human factors-informed failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA); and (3) focus group sessions with a convenience sample of infection prevention (IP) subject matter experts. A large academic US hospital with a regional Special Pathogens Treatment Center and enhanced PPE doffing protocol experience.ParticipantsEight IP experts. The HTA was conducted jointly by 2 human-factors experts based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PPE guidelines. The findings were used as a guide in 7 focus group sessions with IP experts to assess PPE doffing safety risks. For each HTA task step, IP experts identified failure mode(s), assigned priority risk scores, identified contributing factors and potential consequences, and identified potential risk mitigation strategies. Data were recorded in a tabular format during the sessions. Of 103 identified failure modes, the highest priority scores were associated with team members moving between clean and contaminated areas, glove removal, apron removal, and self-inspection while preparing to doff. Contributing factors related to the individual (eg, technical/ teamwork competency), task (eg, undetected PPE contamination), tools/technology (eg, PPE design characteristics), environment (eg, inadequate space), and organizational aspects (eg, training) were identified. Participants identified 86 types of risk mitigation strategies targeting the failure modes. Despite detailed guidelines, our study revealed 103 enhanced PPE doffing failure modes. Analysis of the failure modes suggests potential mitigation strategies to decrease self-contamination risk during enhanced PPE doffing.

AN ANATOMICALLY-RELEVANT COMPUTATIONAL MODEL FOR PRIMARY BLAST EFFECTS ON THE HUMAN LOWER EXTREMITY

Explosions pose serious threats to US soldiers and civilians, often resulting in disability and death. Due to its direct contact with the ground, the lower extremity is commonly injured, and the blast loading often results in traumatic amputations and soft tissue rupture. The exact overpressure signatures that induce these primary blast injuries are still unknown. A high fidelity FE model of the lower extremity blast condition is thus essential to reveal the underlying injury mechanism. In this study, we created an anatomically-relevant lower extremity model and analyzed several different blast cases using Abaqus/Explicit. Pressures, impulses, stresses, and maximum principal strains were evaluated and compared to previous results in the literature. Our FE model and simulation were able to capture the detailed structural responses to a blast wave in the lower extremity; moreover, we showed that the injury patterns could be correlated to biomechanical metrics that may have incited pathologies such as amputations and compartment syndrome. The lower extremity FE model developed in this project allows for a cost-effective and reproducible analysis of blast events and has the potential to improve injury metrics and personal protective equipment design by accurately evaluating the damage imposed on the lower extremity.

The role of a composite polycarbonate-aerogel face shield in protecting the human brain from blast-induced injury: A fluid–structure interaction (FSI) study

Background Blast-induced traumatic brain injury is the most prevalent injury sustained by combat soldiers at the frontline. The current study aims to investigate the effectiveness of composite polycarbonate-aerogel face shields with different configurations in mitigating blast-induced brain injuries. Method A series of dynamic fluid–structure interaction simulations of a helmeted head subjected to a frontal free field blast was performed, to evaluate the effectiveness of the current conventional polycarbonate face shield and three other composite face shields with different configurations when exposed to a frontal free-field blast. Results The simulation results demonstrated that the sandwiched structured face shields of polycarbonate and aerogel provided superior blast attenuation than a single-layered polycarbonate face shield. The alternate multi-layered transparent materials of high and low densities provided the best attenuation of blast pressure transmission to the head, with the polycarbonate exterior shell casing contributing to the structural integrity of the face shield, while the lower dense aerogel filler providing high acoustic impedance to blast wave transmission. Conclusion This study provides further insights on future development and design of personal protective equipment in mitigating blast-induced injuries to the head.

Motion-oriented 3D analysis of body measurements

The aim of this project is to develop an ergonomically based and motion-oriented size system. New concepts are required in order to be able to deal competently with complex requirements of function-oriented workwear and personal protective equipment (PPE). Body dimensions change through movement, which are basis for motion optimized clothing development. This affects fit and ergonomic comfort. The situation has to be fundamentally researched in order to derive well-founded anthropometric body data, taking into account kinematic requirements of humans and to define functional dimensions for clothing industry. Research focus shall be on ergonomic design of workwear and PPE. There are huge differences in body forms, proportions and muscle manifestations between genders. An improved basic knowledge can be provided as a result, supporting development as well as sales of motion-oriented clothing with perfect fit for garment manufacturers.

B5-4 Personal Protective Equipment Design and Ergonomic Work Analysis: Protecting Farm Pineapple Growers

Pineapple growing is one of the most aggressive agricultural activities and worker protection is a considerable technical challenge. Previous studies point to the lack of efficacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) usually used by workers to protect themselves against accidents with poisonous animals and punctures by pointed leaves, particularly on harvesting activities. In view of these results, this study proposes a two-phase approach. First, a set of PPEs commonly used by rural workers was experimentally evaluated for its effectiveness in protecting workers against real venomous snake attacks. Four sets of PPEs were tested, including shoes and protective gloves, leggings and over sleeves, each set with three different models. The PPE that passed the real attack tests were then evaluated by a group of workers in real use situations, according to qualitative criteria, including comfort and usability. The results of the experimental evaluation showed that only 5 models were effective in protecting the workers against snake attacks, including one shoe model, two models of leggings and two models of gloves. The usability analysis of these PPE revealed that some of them were considered uncomfortable, not effective and obstructive. The next phase of this study relies on the results of the first phase and aims the conception, design and fabrication of a PPE set for the activity of growing pineapples. To generate the design parameters, it will be used an approach based on ergonomic work analysis and conventional design methods, with an emphasis on the QFD method. It is expected that the new set of PPEs will effectively protect the workers and facilitate, or at least not interfere adversely with task execution.

Personal protective equipment and improving compliance among healthcare workers in high-risk settings.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) protects healthcare workers (HCWs) from infection by highly virulent pathogens via exposure to body fluids and respiratory droplets. Given the recent outbreaks of contagious infectious diseases worldwide, including Ebola virus and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome, there is urgent need for further research to determine optimal PPE use in high-risk settings. This review intends to provide a general understanding of PPE and to provide guidelines for appropriate use based on current evidence. Although previous studies have focused on the efficacy of PPE in preventing transmission of pathogens, recent studies have examined the dangers to HCWs during removal of PPE when risk of contamination is highest. Access to adequate PPE supplies is crucial to preventing transmission of pathogens, especially in resource-limited settings. Adherence to appropriate PPE use is a challenge due to inadequate education on its usage, technical difficulties, and tolerability of PPE in the workplace. Future projects aim at ameliorating this situation, including redesigning PPE which is crucial to improving the safety of HCWs. PPE remains the most important strategy for protecting HCW from potentially fatal pathogens. Further research into optimal PPE design and use to improve the safety of HCWs is urgently needed.

Personal Protective Equipment for Infectious Disease Preparedness: A Human Factors Evaluation.

OBJECTIVE To identify issues during donning and doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE) for infectious diseases and to inform PPE procurement criteria and design. DESIGN A mixed methods approach was used. Usability testing assessed the appropriateness, potential for errors, and ease of use of various combinations of PPE. A qualitative constructivist approach was used to analyze participant feedback. SETTING Four academic health sciences centers: 2 adult hospitals, 1 trauma center, and 1 pediatric hospital, in Toronto, Canada. PARTICIPANTS Participants (n=82) were representative of the potential users of PPE within Western healthcare institutions. RESULTS None of the tested combinations provided a complete solution for PPE. Environmental factors, such as anteroom layout, and the design of protocols and instructional material were also found to impact safety. The study identified the need to design PPE as a complete system, rather than mixing and matching components. CONCLUSIONS Healthcare institutions are encouraged to use human factors methods to identify risk and failure points with the usage of their selected PPE, and to modify on the basis of iterative evaluations with representative end users. Manufacturers of PPE should consider usability when designing the next generation of PPE. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;37:1022-1028.

Seamless Suits: Reducing Personnel Contamination Through Improved Personal Protective Equipment Design

Seamless Suits: Reducing Personnel Contamination Through Improved Personal Protective Equipment Design

The Development of Active Personal Protective Equipment Design Technologies

This research exposes the designing technology of analogue active personal hearing protective equipment. The achievements overview and following stages of the design include substantiation and calculation of quenching wave formation circuit, component selection, scheme performance testing based on computer-aided means, designing of three-dimensional model of headphones based on the technical characteristics and the weight and size. Testing of experimental model of headphones in three different versions of the concept is carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of noise reduction in standardized octave bands. The test result showed that the analogue headphones have the effectiveness of the noise reduction of 32 dB, which is comparable with the digital type of active headphones produced by Peltor Company.

Evaluation of activated carbon respirator filter effectiveness by concentration mapping of dimethyl methylphosphonate

Activated carbon (AC) has been used extensively in personal protective equipment (PPE) to adsorb toxic substances for the purpose of protecting the user from exposure. The ability to evaluate localized carbon utilization in multiple PPE designs would help engineers develop more effective PPE. Therefore, a method to map dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP), a common PPE testing agent, concentrations throughout AC filters was developed and tested on DMMP-exposed filters, some purposefully occluded to simulate defective filters. DMMP concentrations were highest at the point of entry and dispersed outward in a radial pattern from that site, decreasing with distance from the point of exposure. Occluded filters were detected by observing DMMP adsorption inconsistent with unblocked filters and showed high concentrations of DMMP localized in unblocked areas of the filter. The DMMP mapping technique detailed in this study provides a tool for testing AC utilization inside DMMP-exposed PPE.

Effect of Protective Clothing and Fatigue on Functional Balance of Firefighters

We investigated the effects of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), design of PPE (Standard vs. Enhanced), and fatigue during a simulated firefighting activity on the functional balance of firefighters. We defined functional balance as the ability to prevent a loss of balance and maintain body posture while performing functional tasks. A novel Functional Balance Test (FBT) was used to assess functional balance of firefighters while stepping up, stepping down, turning, walking along a beam, and passing under an obstacle. Data are presented from fifty-seven male firefighters, who were randomly divided into two groups: Standard PPE (n=28) and Enhanced PPE (n=29). The specially designed Enhanced PPE was lighter, more breathable, and capable of air circulation, compared to traditional Standard PPE. Each participant performed the FBT at three time periods (baseline with station uniform, pre-activity with PPE, and post-activity with PPE after a live-fire simulated firefighting activity). The firefighting activity involved alternating 2-minute rest- work cycles of four stations: stair climb, forcible entry, room search, and hose advancement. The FBT had four trials each with and without an overhead obstacle. Performance errors (major and minor), performance time, and a composite performance index were recorded. Wearing PPE significantly impaired functional balance, as noted by increases in all performance metrics. Following the firefighting activity, performance time increased by 3% but the number of minor and major errors decreased by 13% and 32%, respectively, suggesting that firefighters may trade-off between speed and accuracy depending on perceived threat to balance safety. There was no significant difference in functional balance between the Enhanced PPE and Standard PPE groups, suggesting that Enhanced PPE with a passive cooling system and an external circulating hose is not effective in improving functional balance of firefighters. A better designed PPE, with an improved cooling system and minimal (or no) protruding attachments may be of benefit in terms of firefighter functional balance.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE THRESHOLD AND INTER-SPECIES SCALING LAW FOR PRIMARY BLAST-INDUCED TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY: A SEMI-ANALYTICAL APPROACH

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (bTBI) has become a signature injury in recent military conflicts and terrorist attacks. However, the mechanisms and thresholds for such injury are still unknown. In this paper, effort has been made toward establishing the threshold due to primary blast based on the published injury data in the rat. Peak incident overpressure and pulse duration of the incident wave were used as predictors and the injury risk curves for the rat were derived via a linear logistic regression analysis. A scaling law based on body mass was then used to scale the tolerance curves from the rat to the pig and the human. The injury risk curve for bTBI was compared with that for the lung. The results reveal different injury mechanisms between these two organs. The developed injury curves can be used in the design of personal protective equipment against primary bTBI.

Design of Human Surrogates for the Study of Biomechanical Injury: A Review

Human surrogates are representations of living human structures employed to replicate "real-life" injurious scenarios in artificial environments. They are used primarily to evaluate personal protective equipment (PPE) or integrated safety systems (e.g., seat belts) in a wide range of industry sectors (e.g., automotive, military, security service, and sports equipment). Surrogates are commonly considered in five major categories relative to their form and functionality: human volunteers, postmortem human surrogates, animal surrogates, anthropomorphic test devices, and computational models. Each surrogate has its relative merits. Surrogates have been extensively employed in scenarios concerning "life-threatening" impacts (e.g., penetrating bullets or automotive accidents). However, more frequently occurring nonlethal injuries (e.g., fractures, tears, lacerations, contusions) often result in full or partial debilitation in contexts where optimal human performance is crucial (e.g., military, sports). Detailed study of these injuries requires human surrogates with superior biofidelity to those currently available if PPE designs are to improve. The opportunities afforded by new technologies, materials, instrumentation, and processing capabilities should be exploited to develop a new generation of more sophisticated human surrogates. This paper presents a review of the current state of the art in human surrogate construction, highlighting weaknesses and opportunities, to promote research into improved surrogates for PPE development.

Efficiency of personal protective equipment used in agriculture

Despite the practical importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), both in production and in consumption, it is observed a main problem regarding the quality of many PPE�s used in Brazil. This study found a gap between the state of the art and the state of prevailing practices in the design of PPE�s, which main consequences affect the health of workers who use PPE in agriculture activities. The results of this study identified legal constraints of this occurrence, involving the validation of PPE designed for isolate agents, without the analysis of relevant activities and without prototypes experiments in more frequent use situation.

Comfort of personal protective equipment

The degree of comfort of personal protective equipment (PPE) was investigated in an automobile encapsulating plant. Up to 96.2% of employees used one or a combination of PPE. Only 8% of the workers felt their respirators were comfortable, 30% tolerated their respirators, and 62% rated them as uncomfortable. The percentage of employees who rated their PPE (other than a respirator) as comfortable ranged from 32 to 52%. For comfort factor, coveralls/aprons rated 52%, safety glasses 51%, rubber gloves 42%, and hearing protectors 36%. PPE was tolerable (just acceptable) for about 30% of the employees. To increase the effectiveness and safety of PPE, the human-factor aspects of PPE design should be emphasized more and quality improvement should cover the wearability of PPE.