Permeability of Organic Solvents Through Two-Layer Safety Gloves Determined by a Gravimetric Method

Organic solvents are harmful to humans, and many of them are recognized as carcinogens. Therefore, it is necessary to protect hands from contact with them. Most methods for testing solvent resistance of gloves use gas chromatography. However, these methods are expensive and so complex that they present application problems for most glove producers and users. A simple gravimetric method to test solvent resistance o f gloves was developed. It was tested by measuring the permeability of organic solvents such as white spirit, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, benzene, p-xylene, and trichloroethylene through gloves made of natural rubber, polyvinyl chloride, neoprene, perbunan, polyvinyl alcohol, and two-layer gloves made of natural rubber and neoprene. This method proved to be a simple, economical, and reliable way to examine glove permeability.     

Hands on explosives: Safety testing of protective measures

Several attempts have been made to test the suitability of protective measures for the handling of explosives. We investigated the suitability of safety gloves and a combined safety helmet and face shield. In the presented studies, three different experimental setups were used to simulate the effects of an explosion of a primary explosive in a glass flask on the glove or helmet protected body. Depending on the experimental setup, the fragment effects were evaluated and compared. Furthermore, the fragment distribution of an explosion inside a glass flask was investigated. The explosion of 1 g of lead azide in a 10 mL flask yielded approximately 14,000 glass fragments. However, most of the shards were accelerated down- and side-wards and only few upwards. Holding a flask on its neck (instead of its bottom) is therefore a simple but effective way of diminishing the risk of injury, when handling explosives. The safety helmet/face shield performed very well, by shielding the face from all fragments. Furthermore, it could be proven that DIN and EN standard testing procedures for gloves are unsuitable to simulate the effects of a respective explosion.In this article, the progress in the development of realistic testing procedures for the testing of gloves for the protection against fragmentation effects of glassware in situations involving explosions is reported and the results and methods of previous tests are summarized.     

The Effect of Protective Gloves on Manual Dexterity in the Cold Environments

This article presents a study on the effect of different protective gloves (which are commercially available and commonly used in the cold) on manual dexterity in cold environments. The experiments compared statistically four different types of gloves and two different types of gloving (outer or double) at +19 °C and -10 °C. Performance was determined both objectively and subjectively using two manual dexterity tasks: bolt-nut and pick-up tasks. The response measured was the time of performing each task. Statistical analysis showed that all independent factors such as glove type, participant, object size, and temperature had significant effects on the hand cooling reaction. A significant difference in the performance between the gloves was found in the bolt-nut task. It was also found that outer-inner combination gloving may be an approach to use for precision tasks.     

Method of Testing the Penetration of Acid Solutions Through Safety Gloves

Because they cause burns that are difficult to heal, acids are dangerous, and steps should be taken to ensure that the human skin does not come into contact with them. For this purpose safety gloves are generally used by workers who have to handle acids. Such gloves need to be tested to ensure that they are acid resistant. Standard EN 374 (European Committee for Standardization [CEN], 1993c) specifies a method of testing the permeation of liquid chemicals, on a molecular level, through glove material, but it may be difficult to ensure the fitness of the joints of a two-compartment cell, when gloves are lined with jersey. To deal with this a simple pH-meter method to test the permeation of acid and alkali solutions through safety gloves has been developed. The permeation of H₂S0₄, HCI, HN0₃, and CH₃COOH through gloves made from neoprene, nitrile, and PVC was tested. This method seems to be simple and economical.     

Examining the effectiveness of anti-vibration gloves with a neural network

Whether anti-vibration gloves are effective in protecting against vibrations depends not only on the materials they are made of, but also on the parameters of the source of vibration. Depending on those parameters, the effectiveness of the same means of protection may be radically different. This article presents a methodology of using a neural network to test anti-vibration gloves. A network can map gloves in various conditions, i.e., for vibrations of various amplitudes and spectra, and for various forces exerted by the worker on a tool. Real, measured vibration signals produced by different tools were used in training a neural network. The results presented in this article prove that real properties of gloves are accurately represented by their models developed as a result of training a neural network.     

全身正压生物防护服防护性能研究

为研究动力送风全身式正压生物防护服对人员的防护性能,采用标准方法检测正压生物防护服气密性和液体喷溅防护性能,连续监测穿着正压生物防护服活动时的内部正压值变化。采用微环境气溶胶密闭舱室平台,研究正压生物防护服对黏质沙雷氏菌(ATCC 8039)和phi-x174噬菌体气溶胶的整体防护性能。结果表明,正压生物防护服气密性和液体喷溅防护性能均达到气密型防护服和喷射液密防护服水平。对2种生物气溶胶的防护效率均在99.97%以上,且与送风量与环境湿度无关。正压生物防护服被人员穿着进行作业时,其内部能始终能保持大于16 Pa的正压。对该防护服防护性能的系统分析能全面评估类似防护服的整体防护性能,也为未来各类正压式防护服研发和防护性能研究提供技术参考。     

Resistance of Medical Gloves to Permeation by Methyl Methacrylate (MMA), Ethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and 1,4-Butanediol Dimethacrylate (1,4-BDMA)

Gloves afford hand protection by minimizing skin contact. The effectiveness of medical gloves to protect against permeation of the monomers, methyl methacrylate (MMA), ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA), and 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate (1,4-BDMA), was assessed focusing on permeation rates and degradation of glove materials caused by monomer contact. Fifteen different brands of gloves were tested using a European Standard procedure. Surface images of glove materials before and after exposure to the monomer mixture were obtained using a scanning electron microscope. The standard is not applicable as the only method for estimating the safety of gloves, but it is useful as guideline together with the cumulative permeation of acrylic monomers. Monomer contact on the outside resulted in substantial swelling of most glove materials, and structure changes of the inside surface.     

红外气体分析仪比对防护试验检测方法的探究

本文通过比对检测方法,即化学法检测氨气防护试验的浓度和仪器法进行比对试验,得出两种方法准确度为2.77%,一致性良好,并且红外气体分析仪自动化程度高,测定简便、迅速,适用于防护试验。     

Bayesian networks make LOPA more effective,QRA more transparent and flexible,and thus safety more definable!

Quantitative risk analysis is in principle an ideal method to map one’s risks, but it has limitations due to the complexity of models, scarcity of data, remaining uncertainties, and above all because effort, cost, and time requirements are heavy. Also, software is not cheap, the calculations are not quite transparent, and the flexibility to look at various scenarios and at preventive and protective options is limited. So, the method is considered as a last resort for determination of risks. Simpler methods such as LOPA that focus on a particular scenario and assessment of protection for a defined initiating event are more popular. LOPA may however not cover the whole range of credible scenarios, and calamitous surprises may emerge.In the past few decades, Artificial Intelligence university groups, such as the Decision Systems Laboratory of the University of Pittsburgh, have developed Bayesian approaches to support decision making in situations where one has to weigh gains and costs versus risks. This paper will describe details of such an approach and will provide some examples of both discrete random variables, such as the probability values in a LOPA, and continuous distributions, which can better reflect the uncertainty in data.     

Two discrete choice experiments on laboratory safety decisions and practices

IntroductionThe path toward enhancing laboratory safety requires a thorough understanding of the factors that influence the safety-related decision making of laboratory personnel. Method: We developed and administered a web-based survey to assess safety-related decision making of laboratory personnel of a government research organization. The survey included two brief discrete choice experiments (DCEs) that allowed for quantitative analysis of specific factors that potentially influence safety-related decisions and practices associated with two different hypothetical laboratory safety scenarios. One scenario related to reporting a laboratory spill, and the other scenario involved changing protective gloves between laboratory rooms. The survey also included several brief self-report measures of attitude, perception, and behavior related to safety practices. Results: Risk perception was the most influential factor in safety-related decision making in both scenarios. Potential negative consequences and effort associated with reporting an incident and the likelihood an incident was detected by others also affected reporting likelihood. Wearing gloves was also affected somewhat by perceived exposure risk, but not by other social or work-related factors included in the scenarios. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the promise of DCEs in quantifying the relative impact of several factors on safety-related choices of laboratory workers in two hypothetical but realistic scenarios. Participants were faced with hypothetical choice scenarios with realistic features instead of traditional scaling techniques that ask about attitudes and perceptions. The methods are suitable for addressing many occupational safety concerns in which workers face tradeoffs in their safety-related decisions and behavior. Practical Application: Safety-related decisions regarding laboratory practices such as incident reporting and use of PPE were influenced primarily by workers’ perceptions of risk of exposure and severity of risks to health and safety. This finding suggests the importance of providing laboratory workers with adequate and effective education and training on the hazards and risks associated with their work. DCEs are a promising research method for better understanding the relative influences of various personal, social, and organizational factors that shape laboratory safety decisions and practices. The information gained from DCEs may lead to more targeted training materials and interventions.     

摩托车防护服装设计方法研究

本课题在摩托车防护服装设计因素分析的基础上,对摩托车防护服装的设计方法进行了系统研究,探讨了能够实现安全防护性能和舒适性能的摩托车防护服的设计方法。通过系统完整的设计过程,设计人员能够形成一个正确的设计理念和体系化的设计步骤。     

A suggested approach to the selection of chemical and biological protective clothing--meeting industry and emergency response needs for protection against a variety of hazards.

The paper describes the development of a comprehensive decision logic for selection and use of biological and chemical protective clothing (BCPC). The decision logic recognizes the separate areas of BCPC use among emergency, biological, and chemical hazards. The proposed decision logic provides a system for type classifying BCPC in terms of its compliance with existing standards (for emergency applications), the overall clothing integrity, and the material barrier performance. Type classification is offered for garments, gloves, footwear, and eye/face protection devices. On the basis of multiple, but simply designed flowcharts, the type of BCPC appropriate for specific biological and chemical hazards can be selected. The decision logic also provides supplemental considerations for choosing appropriate BCPC features.     

Parallel and serial methods of calculating thermal insulation in European manikin standards

Standard No. EN 15831:2004 provides 2 methods of calculating insulation: parallel and serial. The parallel method is similar to the global one defined in Standard No. ISO 9920:2007. Standards No. EN 342:2004, EN 14058:2004 and EN 13537:2002 refer to the methods defined in Standard No. EN ISO 15831:2004 for testing cold protective clothing or equipment. However, it is necessary to consider several issues, e.g., referring to measuring human subjects, when using the serial method. With one zone, there is no serial-parallel issue as the results are the same, while more zones increase the difference in insulation value between the methods. If insulation is evenly distributed, differences between the serial and parallel method are relatively small and proportional. However, with more insulation layers overlapping in heavy cold protective ensembles, the serial method produces higher insulation values than the parallel one and human studies. Therefore, the parallel method is recommended for standard testing.     

3-Parameters SPW technique: A new method for evaluation of target safety integrity level

Introduced by IEC-61508 standard, safety integrity levels (SIL) have been used for assessing the reliability of safety instrumented functions (SIF) for protection of the system under control in abnormal conditions. Different qualitative, semi-qualitative and quantitative methods have been proposed by the standard for establishing target safety integrity levels amongst which “Risk Graph” has gained wide attention due to its simplicity and easy-to-apply characteristics. However, this method is subject to many deficiencies that have forced industry men and experts to modify it to fit their demands. In this paper, a new modification to risk graph parameters has been proposed that adds more flexibility to them and reduces their subjective uncertainties but keeps the method as simple as before. Three parameters, namely severity (S), hazard avoidance probability (P), and demand rate (W) are used instead of former four parameters. Hence, the method is named SPW. The outcome results of this method can be directly converted to probability of failure on demand (PFD) or risk reduction factor (RRF). The proposed method has been tested on an example case that has been studied before with conventional risk graph and LOPA techniques. The results show that new method agrees well with LOPA and reduces costs imposed by conservative approximations assumed during application of conventional risk graph.     

Parallel and Serial Methods of Calculating Thermal Insulation in European Manikin Standards

Abstract

Standard No. EN 15831:2004 provides 2 methods of calculating insulation: parallel and serial. The parallel method is similar to the global one defined in Standard No. ISO 9920:2007. Standards No. EN 342:2004, EN 14058:2004 and EN 13537:2002 refer to the methods defined in Standard No. EN ISO 15831:2004 for testing cold protective clothing or equipment. However, it is necessary to consider several issues, e.g., referring to measuring human subjects, when using the serial method. With one zone, there is no serial-parallel issue as the results are the same, while more zones increase the difference in insulation value between the methods. If insulation is evenly distributed, differences between the serial and parallel method are relatively small and proportional. However, with more insulation layers overlapping in heavy cold protective ensembles, the serial method produces higher insulation values than the parallel one and human studies. Therefore, the parallel method is recommended for standard testing.     

Comparison of gravimetric and gas chromatographic methods for assessing performance of textile materials against liquid pesticide penetration.

Penetration of liquid pesticides through textile materials is a criterion for determining the performance of protective clothing used by pesticide handlers. The pipette method is frequently used to apply liquid pesticides onto textile materials to measure penetration. Typically, analytical techniques such as Gas Chromatography (GC) are used to measure percentage penetration. These techniques are labor intensive and costly. A simpler gravimetric method was developed, and tests were conducted to compare the gravimetric and GC methods of analysis. Three types of pesticide formulations and 4 fabrics were used for the study. Diluted pesticide formulations were pipetted onto the test specimens and percentage penetration was measured using the 2 methods. For homogeneous formulation, the results of the two methods were fairly comparable. However, due to the filtering action of the textile materials, there were differences in the percentage penetration between the 2 methods for formulations that were not homogeneous.     

Gloves against mineral oils and mechanical hazards: composites of carboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber latex

Resistance to permeation of noxious chemical substances should be accompanied by resistance to mechanical factors because the glove material may be torn, cut or punctured in the workplace. This study reports on glove materials, protecting against mineral oils and mechanical hazards, made of carboxylated acrylonitrile–butadiene rubber (XNBR) latex. The obtained materials were characterized by a very high resistance of the produced materials to oil permeation (breakthrough time?>?480?min). The mechanical properties, and especially tear resistance, of the studied materials were improved after the addition of modified bentonite (nanofiller) to the XNBR latex mixture. The nanocomposite meets the requirements in terms of parameters characterizing tear, abrasion, cut and puncture resistance. Therefore, the developed material may be used for the production of multifunctional protective gloves.