| Introduction | | | | knitted and non-woven. A precise |
| Technical treatment of different textile | | | | purposed fabric layer made, such as for |
| materials is laid down blizzard to the | | | | fire resistance, vapor barrier or |
| world. In this globalization of science | | | | thermal insulation etc. In the glass |
| and technology, new technologies like | | | | processing industry, fire fighting, |
| fine chemicals, optical fibers, high | | | | welding and foundry work or application, |
| polymer plastics, resins, | | | | heat resistant clothing is applicable. |
| temperature-resistant textile fibers, | | | | To counter splashes of molten metal |
| fiber-reinforced composites etc have | | | | special surface or finishing are |
| proved improved alternative in the form | | | | necessary. Cotton is also used during |
| of technical textiles and has updated | | | | electrical arc-flash protection. |
| the blueprint of production; consumption | | | | Breathable fabric laminates for very |
| and trade in a considerable way. | | | | cold temperature |
| Utilisation | | | | A coating of dead air between the body |
| Besides traditional textile practicing, | | | | and outside is made so that body |
| technical textiles are used by various | | | | temperature is not dissipated by |
| industries like advertising banner, | | | | conduction or not affect in any way in |
| automobile, agriculture, aviation, civil | | | | very cold temperature work environment. |
| engineering, chemical, leather, | | | | Breathable fabric laminates of various |
| horticulture, medical, mining, | | | | materials are applied widely in personal |
| petroleum, packaging, pharmaceutical, | | | | protective equipment, while working in a |
| electrical, environment protection, food | | | | cold temperature to protect from cold. |
| processing, furniture, printing, rubber, | | | | Unique lamination protection against |
| transportation, protective and safety | | | | bacteria / virus |
| clothing etc. | | | | There are two main methods while using |
| It covers safeguard against cuts, | | | | materials in PPE manufacturing. Through |
| nuclear, biological and chemical | | | | a unique finish, adds in a bactericide |
| hazards, high voltages and static | | | | into the textile straight away, under |
| electricity and other types of harsh | | | | definite conditions the active |
| effects covering stab wounds, | | | | ingredient will often discharge |
| explosions, abrasion, ballistic, fire | | | | gradually. The second method is through |
| and extreme heat, dust and particles. | | | | coating or laminating craft a barrier |
| Hence, there is a requirement to | | | | fabric. |
| safeguard the sensitive machinery and | | | | Bulletproof vests used in ballistic |
| equipment by means of cleaning the rooms | | | | protection |
| or stores and provided it with covering | | | | Bulletproof vests applied by defense and |
| and also to protect the employees by | | | | police in ballistics protection high |
| providing personal protective equipment | | | | tech fibers are used. According to the |
| according to the workplace. | | | | requirement, a large number of possible |
| Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) | | | | answers in this type of manufacturing, |
| According to European Council Directive | | | | though this segment is very alike to the |
| 89/856/EEC protective clothing is that: | | | | fire protection personal equipment and |
| by an individual any tool or method | | | | their needs. |
| intended to be put on or held for | | | | Lead coated material for radiation |
| protection against one or more health | | | | protection |
| and safety hazards in the execution of | | | | According to the classification and |
| the user's activities is called | | | | emission of radiation or hazards, the |
| Protective Personal Equipment and in | | | | textile fiber for personal protective |
| short form it is called as PPE. To trim | | | | equipment should be made according to |
| down the possible hazards significantly | | | | the actual requirement is a little bit |
| for the individual worker, PPE is the | | | | complex. Lead coated material is used to |
| ultimate protective application after | | | | protect X-ray radiation, a polyethylene |
| the whole planning, training and | | | | and condensed boron fiber and layers of |
| procedural efforts. | | | | different fabrics are used in making |
| There are three types of personal | | | | personal protective equipment / apparel |
| protective equipment according to hazard | | | | to protect different radiation. |
| risks involved: | | | | Electro-static Discharge (ESD) |
| . Low risks Personal Protective | | | | protective garments for Electronics |
| Equipment: This falls under category-I: | | | | Industry |
| Low risks or general personal protective | | | | A research carried out in different |
| equipment like simple gloves, head gear, | | | | parts of the world for the use of ESD |
| footwear, sun glasses, traditional work | | | | clothing in electronics industry, which |
| wear etc. | | | | showed that about 30-50 % of all |
| . Medium risks Personal Protective | | | | malfunction in electronic products |
| Equipment: This falls under category-II | | | | noticed while producing and can be |
| type: Medium risks. | | | | recognized to some kind of electrical |
| . High Risks Personal Protective | | | | overstress, of which ESD is one type. |
| Equipment: This falls under | | | | Though old standard test methods for the |
| category-III: Like respiratory/lung | | | | assessment of the functioning of modern |
| related equipment for fire fighter, | | | | ESDprotective clothing applied in |
| protective gloves against very high | | | | electronics industry do not measure |
| temperatures etc for very risky | | | | properly and effectively. Therefore a |
| operation of works. | | | | new European research project - |
| PPE Program for safety purposes | | | | ESTAT-Garments - was launched in early |
| At the place of work frequent causes of | | | | 2002. The main focus of this three-years |
| main hazards are in the form of: | | | | project (2002-2005) is to supply the |
| . Mechanical harm | | | | standards body IEC TC101 with a basis to |
| . Soaring elements/ fine particles | | | | qualify the helpfulness of clothing |
| generated during the process | | | | applied for the ESD-safe handling of |
| . Heat, concentrated light, sound and | | | | electrostatic discharge sensitive (ESDS) |
| dust | | | | devices and to build up appropriate test |
| . Radiation, germs, chemical wastes, | | | | methods for the characterization of such |
| gaseous pollution | | | | ESD protective garments. |
| . Unpleasant weather / Unconditional | | | | Polyethylene non-woven or different |
| workplace | | | | coatings used to protect chemical or gas |
| While considering or implementing PPE | | | | hazards |
| program and to come across these risks | | | | Chemical and gas defensive outfits are |
| one has to review and analyze the type | | | | widely available and accepted in |
| of involved risks and take required | | | | chemical & gas industry. Cotton or |
| steps accordingly. Though many changes | | | | synthetics apparels or PPE are preferred |
| take place at the work place frequent | | | | in lower risk chemicals hazards, while |
| review is a must. | | | | additional hard-hitting chemicals may |
| In any organization hazardous / risks | | | | need coating and lamination in the |
| are drop off in the following ways: | | | | protective clothing, which creates a |
| . Abolishment - Fist and fore most is to | | | | barrier to chemical and gas penetration. |
| eliminate hazards or hazardous work | | | | Against low-level protection Plyethylene |
| practice at the place of work itself is | | | | non-woven fabric in raw form is widely |
| an important step, which can bring down | | | | used in PPE, it is available with coated |
| the risk. | | | | form with polyethylene against |
| . Replacement - Substitute a risky or | | | | high-level protection application. Also |
| hazardous work practice with a less | | | | more advanced fabric material is used |
| hazardous place one. | | | | according to the requirement of work |
| . Segregation - People who are not | | | | place and procedure for higher degrees |
| educated/ informed in the work place, | | | | of protection. |
| short out the hazardous practice / areas | | | | Spun bonded polyethylene fabric made PPE |
| as Danger Zone. | | | | for pesticide applications |
| . Engineering - It covers some | | | | Pesticides can go in to the body by four |
| alteration in the apparatus or providing | | | | ways, by mouth, skin, eyes, and lungs. |
| protector to machinery. | | | | Skin contact is the most general cause |
| . Awareness/ Training Program - This | | | | and certain pesticides go in to the body |
| covers training to increase the | | | | through the skin somewhat promptly. To |
| awareness to reduce the risks at the | | | | protect hazardous from pesticides |
| work places. | | | | personal protective equipment like |
| . Personal protective Equipment - It | | | | long-sleeved shirt and long pants, shoes |
| should be applied only when other | | | | and socks, chemical-resistant category-A |
| control measures are not possible, or to | | | | gloves, unlined, elbow-length |
| increase protection, this is the last | | | | chemical-resistant gloves etc are widely |
| but not least acceptable alternative. | | | | used. Woven fabrics offer a barrier of |
| The application of PPE is inevitable in | | | | fabric and air between the wearer and |
| some methods or practices. Protecting | | | | the pesticide. Tightly woven, cotton |
| eye with goggles, face with shielded | | | | twill provides superior pesticide |
| covers, legs with whole / special shoes | | | | protection than other woven fabrics. |
| or boots and head with hard hats are | | | | Cotton coveralls are a general choice |
| these types of equipment where the | | | | because their affordability, easily |
| workers must have to wear all the times | | | | available and due to their lightweight |
| due to the sudden exposures. But there | | | | property. Use of pesticides in dust, |
| is no any alternative instead of wearing | | | | granule, or powder form, uncoated |
| personal protective equipment. | | | | non-woven fabrics is convenient. Tyvek, |
| Protective Clothing | | | | a 100% spun bonded polyethylene fabric |
| Extensively treated as Personal | | | | made by DuPont, is a type of an uncoated |
| Protective Equipment | | | | non-woven fabric. |
| From a plain apron to particular | | | | Specialty fibers para-amides and high |
| application outfits, there are so many | | | | modulus polyethylene used to protect |
| availability of protective clothing. To | | | | from cut / slash Industry likes the |
| protect in following particular | | | | food (slaughter houses), forestry or |
| surroundings protective clothing | | | | concrete production where the worker |
| garments of particular fabricated PPE | | | | works with unsafe equipment (Jaw or |
| are manufactured. | | | | saws); in this case, heavy clumsy layers |
| . Fire / Flames | | | | of fibers are used to make PPE. |
| . Polluted weather | | | | Specialty fibers like para-aramides and |
| . Nuclear infectivity | | | | high modulus polyethylene is widely used |
| . Mechanical harm | | | | to make personal protective equipment or |
| . Electrical (Static Electricity) / | | | | apparels. However cotton is still the |
| Electronics Industry | | | | incomparable option of fabric for work. |
| . Freezing or low temperature | | | | i.e., long sleeves cotton shirts and |
| . Ballistics | | | | t-shirts, cotton trousers are also |
| . Emission of radiation / Radio active | | | | widely used. |
| emission | | | | Other Protective Clothing |
| . Bacterial/Viral | | | | Like high visibility clothing, life |
| . Chemical/Gas | | | | saving jackets, etc is manufactured from |
| Fine particles generated during the | | | | PVC infiltrated with fluorescent |
| process in food or pharmaceutical | | | | pigments and with various materials |
| industry | | | | according to the needs. Retro-reflective |
| While manufacturing of gritty goods, | | | | materials are perfect for high |
| like in food industry, electronics | | | | visibility clothing. A range of |
| industries wearing protecting clothing | | | | reflective materials is used in making |
| required for lint free or anti-static | | | | bands and integrated clothing. The |
| environment, and high-visibility clean | | | | general and wider requirement is for |
| room as well as clean clothing | | | | roadwork and police, and protection |
| environment required. An operative | | | | against dust, electrostatic charges etc |
| barrier found between the hazards and | | | | and is widely used as personal |
| the wearer by wearing protective | | | | protection equipment. |
| clothing but ranging from moderately | | | | Conclusion |
| basic coated fabrics up to complex and | | | | The end user of personal protection |
| higher functioning materials are used in | | | | equipment is protector or consumer |
| a wide range to protect from the risks | | | | itself, hence according to the need of |
| involved and it is provided according to | | | | PPE and by consideration of application |
| the need or application of the work | | | | of PPE in different environment; first |
| place or operation of work. | | | | and foremost, consumer must be trained |
| Following fiber materials are used for | | | | or guided by covering the thorough |
| personal protective equipment or | | | | information about what is personal |
| apparels | | | | protection equipment? In many countries |
| Flame retardant (FR) finish for heat | | | | there seems to be a legislative strict |
| protection | | | | restrictions or regulations on employers |
| To protect from fire and heat, unique | | | | or workers to protect themselves from |
| flame retardant finishing used on the | | | | hazardous workplace or environment and |
| fabric. The use of some specialty | | | | wearing personal protection equipment |
| chemicals can affect fabric appearance. | | | | necessarily. It is safe to create |
| To provide cheaper option in less | | | | awareness among the employees or workers |
| serious use, new developed polyester and | | | | of wearing personal protective equipment |
| acrylate fibers or special fire | | | | in hazardous areas or workplace, and |
| retardant fibers, such as the aramids | | | | providing appropriate personal |
| are widely used. Apparel is manufactured | | | | protection equipment, saves or protects |
| with many several layers of different | | | | your business too. |
| fabrics with the process of woven, | | | | |