The objective of the work was the preliminary experimental investigation of cut-resistant materials including a biomimetic perspective. The effects of the cutting were expressed as static and dynamic cut resistance of the following materials: knitted fabrics, woven fabrics, continuously coated knitted fabrics, and dot-coated knitted fabrics. The cutting process gives rise to frictional forces, but the current test methods for cut-resistant gloves are not designed to measure them. Therefore additionally, the cut resistance of the material was evaluated using a modified procedure based on the standard EN 1082-1, taking into consideration grip strength tests to assess if there is a potential correlation between cut resistance and anti-slip properties.
The objective of this work was to examine the mechanical strength properties of polycarbonate toecaps designed for commercially available protective footwear, subjected to repeated impacts simulating workplace conditions. The effects of impacts on the toecaps were expressed as the height of toecap clearance, which has a direct bearing on the safe use of protective footwear. Changes in toecap geometry were evaluated using an originally developed methodology taking into consideration the requirements of Standard No. EN ISO 22568-2:2019. Additionally, external and internal sides of toecaps were scanned in three dimensions after each impact and reverse engineering was used to analyze deformations in toecap geometry by comparing the shape of the toecaps before and after impact. Three-dimensional scanning made it possible to measure the remaining safe distance for toes between the footwear sole and the impacted toecap surface, which is an indicator of the protective properties and safety of toecaps during use.
Heated gloves have been gaining popularity due to increasing work safety demands. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effects of the presence of chemical hand warmers in protective gloves. The study involved three types of gloves appropriate for work activities performed in cold environments. Several hand warmer variants were designed, differing in terms of shape and location within the glove, which are of great relevance to the comfort of use. Manual dexterity tests were designed to approximate real conditions of the work environment, allow for simulation of occupational activities, and involve various aspects of manipulation.
The main objective of the study was to evaluate two fit testing methods for protective gloves using anthropometric measurements. The gloves differed in terms of textile materials (woven fabric without elastomeric fibres and knitted fabric with elastomeric fibres), with and without size allowances, respectively. The evaluation method proposed may supplement the standard glove fitting procedure given in Standard EN 420:2003+A1:2009. The standard specifies only a method for measuring hand circumference and length, while the Authors used an original approach to measure the length and width for the purposes of glove fitting. The objective of the case study was to determine the optimum size difference between the protective glove and the user’s hand. The methodology developed shows how to evaluate gloves made of woven or knitted fabrics with or without elastomeric fibres in the context of glove fitting, which has direct implications for user comfort and the safety of manual work.
Streszczenie: Oceniano uszkodzenia polimerowych podnosków stosowanych najczęściej w obuwiu ochronnym, dostępnym w handlu. Badania laboratoryjne obejmowały wytrzymałość na obciążenie ściskające standardowe i niestandardowe występujące w rzeczywistych warunkach pracy. Z wykorzystaniem analizy mikroskopowej oceniano strukturę materiałów podnosków poddanych testom odporności na ściskanie. Wyniki badań wskazują, że polimerowe podnoski nie ulegają uszkodzeniom pod wpływem zarówno standardowego (10, 15 kN), jak i niestandardowego (20 kN) obciążenia ściskającego. Słowa kluczowe: polimerowe podnoski, obuwie ochronne, wytrzymałość na ściskanie.
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