The Effects of Laundering on the Protective Performance of Firefighter Clothing

Won, Ah Young; Yun, Changsang

doi:10.1007/s12221-021-0861-9

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Furthermore, improperly maintained turnout gear will not reach the expected service life. Effective ways to protect turnout gear include line drying, which can slow down the speed of water removal and reduce damage to the suit, and tumble dryers, which use high spinning speeds to remove residual moisture and reduce dryer use times [15].…”

Section: Research On Fire Protective Clothingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weighting of Firefighting Turnout Gear Risk Factors According to Expert Opinion

Chang

Luor

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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Firefighters in Taiwan often wear expired protective clothing, which raises concerns regarding their safety. Extending the service life of fire protective clothing can improve firefighter safety and ensure environmental sustainability. In this study, an analytic hierarchy process was used to understand which risk factors should be prioritized in the design of firefighting turnout gear. We surveyed 30 experts in the field of firefighting and safety management on the importance of various risk factors related to turnout gear. A risk level of 70% was taken as the threshold of tolerable risk. The rankings of the weighted risk factors demonstrate that eliminating 12 of the 28 risk factors will result in 73% safety. These 12 factors are, in order of maximum risk, insufficient flame resistance, insufficient heat resistance, putting on the suit components in the wrong order, insufficient resistance to tears and punctures, poor agility, heavy overall weight, insufficient water resistance, lack of flame-retardant fibers, high levels of toxicity, insufficient internal circulation, no air filtration device, and poor air permeability. Consideration of these factors in the design of fire protective clothing can extend service life, help achieve sustainable development goals, and ensure firefighters’ safety.

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Section: Research On Fire Protective Clothingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weighting of Firefighting Turnout Gear Risk Factors According to Expert Opinion

Chang

Luor

et al. 2022

Sustainability

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“…3 noted enhanced structural changes in longitudinal fibrillation during successive washing cycles, while fabric shrinkage and expansion resulted in reduced air permeability. Won and Yun 49 pinpointed residual detergent in firefighter apparel as the afterglow source, necessitating further exploration of spin-drying patterns, rinse water quantities, and rinsing temperature parameters. Quantifying the myriad factors influencing fabric thermal resistance is challenging due to the numerous variables in predicting aerogel fabric thermal resistance after repeated washes and the difficulty in controlling a single variable during experimentation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, research on the effects of repeated washing on mechanical damage (e.g., agitation, abrasion, friction) and chemical degradation of fabrics remains limited. 31,49…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, research on the effects of repeated washing on mechanical damage (e.g., agitation, abrasion, friction) and chemical degradation of fabrics remains limited. 31,49 Strengths and drawbacks of the proposed model Evaluating the thermal insulation properties of aerogel fabrics after multiple wash cycles is essential for maintaining occupational safety. Developing a thermal resistance prediction model for aerogel fabric systems presents a challenge, primarily due to the scarcity of samples.…”

Section: Overall Findings and Potential Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Thermal resistance prediction of aerogel fabrics after repeated washing based on small-sample data

Wang

et al. 2023

Textile Research Journal

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Aerogel fibers utilized in thermal protective apparel exhibit exceptional heat insulation capabilities; however, concerns arise regarding potential degradation due to the detachment of aerogel particles during repeated washing. Accurate prediction of aerogel fiber thermal resistance is critical for assessing hydrothermal aging in aerogel textiles, yet the precision of such predictions is significantly hindered by limited sample data and numerous uncertainties constrained by testing time and expenses. The present study endeavors to ascertain the optimal parameters dictating aerogel fabric thermal resistance post-washing and establish a prediction model based on these variables using small-sample data. Four aerogel fabric candidates were selected and subjected to multiple washing cycles (0, 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 cycles). Gray relational analysis (GRA) was initially employed to prioritize the primary thermal resistance parameters, thereby identifying the interrelations among various factors and circumventing the unreasonable equal treatment of samples in conventional gray predictions. Subsequently, a discrete gray linear regression (DGLR) algorithm was proposed and validated to estimate thermal resistance using input from four principal fabric parameters: the fabric weight, thickness, air permeability, and surface temperature distribution coefficient. The findings revealed that the GRA-DGLR model achieved relatively high accuracy, closely aligning with the experimental results. Following repeated washing, aerogel fabric thermal resistance diminished, with the air permeability, weight, thickness, and surface temperature distribution coefficient ranked in descending order of significance. This investigation highlights the considerable impact of repeated washing on aerogel fabric thermal resistance and the efficacy of the GRA-DGLR model in estimating this parameter.

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“…The firefighters are exposed to dangerous thermal stress situations, which can cause severe burns and also death. To avoid such negative situations, the firefighter suit plays a very important role [21]. Hence, improvements in firefighting working clothes are necessary [22][23][24][25][26][27][28].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Features and Sustainable Design of Firefighting Safety Footwear for Fire Extinguishing and Rescue Operations

Tomaskova,

Krajňák

2023

Sustainability

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Firefighters are regularly exposed to risk of injuries as a result of their intervention activities connected with hazards from fire and explosion, as well as due to carrying heavy personal working equipment and injured victims from accidents. Another hazardous factor is working under unfavorable weather conditions and also moving on slippery or bumpy surfaces. Employers provide personal protective work equipment to employees if a hazard cannot be eliminated or reduced by technical means, such as means of collective protection or methods and forms of work organization. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should provide effective protection against existing and foreseeable hazards and should not in itself create a greater risk. It should be adapted to the existing and predictable working conditions and working environment at the work site, meet the criteria of ergonomics and the health condition of an employee as well as be suitable and adapted to the wearer’s body so that, if possible, there is no risk of harm to the employee’s health. The aim of this Special Issue is to explore the limits of sustainable implementation of additive technologies within current manufacturing practices and current requirements for personal protective equipment for firefighters. More precisely, the goal of this special article is to show new ideas in firefighting footwear such as a quick donning and doffing system as well as various other improvements and sustainable design of firefighting footwear. The aim is to present new ideas and concepts, the latest advances, and technical tools supporting the sustainable use of protective firefighting footwear. Special attention will be paid to standards that ensure the highest standard and quality.

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The Effects of Laundering on the Protective Performance of Firefighter Clothing

Cited by 6 publications

References 20 publications

Weighting of Firefighting Turnout Gear Risk Factors According to Expert Opinion

Weighting of Firefighting Turnout Gear Risk Factors According to Expert Opinion

Thermal resistance prediction of aerogel fabrics after repeated washing based on small-sample data

Features and Sustainable Design of Firefighting Safety Footwear for Fire Extinguishing and Rescue Operations

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