Personal Protective Equipment in Industrial Environment: New Trends and Prospects
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2025 | Viewed by 90
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is widely used in the workplace since it represents a cheap and easy way to protect workers. Despite its convenience, some negative aspects are often related to its use, such as discomfort, possible interference with other PPE, and difficulties in moving, operating, and communicating. Moreover, in some cases, its efficiency in terms of protecting workers is not always guaranteed. Antivibration gloves, for example, have limited efficacy in reducing vibration at low frequencies; moreover, their thickness and rigidity could increase the force applied by users, possibly negatively impacting the hand–arm system as well as reducing dexterity and the capability to safely control handled tools. Producers are committed to improving PPE in terms of both efficacy and wearability, researching new technologies, materials, and shapes. Active earing-plugs, for example, are gaining traction on the market for their capability to reduce noise in selected frequencies other than for adapting protection to external working conditions, avoiding isolating workers, and allowing better communication. This research topic aims to collect studies focusing on the properties of PPE in terms of efficacy, wearability, comfort, convenience, and ergonomics. We will consider studies involving measurements of performance, comparisons between different typologies of PPE, properties of materials, interactions between humans and PPE, and surveys regarding the wearability, discomfort, duration, and reliability of such equipment.
Dr. Andrea Antonucci
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- personal protective equipment
- occupational health and safety
- hearing plugs
- protective masks
- safety harness
- antivibration gloves
- safety shoes
- protective glasses
