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Procedure for Determining Dimensional Allowances for PPE Using 3D Scanning Methods
Joanna Szkudlarek1, Grzegorz Owczarek1, Marcin Jachowicz1
1Department of Personal Protective Equipment, Central Institute for Labour Protection-National Research Institute, 90-133 Lodz, Poland.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
|February 25, 2022
Summary
Personal protective equipment (PPE) use creates dimensional allowances, impacting work safety. 3D scanning accurately measures this extra space, crucial for designing safe work environments for professionals like welders and firefighters.
Area of Science:
- Ergonomics and Human Factors
- Occupational Safety and Health
Background:
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is essential for worker safety in hazardous environments.
- The use of PPE introduces dimensional allowances, altering human body dimensions and affecting movement in confined spaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify the dimensional allowances resulting from wearing full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
- To validate 3D scanning as a method for measuring these allowances.
- To inform ergonomic design and anthropometric data for professionals working in confined spaces.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 3D scanning to capture the volume occupied by individuals in PPE.
- Employed simplified geometric solids (cylinder, cuboid) to represent the minimum space required around a person in PPE.
- Compared body dimensions, base area, and volume of individuals in underwear versus full PPE.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a significant increase in body dimensions and volume due to PPE.
- Validated 3D scanning as an effective method for determining dimensional allowances.
- Identified specific dimensional allowances for a full welding PPE set.
Conclusions:
- Dimensional allowances are critical for safe human-work environment interactions when wearing PPE.
- The findings support the development of an updated anthropometric atlas for ergonomic design.
- Accurate measurement of PPE-induced space requirements is vital for preventing workplace accidents.
