Page 318 - Anthropometry, Apparel Sizing and Design

Sizing and fit for protective clothing 311

In the design of special and work clothing, functional requirements have always
been emphasized. For garments under design to meet specific work conditions, mate-
rials, and design solutions to protect the user from hazardous working environments,
climate conditions and microclimate parameters are assessed, the design elements of
the garment and their adjusting possibilities—fasteners, pockets, tightening, etc.—are
selected according to the type of work in question, and an end-user training or infor-
mation provision procedure is planned. In view of functional requirements, workwear
designs or elements are very easily united, which in a full-scale production can save
resources in both the designing and the production.
The study (see Fig. 11.5) should be started with a survey of end-users, the purpose
of which is to identify shortcomings of the current uniform available to the wearers
and to determine potential directions of the necessary improvements from the stand-
point of the wearers. The study includes analysis of anthropometric data, the obtaining
of body measurements. At the end of the study, fit tests are carried out in accordance
with standard EN ISO 13688:2013 “Protective Clothing. General Requirements.”
The two stages of the study, which are anthropometric studies and interviews,
should be conducted during uniform testing. The end-user surveys should result in
identification of the most important shortcomings of the PPE uniforms, expressly
pointing out the most problematic.
In designing, feedback from end-users is often used to evaluate the dynamic fit.
Such a subjective assessment of product properties depends on the assessor’s experi-
ence, as well as traditions and habits. In fact, ergonomic tests should be carried out by
experts, as set by the standard (ISO 13688:2013, 2013), determining that the test or
examination is to be carried out by one or more experienced evaluators or experts pre-
viously acquainted with the manufacturer’s information for further investigation of
the protective wear, manually and visually. Such an examination should give answers
as to whether the wearer can stand, sit, walk, and climb the stairs; is it possible to raise
both arms above the head; can one easily lean down to pick up small items (e.g., a
pencil). Also, significant requirements are set out for sleeves and trouser legs, the
length of which must not encumber movements of arms and legs; clothing must
not be loose enough to flutter and move in a free and cumbersome manner; there must
be no points for sudden and unexpected openings between or inside components of the
clothing; no unreasonable movement limitation in any of the joints is permissible.

11.6.1 Performance tests

Standard ISO 13688 (ISO 13688:2013, 2013) Annex C (informative) specifies how
some basic ergonomic features of protective clothing shall be checked using simple
practical tests. Ergonomic assessments are intended to reduce the risk of hazards to the
user due to such parameters for example as poor design and fit, poor compatibility
with other related items of PPE and poor compatibility with other items of clothing.
Assessment points:
– Clothing free from harmful features (sharp or hard edges, protruding wire ends, rough sur-
faces or other items);
– Appropriate ease of putting on and removing the clothing;