Multifunctional protective clothing system: Development vs. Functionality

Development of personal protective equipment (PPE) requires the knowledge of fire fighter's working environment and working activities. The PPEs function is the protection of the user from danger in the environment. Additional protection, monitoring of vital life functions and of surrounding environment could be added afterwards. Besides above mentioned functions the PPE clothing system must be functional, e.g. easy to use and care for, and above all it should not limit the range of movement of the fire fighter. The primary function is fulfilled by the choosing of optimal protection materials, because non compatible materials with non-optimal thermal balance can impact the fire fighter's working performance. Secondary functions are presented in the paper in the form of guidelines for development of fire fighter's PPE clothing system. The issues of PPE development problems in connection with the functions of cooling and multi-layering are presented in the paper. The presented engineering approach takes into account the requirements of fire fighters, who are exposed to the extreme environmental working conditions and who risk their lives daily.