Protective performance test and safety risk evaluation of a powered air purifying suit /
Limei Hao [and five others]
Thepositivepressurebiologicalprotectivesuitisthehighestdegreeofpersonalprotectiveequipment,anditsperformancedirectly impacts the health and safety of the wearer. Protection factor is the mostcritical measure of the performance of apositive pressure bio-protective suit. This study establishes a dynamic detection system for the positive pressure bio-protective suit, to evaluate its safety risks, and explores methods to reduce these risks. A manikin was used to performhuman actions, such as raising the arms, sitting, and walking, that were simulated at different levels. Integrity breachesof different shapes and sizes were made to different parts of the suit for evaluation. The aerosol concentration and thepressure of the suit were detected. Positive-pressure suits provide exceptionally good protection even in accident scenariosand provide a greaterflexibility and more ergonomic benefits. However, sufficiently large (>3 cm) breaches caused anegative-pressure and an inward airflow during vigorous activities. The location of the breach site on the suit also hadasignificant effect on bio-aerosol leakage. Studies have shown that effective methods to avoid the risk of damage includeincreasing the air supplyflow and performing gentle movements while wearing the suit. The dynamic detection methodand the results obtained in this study are a significant advance to predict and avoid the risks associated with powered air-purifying suit.
In: Biosafety and Health, 2019 Vol. 1(2) pages: 91-97