Personal protective equipment

The classification of PPE in Russia is established by GOST 12.4.011-89 ^[2] , where, depending on the purpose, they are divided into 10 classes, which, in turn, are divided into types ^[3] , depending on the design:

1. Special protective clothing (sheepskin coats, coats, short coats, capes, bathrobes, etc.)
2. Hand protection (gloves, gloves, shoulders, arm ruffles, etc.)
3. Foot protection (boots, boots, shoes, shoe covers, slippers, etc.)
4. Eye and face protection ( goggles , face shields, etc.)
5. Head protection ( helmets , helmets, hats, berets, etc.)
6. Respiratory protection ( gas masks , RPD , self-rescuers , etc.)
7. Insulating suits (pneumatic suits, spacesuits, etc.)
8. Ear protection (ear protectors, earbuds , helmets, etc.)
9. Fall protection equipment ( safety harnesses , slings with and without shock absorbers, anchor lines, locking devices, etc.)
10. Skin protection

Based on the experience gained, Western experts in industrial hygiene and occupational diseases believe that in the system of protection against harmful production factors, the use of PPE is the latest and most unreliable method ^[5] , which should be used only when the use of more reliable methods of protection (technology change , automation of hazardous industries , sealing of equipment, efficient ventilation , air showers , remote control, etc.) is impossible; or perhaps - but it does not allow reducing the harmful effect to a safe level ( Maximum permissible concentration , SHOES, Maximum permissible level ).

Nevertheless, in the Russian Federation, the employer is encouraged to use PPE - to a greater extent than to improve working conditions . For example, the law 426-ФЗ allows to reduce the harmfulness classes of working conditions while providing workers with protective equipment (and maintaining the impact of harmful factors at the same level - without any improvement in working conditions ^[6] ); and the Social Insurance Fund compensates the employer for the purchase of PPE (so that the cost of this is ten times higher than the cost of improving working conditions). The procedure for choosing and organizing the use of PPE of the respiratory and hearing organs does not reflect the current level of science and potentially allows workers to knowingly give insufficiently effective PPE (see illustrations). This practice is not supported by Russian specialists in occupational diseases ^{[7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]} ; and the actual use of PPE instead of improving working conditions is contrary to Convention 148 ^{[13] of the} International Labor Organization , ratified by the Russian Federation (where Articles 9 and 10 directly and unequivocally indicate the need to improve working conditions first and only, if it is impossible to reduce the harmful effects to the permissible).

RPHOs reduce the intake of harmful substances into the body, and thereby reduce the risk of poisoning and the risk of developing chronic occupational diseases. However, wearing RPDD is accompanied by the appearance or intensification of other risks. So already in the 1950s, it was noted that (ceteris paribus) workers who use RPD more often have injuries. For example, they stumble and fall more often due to the fact that the front part worsens the view, especially in the down-forward direction, they stumble more often.

The large mass of self-contained breathing apparatus and the increased temperature of the inhaled air (in the RPD with a closed circuit) create a strong burden on the body ^[14] . This led to the death of the rescuer, who underwent a preliminary physical examination - but did not report that he has contraindications for working in such a RPD ( hypertension and significant coronary cardiosclerosis, died due to a heart attack of the interventricular septum of the heart). In other cases, increased stress, in general, negatively affects health ^[15] .

In the United States for 12 years (1984-1995) there were recorded cases of deaths of 45 workers, to one degree or another, associated with the use of RPD ^[16] . For example, when applying a hose RPD in a painting chamber, a painter suffocated. Causes:

1. When equipping a workplace by mistake, the pipelines were painted not in the colors that correspond to the medium moved in them;
2. When installing a hose RPD, the workers did not check which gas was supplied to the pipeline - and focused on its color;
3. Before the start of the work, the RPDD was not checked, and when the air supply was turned on, argon began to flow into the front part, which led to the death of the painter.

However, this happened when a combination of violations of the requirements of the state standard governing the obligations of the employer when applying the RPA ^[17] , and in Russia there are no such requirements at all.

According to Russian specialists in occupational diseases, respirators (like other PPE) can increase the risk to the worker due to the negative impact on the body ^[18] and due to the fact that the latter has the illusion of reliable protection. However, in practice, the use of PPE is the most ineffective method of protection ^[10] .

• Ranking of methods of protection against harmful production factors
• Personal respiratory protection

• Smirnov V.P. History and concepts of creating army means of individual armor protection (Rus.) // Equipment and weapons yesterday, today, tomorrow: magazine. - 2013. - July ( No. 07 ). - S. 2-7 .
• Bogatyrev V.V. Main problems of improving the Russian means of individual and collective defense // Bulletin of the troops of the Russian Chemical Forces. - 2017. - T. 1. - No. 2. - S. 28-38.