Importance of Medical Protective Coveralls in the Workplace

Although personal protective equipment can neither reduce the concentration of harmful substances nor eliminate their presence, it serves as the last barrier that protects people's safety. Personal protective equipment, as a supporting preventive measure, when used properly, can prevent or reduce the occurrence of work-related accidents, forestall occupational diseases and poisoning, etc.

The importance of personal protective equipment is illustrated from two main aspects: respiratory protection equipment and other protective equipment.

Respiratory protection equipment

Why do we take out respiratory protection equipment for a separate explanation? According to statistics, 95% of occupational poisoning is caused by inhalation of toxic substances, which means the key to preventing pneumoconiosis, occupational poisoning, and hypoxic asphyxia is to prevent toxic substances from entering respiratory organs. Common respiratory protection equipment is divided into two categories: filtered and isolated.

Filtered respirators can only be used in an environment with sufficient oxygen concentration (i.e. the oxygen content in the ambient air is no less than 18%), and cannot be used in tanks or other confined spaces. Filtered respirators can be further divided into dust-proof respirators and anti-toxic respirators according to the harmful substances they are designed to prevent. The former is mainly used to prevent respiratory dust with particle sizes smaller than 5 microns from being inhaled by the respiratory tract, and typical protection products in this category include dust masks and dust respirators; the latter is used to prevent toxic gases, vapors, toxic fumes, etc. from being inhaled by the respiratory tract, usually known as gas masks and gas respirators.

Isolation respirators can isolate the respiratory organs of the wearer from the polluted environment either by supplying air (or oxygen) or introducing clean air from the environment to maintain the normal breathing of the human body. They can be used, regardless of environmental conditions in life-threatening workplaces seriously contaminated by dust and poison and where oxygen is insufficient. According to the gas supply, they can be further divided into two types: self-contained and long tubes. Self-contained respirators are portable and equipped with air sources. Based on the air supply, they can be further divided into air respirators and oxygen respirators; Long tube respirators, also known as long tube masks, are unportable, and introduce air through the tube with the help of pulmonary arterial pressure or mechanical power. They can be further divided into two types: air supply and self-priming, and are only suitable for use in fixed-duty operations and small-scale mobile operations.

When choosing respiratory protection equipment, one should take into account the nature of harmful chemicals, the highest possible concentration of pollutants in the workplace, the oxygen content of the workplace, the wearer's face shape, and the environmental conditions. For example, self-contained respirators should be chosen based on the concentration of toxic substances in the workplace. Filter canisters (boxes) should be chosen based on the characteristics of the poison, and masks should be chosen according to the wearer's face shape and environmental conditions.

Other personal protection equipment

When choosing protection equipment, in order to prevent chemical splashes, chemical dust, smoke, fume, vapor, etc., from damaging the eyes and skin, specific conditions should also be taken into accounts, such as chemical-resistant overalls, impact-resistant glasses, or dust-proof overalls.

Eye protection equipment mainly includes goggles (also known as safety goggles), and face shields used to prevent corrosive liquids and vapor from injuring the face.

Protective gloves, aprons, boots, and uniforms are used to prevent injuries caused by direct skin contact with chemicals. The materials used to produce this type of protective equipment vary greatly based on their functions. It is, therefore, crucial to select the correct type. For example, cotton gloves and leather gloves are mainly used to prevent dust, while rubber gloves to prevent corrosive substances. For some chemicals, skin care products such as cream and lotion can be used to directly protect the skin.

In addition, it should be noted that none of the protective equipment is a panacea that can prevent all kinds of harmful substances. Therefore, the choice of personal protective equipment must be combined with the specific use of the environment. Meanwhile, good operation habits should be guaranteed, such as rinsing immediately upon completion of work to prevent harmful substances from being attached to the skin, protective equipment being managed by designated persons, and offering regular occupational medical examinations for personnel on hazardous duties, etc.