Healthy comforts

摘要

Alan McArthur of diversified technology company 3M explains why comfort counts when it comes to personal protective equipment (PPE). British Lung Foundation statistics show respiratory disease is the second biggest killer in the UK and deaths from occupational lung disease are rising rapidly. 3M has been concerned about inadequacies in the use of respiratory protection for some time and, consequently, has started to investigate the use of PPE in general, with specific interest in comfort levels. Fundamentally, if PPE is uncomfortable or impedes the wearer's job, it is unlikely to be worn correctly for a sustained period and therefore will not deliver consistent protection from potential hazards.