earticle

영어

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the development of personal protective equipment (PPE) for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) during chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive situations. Methods: Body measurements were obtained for adults aged from 20 to 59 years from the data in the 6th Size Korea national sizing survey. These data were compared to the sizes of protective clothing currently available in the market. In-depth interviews with active paramedics with experiences of wearing PPE were conducted. Results: Most of the imported protective clothing turned out to be unfit for Korean adults. This showed the urgent need for developing appropriately sized protective clothing for Korean emergency technicians. In total, 55.0% of the respondents indicated that the current protective clothing is unsafe, and 71.0% requested the clothing to have level C protective performance. Regarding the design, many people wanted hooded all-in-one type of clothing. Conclusion: Considering these requirements, most of the wearers wanted their protective clothing to be fundamentally protective of their body, be available in various sizes with adjustable parts, and easy to wear and take off. They also wanted the clothing to be secure in clear sight, while not revealing any parts of their body and not interfringe with their ability to communicate with others.