The Design of Personal Protective Garments for Workplace: An Ergonomic Radiation Protection Design Practice

Abstract

Personal protective garments are commonly used to protect workers from direct and secondary radiation in radiological workplaces. Traditionally, these garments are manufactured using heavy shielding chemical materials, such as lead or lead composite mixed with binders and additives to make lead loaded vinyl sheets. The materials used in such garments are toxic, subject to rapid decline, and cause lead poisoning and heat gain that create moisture inside the garments. These garments are heavy in weight, causing a higher risk of musculoskeletal injuries and workers’ fatigue and discomfort, which results in low productivity due to ergonomic detriment. We designed an ergonomic personal protective garment with a lightweight flexible structure and optimal shielding performance after a thorough examination of the existing safety in the workplace, worker’s tasks and exposure to radiation, and weight and type of the materials used in the existing garments. Our study suggests that a lightweight and flexible design factor that could improve workers physical activities and body movement by considering ergonomic design could increase productivity in radiological workplaces.