Each person working in industry, the fire service, the Ministry of Emergencies, trade or in another field of activity should be familiar with the requirements and rules of labor protection. It depends on how competently he will behave in the event of various emergencies. People involved in the elimination of such situations, certainly uses special equipment and elements that protect their internal organs and skin. Personal protective equipment for emergencies is presented in different forms, and they are constantly being modernized and improved, which provides increasing confidence that citizens using these items will not be able to undergo various negative influences.
What methods of protecting the population are used?
The state is developing various methods to protect people in the event of various disasters or emergencies. Such methods include:
- timely notification of the population about the onset of a dangerous event;
- the creation of special shelters that people can use to protect their lives;
- evacuation of citizens from places exposed to negative impacts to safe areas of the country;
- the use of personal protective equipment in emergency situations by rescuers and people themselves.
With the help of the above measures, the state can avoid the many negative consequences of certain events. Especially effective is the use of personal protective equipment in emergencies, because at the expense of them citizens can protect themselves from various negative influences, which include poisonous gas, chemical compounds or other substances.
What events are held by the state?
To protect the population from various influences and provide them with remedies, certain measures are taken by the state and regional authorities of each city. These include:
- making forecasts regarding possible different emergency situations;
- forecasting the consequences of such events;
- control and monitoring of the environment;
- informing citizens about possible incidents;
- the formation of the ZK fund;
- providing citizens with personal protective equipment in case of emergency;
- training the population in methods of protection against various negative influences;
- protection of food and water from contamination with various hazardous substances;
- development of measures to prevent the possible consumption of contaminated food by citizens;
- implementation of preventive, sanitary and anti-epidemic measures;
- the use of special regimes in infected areas.
All these actions contribute to the protection of the population.
Where are the elements used?
Personal protective equipment in emergency situations is provided to citizens and employees of various services everywhere. Their main purpose is the ability of people to protect themselves from a variety of negative influences, which include dust, burning, poisonous substances or other factors.
They are used in different areas:
- in the system of labor safety;
- firefighters;
- the military;
- medical professionals;
- aviation officers.
For each sphere, own means of individual protection of the population are used. Emergencies can affect quite large territories, therefore, under such conditions, the use of collective means is required.
Legislative regulation
Providing the population and employees of specialized institutions with various means of protection is regulated by numerous regulatory acts. These include:
- GOST 12.4.034-2001. It provides standards for occupational safety. All remedies that may be individual or collective are listed. Their classification and the markings used are given.
- GOST R 12.4.233-2007. The main purpose of this normative act is the formation of labor safety standards. It contains used respiratory protection products. Definitions of numerous items used by people to prevent poisoning with various chemicals or carbon monoxide are included.
- GOST 22.0.022-94. It contains information on how to ensure the safety of the population in various emergency situations.
On the basis of the above normative acts, remedies for emergency situations must certainly be provided. Individual and collective elements must be present at different enterprises, in public institutions or other institutions where a large number of people gather.
Rules for the provision, storage and distribution of products
At each facility, these funds must be available, which are acquired and stored at the expense of the organizations themselves. The main features of this process include:
- child care facilities should have gas masks for babies;
- if citizens live in the territory adjacent to the nuclear power plant, then stockpiles of preparations containing a large amount of iodine are prepared;
- much attention is paid to the organization of storage of personal protective equipment in case of emergencies, since such places should be located next to the workplaces of citizens at the enterprise and residential areas in the city;
- in each department it is advisable to form special warehouses in which this property will be located;
- storage conditions must comply with the requirements of the manufacturers of these funds, therefore, it is not allowed that the conditions have a negative impact on their serviceability;
- gas masks should be stored for a maximum of 10 years, but products like IP-46 or GP-5 are stored for no more than 5 years;
- respirators and special elements for the skin made of rubberized fabric can be used exclusively for three years;
- if the expiration date of a certain product expires, then it is replaced, moreover, the check should be carried out every year;
- in peacetime, all gas masks are stored unassembled.
If at any facility there are no gas masks, then they can be replaced by respirators.
Respiratory protection
Most often, the use of personal protective equipment in emergencies that are designed to protect the breathing of citizens is required. This includes various products:
- filtering gas masks, which may be children's or civilian, industrial or combined arms;
- insulating gas masks;
- the simplest products created from improvised materials;
- respirators.
All of them allow avoiding the negative impact of harmful substances contained in the air on the respiratory organs of a person. They should always be in every organization in the public domain.
Skin protection
Additionally, special elements are sometimes required to protect the skin from many negative factors. The use of personal protective equipment in emergencies of this kind can prevent chemical or thermal burns, infection with different viruses, or other negative consequences.
The main skin protection products include:
- insulating costumes represented by a variety of overalls or sets;
- filtering and protective clothing ;
- the simplest means, which include work clothes or household items of clothing, which are modified by improvised means so that they can serve as protection for the skin.
Specialized funds are usually located only in special organizations, the main purpose of which is the elimination of the consequences of accidents or the negative effects of various factors.
Radiation Shelter
Such shelters are considered the safest and most effective for people in the presence of various negative influences. These include:
- shock waves;
- light radiation;
- penetrating radiation;
- radioactive contamination resulting from nuclear explosions;
- toxic substances;
- bacterial agents;
- high temperatures;
- harmful gases arising after fires.
Anti-radiation shelters are equipped in the basement or ground floors of various buildings. If there is a real threat of infection, then all openings are sealed with various improvised materials, represented by soil, bricks or other elements.
Medical facilities
Additionally, personal protective equipment for emergency situations is allocated. They are represented by elements with the help of which first aid is provided to victims of certain events.
The main such personal protective equipment for civil defense and emergencies include:
- Individual first-aid kits, which help citizens with various burns or injuries, as well as prevent and weaken the effect of radioactive substances. They include tools to prevent the development of an infectious disease. Such first-aid kits contain about 7 compartments, each of which has its own purpose. Therefore, pain medications, antidotes, antibacterial substances, radioprotective agents, and antiemetic drugs are included here.
- Anti-chemical bags. They can be presented in several forms, but IPP-8, IPP-9 and IPP-10 are considered the most popular. Such personalized medical protective equipment for emergencies are intended for disinfection, as well as to prevent exposure to human skin of various chemical hazardous substances.
If as a result of various dangerous events it is required to provide first aid to a person, and at the same time there is no first-aid kit or anti-chemical package, then it is necessary to treat the affected skin areas with soapy water. For processing, paper swabs or clean rags are used. The procedure should be performed promptly, so after skin lesions should not pass more than 15 minutes.
Types and purpose of respirators
The most affordable means of protecting the respiratory tract for the population are respirators. Almost everyone is familiar with it, since people with infectious diseases use these elements, which helps prevent common infections and infections of other citizens.
Respirators are lightweight respiratory protection. They prevent various harmful gases, dust or vapors from entering the respiratory tract. They are used by workers in mines, in mines or in enterprises where there is a large amount of dust or harmful chemical emissions.
There are two types of respirators:
- respirators equipped with a half mask and a filter layer;
- elements equipped with special filter cartridges, which are attached in a special way to the half mask.
The second option is considered the most effective. Respirators are further divided into the following types:
- anti-dust protect respiration from aerosols;
- gas masks prevent the entry of various gases and vapors into the respiratory system;
- gas and dust protection guarantee simultaneous protection against gases, aerosols and vapors.
To create a filter, fibrous filter materials are used .
Other products
Other protective equipment include helmets, earphones, quality shoes, gloves or other items. All of them are usually included in one set, therefore they are intended for emergency workers or medical staff.
The rules for providing citizens with these funds are enshrined in the regulatory documents of each institution.
Conclusion
The use of personal protective equipment in emergencies is a mandatory task for the state. To do this, gas masks, respirators and specialized clothing are made. At different enterprises, these elements are mandatory, and they should be freely available to all employees.
The competent use of such funds provides the ability to protect the skin and respiratory tract of a person from numerous negative influences. Most often, the need for these elements arises during emergencies or during the liquidation of their consequences. Therefore, the most modern and high-quality products are available to specialized government agencies, such as law enforcement agencies, medical organizations or the Ministry of Emergencies.