• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.74-83
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• 2018

In order to secure safety and improve work efficiency of forest firefighting crews, performance evaluation criteria for safety gloves were developed. Since the standard for forest firefighting safety gloves is not available in Korea, we started the study based on the standard for firefighting safety gloves operated by KFI. 12 test items were selected excluding 5 test items out of the 17 test items through the consultation of stakeholders and the review of foreign standards. Two types of general safety gloves used by forest firefighting crews and one firefighting gloves were tested by applying KFI standard and the results were compared. Materials such as nylon or polyurethane which are weak to fire are not suitable for forest firefighting safety gloves. We compared the criteria of KFI, ISO 16073, NFPA 1977, NFPA 1971 and BS EN 659, and finally selected 12 test items and acceptance criteria suitable for the work environment of forest firefighting crews in Korea.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.515-526
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• 2021

This study aimed to investigate the evaluation of firefighting gloves and the behavior regarding their usage, of firefighting officials in Seoul, using a questionnaire. Responses from a total of 270 firefighters who are responsible for putting out fires or undertaking rescue works in Seoul were analyzed. As per the findings, the firefighters considered ease of hand operation and fire/flame protection as the most important performance factors for firefighting gloves, and they were satisfied with the supply status of the gloves. The average number of firefighting gloves currently owned by the firefighters was 2.6 ± 0.8 pairs. Thirty-nine percent of the respondents said that their firefighting gloves lasted, with maintained performance, for more than six months and less than a year, and when asked how they handled the gloves with degraded performance, 46% of them said that they would discard them. Sixty-eight percent of the respondents said that they used the most recently developed and supplied gloves, which they considered as the most satisfying gloves and which they mainly used these days. Respondents were highly satisfied with the fire/flame protection performance of their firefighting gloves, but were less satisfied, however, with the glove fit. These results suggest that there has been a significant improvement in the overall performance level and supply status of the firefighting gloves. Given the current situation, careful considerations with flexible approaches are needed on the current firefighting gloves size system as well as on the personal protective equipment maintenance and management scheme.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Fire Science and Engineering Conference
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• 2013.11a
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• pp.208-209
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• 2013

본 연구에서는 철갑소이탄이 장갑을 관통한 후 전투시스템 내의 적재포탄(고폭탄 또는 추진제)에 피탄되었을 때 순간화재 발생확률에 대해 전산해석을 수행하였다. 장갑은 RHA 재질로 설정하였고, 장갑 두께를 5~30 mm까지 5 mm씩 증가시키며 전산해석을 실시하였다. 고폭탄은 COMPB, TNT, PBX가 사용되었으며 추진제는 ANB가 사용되었다. 본 해석은 Autodyn 프로그램을 사용하였으며, 순간화재 발생 여부를 해석하기 위해 Lee-Tarver ignition and growth model을 사용하였다. 해석 결과, 철갑소이탄이 고폭탄 TNT와 PBX에 피탄되었을 때, 순간화재 발생확률이 모두 100%를 나타내었으며, 고폭탄 COMPB의 경우, 0.8~0.08%로 나타났다. 추진제 ANB의 순간화재 발생확률은 3.8~3.6%로 나타났다.

• Proceedings of the Korea Institute of Fire Science and Engineering Conference
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• 2013.04a
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• pp.165-166
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• 2013

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.416-426
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• 2019

This study measured and analyzed male firefighters hand sizes as well as suggested data for developing firefighting gloves with a good fit. Accordingly, body dimensions related to the hand were measured for 100 male firefighters. Twenty-three measuring items related to the hand and lower arm were selected. The firefighters' measurement data were compared to general adult male measurements from the 6th Korean Anthropometric data to analyze the hand sizes characteristics of firefighters. As a result, height, hand circumference, hand breadth, wrist circumference, elbow-wrist length, forearm-fingertip length and firefighter weight were significantly larger than adult males. A correlation analysis for 23 items was conducted to select items used as standards for setting a size when manufacturing firefighting gloves. Hand length and circumference were selected as representative hand parts for making firefighting gloves. Cross analysis between hand length and circumference were conducted to find the section showing the highest distribution ratio. As a result, the highest sections were between 19cm and 21cm for hand circumference and between 18.5cm and 19.5cm for hand length, which may be suggested as the most important ranges.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Hazard Mitigation
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.65-71
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• 2010

The aim of the study intends to investigate wearing practice of personal protective equipment for firefighter in gyeongnam province and to provide the base data for the safety and health of firefighter. The results of the study are as follows. The overall reliability of fire personal protection equipment has been investigated by 3.19 and an overall improvement in the personal protective equipment is needed. Firefighter showed such a low satisfaction leather fire boots(2.68), glove(2.67) and rubber fire boots(2.59) in personal protective equipment and rubber fire boots(2.75), glove(2.77) and leather fire boots(2.97) has been investigated by the state of the poor. For personal protective equipment, firefighters have been experiencing many difficulties on the fit and weight. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to be designed ergonomically and to develop high-performance, lightweight materials.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.950-965
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• 2017

This present study proposed a newly developed test method to evaluate the dexterity and mobility of a firefighter's protective gloves. The first step evaluated the mobility and dexterity of the current type of fire protective gloves and three new types of protective gloves using Don-doff test, ASTM dexterity, Minnesota dexterity, Bennett hand tool test, and ASTM torque test. Three firefighters ($47.3{\pm}5.0yr$ in age, $178.6{\pm}2.9cm$ in height) participated in a series of experiments. The second step was to design and suggest an integrated test method based on the results of the first experiment. As a result of the first experiment, we concluded that 1) the mobility and dexterity tests for firefighting gloves should include both wet and dry tests, 2) The three kinds of dexterity tests could be integrated into one test, and 3) The don-doff test and the torque test should be independent from the newly developed integrated test. In summary, we suggested a simplified test method that combined ASTM dexterity, Minnesota dexterity, and Bennett hand tool test. The integrated system can reduce total time spent on dexterity tests and improve the validity of the test in terms of firefighters' manual work.

• Journal of Drive and Control
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.51-60
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• 2017

In this study to develop disaster response robot in complex disaster site, we present the design of hydraulic manipulators for armored robot systems. To this end, we performed voice of customer researches with firefighters and rescue personnel. We created and analyzed the mission scenario of firefighters and rescue personnel in complex disaster situations, and derived the required functions of the robot to successfully perform missions. A heavy-duty, heat resistant, dexterous hydraulic robot manipulators is designed to realize the required functions. The designed robot has been verified through simulations and analysis in terms of the working area of the robot, actuating torques, and temperature analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.921-935
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• 2016

This research analyzed the manual performance of firefighting protective gloves on global markets in order to suggest an evaluation method for firefighting protective gloves wearing comfort. We collected 13 types of firefighting gloves from domestic and international markets (7 types from Korea, 3 types form Europe, 2 types from the U.S and 1 type from Japan). We set the Don-Doff test as a basal requirement for moving toward to further manual performance tests that consist of: ASTM dexterity test, Minnesota dexterity test, Bennett hand tool test and ASTM torque test. All gloves were evaluated in dry and wet conditions, we included eight current male firefighters ($43.4{\pm}7.0yr$ in age, $173.1{\pm}4.4cm$ in height, $79.9{\pm}9.2kg$ in body mass) for the tests. Four gloves (1 Korea, 1 U.S, 1 Germany, and 1 Japan) out of thirteen firefighting gloves passed the Don-Doff test and had great subject preferences. There was no significant difference between dry and wet conditions on the ASTM dexterity test, Minnesota dexterity test, Bennett hand tool test and ASTM torque test. However, Japanese gloves had the greatest score and showed 3-4 times faster completion time on the ASTM dexterity test (p<.05), 1.2-1.5 times faster on the Minnesota dexterity test (p<.05), as fast as the bare hand on Bennett hand tool test (p<.05), and greater performance on the ASTM torque test compared to bare hand. In conclusion, Don-Doff test in wet conditions should be the first step for a mobility evaluation of domestic firefighting protective gloves; subsequently, a comprehensive test assorting ASTM, Minnesota, and Bennett test should be developed as a second step. The current ASTM torque test can be adopted as a third step. This three-step-method for evaluating firefighting protective glove mobility can be expected to expand into surveys of other safety gloves in Korea.

• Journal of the Korean Burn Society
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.17-21
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• 2018

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the thermal protective function of firefighter clothes and gloves through real scale fire simulations. Methods: Firstly, the fire simulation by real scale flame was performed for firefighter clothes. A manikin equipped with firefighter clothes was directly exposed to flames which energy average is 84 Kw/m². for 22 seconds. Heat flux gauges attached on the body measured surface temperature elevation. Secondly, we also performed the other fire simulation by hot plate exposure to firefighter gloves. Firefighter gloves with heat flux gauges exposed hot plate which temperature is 300℃ in both dry and moist conditions. Primary outcome was surface temperature change of manikin body (first simulation) and hand (second simulation) over times. Results: In the first flame simulation, the surface temperature of face and shoulders elevated more rapidly comparing with the other body surface area when initial period of flame shutter open. After 18sec of shutter open, the surface temperature of upper trunk elevated rapildy. After shutter closure, high surface temperature kept continuously on right side of face and left shoulder. In the second hot plate simulation, fingers and palms showed higher surface temperature than the other areas of hands in the both dry and wet conditions. Conclusion: This study suggests that the real scale flame enables firefighter clothes to lose their heat protective function suddenly after 18 seconds. Additionally, the protective function of firefighter gloves were relatively weaker in the palmar side of fingers than the other parts of hand. There should be additional study for evaluate thermal protection performance of firefighter clothes. And, further effort for reinforce palmar side of fingers of firefighter gloves should be done.