1. Scope

Keywords

Rationale

The gloveprotective clothing interface is known as one of the weakest points of the whole personal protective equipment system. However, there is a lack of standard test methods that are specifically designed to quantify the fluid leakage through glove and protective clothing (e.g., gowns, coveralls) interface while simulating workers' upper extremity movements, exposures, and physical stresses applied to the PPE. Fluid leakage has been an issue especially for healthcare workers and EMS workers. High risk-high consequence pathogens such as Ebola Virus also highlighted the need for more protection at the glove-protective clothing interface. PPE manufacturers has been designing new products to reduce the fluid leakage through glove-protective clothing as the end users (surgeons, nurses, EMS workers, emergency responders, laboratory workers, etc. ) demand for more protection at the interfaces. However, there is no test method available to quantify fluid leakage through glove and protective clothing interface. Availability of a test method to measure the fluid leakage through interface will be helpful for manufacturers when developing the PPE that provide more protection and for end users when selecting the most appropriate PPE in accordance with the expected fluid and movements for the task to be performed.