Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Individual protective equipment
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is means used by an employee to prevent or reduce
the impact of harmful and dangerous production factors, and also to protect against
contamination. In is applied in cases, when the safety of the work can not be provided by the
design of the equipment, the organization of production processes, architectural planning
solutions and means of collective protection. From the PPE classification it is defined that
depending on the application they are divided into 10 classes:
1. Special protective clothing (overcoats, coats, half-coats, mantles, dressing gown, etc.)
2. Hands protective means (work gloves, gloves, shoulder strap, armlets, etc.)
3. Feet protective means (high boots, boots, shoes, loose overall, slippers, etc.)
4. Eyes and faces protective means (protective eyes, face cover, etc.)
5. Head protective means (helmets, head protector, caps, berets, etc.)
6. Respiratory protection equipment (gas masks, RPE, self-rescuer, etc.)
7. Isolating suits (pneumatic suits, environmental suit, etc.)
8. Hearing protection equipment (ear protections, half liners, helmets, etc.)
9. Height fall management equipment (body harness, shock absorbing lanyard, lifeline,
blockers, etc)
10. Skin protection means.
Depending on the production methods individual protection means are divided into the
following means: industrially manufactured and simple ones, manufactured by the population
from materials on hand.
IPE of insulated type - protect respiratory organs, eyes, face and skin against steam, drops
and aerosol, as well as against radiation dust.
IPE are considered for defending a person against radioactive and toxic items and
bacterial means. Depending on the application, IPE are classified into Respiratory Protection
Equipment and Skin Protection means.
Respiratory Protection Equipment
Depending on the defence impact, IPE are divided into filter and insulating means. The
principals of filtration is that the inhaled air, necessary for life activities of the human being,
passing through gas-mask box (via active copper layer), is filtered there and reaches the
respiratory organs cleaned from harmful contaminant (from TA and RHS).
IPE of isolated type fully insulates the human body against environment. Breathing here
occurs due to oxygen reserve in gas mask itself. Human body is isolated from environment with
the help of airproof materials and harmful compounds inside.
IPE can be authorized, which are registered (numbered) in the list of available equipment,
depending on the organizational structure of formations, and unauthorized, which are considered
for provision of formations, in addition to the authorized means or in their replacement order.
Insulating air masks are meant for staff defence of special formations of CD (fire, mine
rescue, etc.) during their actions under conditions of high concentration of toxic and other
substances, on fire fighting and accident elimination in gas and other networks.
For respiratory organs defence can be used:

Filter gas masks – HP-5, HP-4U, HP-5M, HP-7, HP-7B – for adults, and DP-6, DP-6M,
PDF-S, PDF-7 – for children.

Insulating air masks – IP-4, IP-5, IP-46, IP-46M

Insulating devices – KIP-5, KIP-7, KIP-8

Respirators – R-2, R-2d, SB-1, “Lepestok”

Children defence camera KZD-4 for defending sucking infants.

Simple means of respiratory organs protection – anti-dust cloth mask PTM-1, bulky
dressing, etc.
Civilian gas mask HP-5
DP-6m (Children mask)
Civilian gas mask – model 5 or HP-5, is meant for distribution to population in
emergency situations.
Civilian gas mask – model 5 or HP-5 – is a filter individual protection means for
respiratory, eyes and skin protection of humans. It was produced since 1961 to 1996. Taking into
consideration the shortages during exploitation of HP-5, its modern version was manufactured,
which was named as civilian gas mask model 5, modernized HP-5M. Civilian gas-mask HP-5 is
meant for protection of respiratory organs, eyes and face of humans against toxic, radioactive
substances and bacterial (biological) substances.
Face part of civil gas mask HP-5 provides feeding of cleaned air in filter-absorbing box to
respiratory organs and protects eyes and face against toxic, radioactive substances and bacterial
(biological) means. The face part consists of rubber case (helmet-mask) with cowls and eyepiece
assembly, also can be assembled with coldproof cliffs, preventing glass freezing of eyepiece in
temperatures below freezing.
Face part helmet-masks were manufactured in 5 sizes. Valve unit of facial part serves for
flow distribution of breathable air. Inside the valve unit a inspiratory and two exhaling valves
(main and secondary) are fixed.
Filter-absorbing box (FAB) of civilian gas-mask HP-5 has got a cylindric form. The
body of FAB is made of metal. It has been provided with a special absorbent and anti-aerosol
filter. On box lid there is a screwed neck for connecting FAB to facial part of gas mask, and at
the bottom of FAB – there is a circular hole, through which inhaled air comes.
Haversack serves for gas mask storage and transport. Haversack is provided with
shoulder ribbon with adjustable clasps for carrying gas mask over the shoulder and a ribbon for
its fixing to body. Besides it, haversack has got a plain and 2 volume bins. Plain bin is meant for
box allocation with antifog films, and one of volume bins is meant for first aid dressing package,
and the other one – for individual anti-chemical package.
The set of civilian gas mask HP-5 contains:

Facial part HM-62 or HM-62U – 1 piece;

Filter-absorbtion box (FAB) HP-5 in metallic body – 1 piece;

Haversack – 1 piece;

Airfog films – 6 pieces;

Exploitation manual – 1 piece for packing place;

Data card – 1 piece for a lot.
The total weight of gas mask is not more than 900 grams. Taking into account the
deficiencies of civilian gas mask HP-5 its modification – HP-5M was worked out. Before usage,
a civilian gas mask should be checked for working order and hermeticity. Checking the facial
part, it is advisable to make sure that the size of helmet mask is up to the requirements. Then the
entirety should be defined, paying attention to the glasses on eyepiece assembly. Afterwards
valve box and valves conditions are checked. They should not be warped, clogged-up and torn
off. There should not be dents, corrosion, pierces, damages on neck of filter-absorption box.
Attention is paid to the absorbent “grains” non-pouring in the box.
Assembly of civilian gas mask HP-5 is done as follows: on the left hand we take a facial
part on valve box, with right hand the filter-absorbent box with screwed neck is screwed until
bumping to jet of valve box of facial part. Before putting on, new facial part of the gas mask
must be wiped outside and in with a clean water-wet cloth, and the valves should be blown. Any
damages discovered in gas mask while inspection, should be eliminated, and probably replace it
with another one in working conditions.
The inspected gas mask is packed into sack: filter-absorbent box at the bottom, above facial part, which is not folded, but slightly tucking up the sides, to protect the glasses of
eyepiece assembly. In order to put a civilian gas mask in traveling order, it is necessary to wear
the sack with gas mask over the right shoulder so that it should be on the left side, and the
fastener should be upwards, the shoulder strap should be fastened by clasps so that the upper
edge of the sack is at the same level with the waist-belt, the reliability of the gas mask to be
checked and placed into the haversack. In case of necessity, the gas mask can be fixed in belt
with the help of ribbon. Upon the signal “Air raid alert”, air mask is transferred in slung position.