Innovation to reduce firefighters occupational health hazards due to exposure to hazardous substances

Purpose and goal

The study´s purpose was primary the materials materials and to do a market research aswell as to investigate conditions for series production. The goal of the study was to obtain information for making decisions about investment for a completion. All of these goals and objectives are accomplished, and these would not have been possible without support from Vinnova. The great need for products that can help to improve fire fighters´ work environment has also involved ideas for wider range of products such as products for personal decontamination. The need is for this is great.

Results and expected effects

The project began, as scheduled, with materials testing and analysis of requirements for strength, features and weight for the product. Major focus was also on the ability of the material to be washed in machine and its environmental properties. The project showed that the right materials for the purpose are polyester -reinforced polyvinyl chloride which is well available in a wide range and perfectly manageable in sewing industry, which is a necessity for a commercially viable mass-produced product in this case.

Approach and implementation

The project started out as planned to identify and test suitable material. This took more time and costed more than expected. A suitable production technology could be decided easily, but to obtain the right balance between product strength and the final price proved to be a challenge that required a lot of opinions. The study also included to analysis of market conditions which were showed considerably easier than expected and the attention from distributors was as very promising. The encapsulation is also proved to be consistent with the requirements for the stored Equipment.