Bulletin of
Vitebsk State
Technological
University

Abstract

With the onset of the autumn-spring period, tasks of rescuing people in open water are of particular urgency for the rescue units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus.

The available personal protective suits allow rescuers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations to perform certain types of rescue operations in cold and hot water at a depth of up to 130 cm, resting their feet on the ground. Rescue of exhausted or unconscious people at a depth of more than 130 cm in such suits is not possible.

One way to solve this problem is to modernize the existing personal protective suit by introducing a positive buoyancy element into the inner heat-insulating overalls.

The article presents the results of theoretical and experimental studies of positive buoyancy and stability of a combined personal protection suit, based on the theory of body swimming. It has been determined that in order to maintain the suit's own buoyancy, its design should provide for the presence of positive buoyancy elements made of polyethylene foam with a total area of at least 6,359.3 cm2 with a single layer thickness of 8 mm.

The preservation of the transverse and longitudinal stability of the combined personal protective suit of the rescuer will be ensured if, when designing it, the placement of elements of positive buoyancy in the chest, shoulder girdle from the back, neck and forearms is provided. 

Taking into account the above recommendations operational tests of an experimental model were performed on the basis of the center of the diving and rescue service of the Republican Special Forces. It is found out that the upgraded experimental sample of the suit provided has the necessary speed of putting on, ergonomics, lightness, is sufficiently resistant to tears, provides positive buoyancy and safety of the rescuer during work related to rescuing people on water (ice), being outdoors at low temperature (letter dated November 16, 2020 № 52/03-06/848). 

Provision of Positive Buoyancy when Designing Water-Heat-Resistant Clothing for Special Purpose