Plumbing accessories for connecting hoses and pipes of incompatible diameter, thread, or gender. See also reducer, increaser, double male, double female, water thief. May contain combinations, such as a double-female reducer. Adapters between multiple hoses are called wye, Siamese, or distributor

Electronic device for measuring the presence of one or more chemicals in air, such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide or volatile organic compounds; may have preset danger threshold alarms.

1) Inflatable device used for lifting or spreading

2) Vehicle safety device with potential explosion hazard during vehicle extrication if not already blown.

Jargon for self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).

An alarm (French: À l'arme - "To the arms") gives an audible or visual warning of a problem or condition.

Alarms include:

• burglar alarms, designed to warn of burglaries; this is often a silent alarm: the police or guards are warned without indication to the burglar, which increases the chances of catching him or her.

• alarm clocks can produce an alarm at a given time

• Distributed control manufacturing systems or DCSs, found in nuclear power plants, refineries and chemical facilities also generate alarms to direct the operator's attention to an important event that he or she needs to address.

• Alarms in an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Monitoring system, which informs the bad working state of (a particular part of the) system under monitoring.

• safety alarms, which go off if a dangerous condition occurs. Common public safety alarms include:

  • tornado sirens

  • fire alarms

  • car alarms

  • Community Alarm or Autodialer alarm (medical alarms)

  • air raid sirens

  • tocsins — a historical method of raising an alarm

Alarms have the capability of causing a fight-or-flight response in humans; a person under this mindset will panic and either flee the perceived danger or attempt to eliminate it, often ignoring rational thought in either case. We can characterise a person in such a state as "alarmed".

With any kind of alarm, the need exists to balance between on the one hand the danger of false alarms (called "false positives") — the signal going off in the absence of a problem — and on the other hand failing to signal an actual problem (called a "false negative"). False alarms can waste resources expensively and can even be dangerous. For example, false alarms of a fire can waste firefighter manpower, making them unavailable for a real fire, and risk injury to firefighters and others as the fire engines race to the alleged fire's location. In addition, false alarms may acclimatise people to ignore alarm signals, and thus possibly to ignore an actual emergency: Aesop's fable of The Boy Who Cried Wolf exemplifies this problem.

Air-pressurized water fire extinguisher, partially filled with water and then pressurized with an air pump; popular in the US in the 2 1/2-gallon size, rated 2A.

Bubbles that act as surfactant to coat and penetrate ordinary fuels (e.g., wood, paper) to prevent them from burning at normal temperatures; also used on "Class B" (oil/gasoline) fires to spread a non-volatile film over the surface of the fuel. Applied using eductor or Compressed air foam system (CAFS) and pumped through firehose to a foam nozzle (or sometimes a less-effective fog nozzle).

(Attack Line) A use classification of a fire fighting hose connected to output of a pump or other pressure source (e.g., gravity). Firehose used to apply water or other fire fighting agent directly to a fire or burning substance. Typically of 2 1/2 inches (65 mm) diameter or less.

A ballistic vest or bullet-proof vest is an item of protective clothing that absorbs the impact from gun-fired projectiles and explosive fragments fired at the torso. Soft vests made from layers of tightly-woven fibres protect wearers from projectiles fired from handguns, shotguns, and shrapnel from explosives such as hand grenades. When metal or ceramic plates are used with a soft vest, it can also protect wearers from shots fired from rifles. Soft vests are commonly worn by police forces, private citizens and private security guards, and hard-plate reinforced vests are mainly worn by combat soldiers in the armies of various nations as well as police armed response units.

Modern body armor may combine a ballistic vest with other items of protective clothing, such as a helmet. Vests intended for police and military use may also include ballistic shoulder armor for more protection and leg armor for protection against grenade blasts.

 The non-extending section of an extension ladder.

 A preconnected attack line, typically 2 1/2 inch in diameter, used in the same manner and purpose as a Trash Line. Bomb Lines are stored either on the front bumper of the apparatus or in an exterior (exposed) side well. Bomb Lines are typically shorter length than Cross Lays, and are intended for use against dumpster fires, etc, where a longer length of hose (and consequent rebedding after the suppression is complete) is not desired.

Small-diameter fire hose (3/4-1 inch), often carried on booster reel, preconnected to pump of an engine (and the booster tank) for putting out small fires near the truck without having to connect to a fire hydrant; easily recovered with a motorized reel. Booster hose is also used for High Pressure Fog (HPF) applications.

Burglar (or intrusion), fire and safety alarms are found in electronic form today. Sensors are connected to a control unit via either a low-voltage hardwire or narrowband RF signal, which is used to interact with a response device. The most common security sensors indicate the opening of a door or window or detect motion via passive infrared (PIR). In new construction systems are predominately hardwired for economy while in retrofits wireless systems may be more economical and certainly quicker to install. Some systems are dedicated to one mission, others handle fire, intrusion, and safety alarms simultaneously. Sophistication ranges from small, self-contained noisemakers, to complicated, multi-zoned systems with color-coded computer monitor outputs. Many of these concepts also apply to portable alarms for protecting cars, trucks or other vehicles and their contents (i.e., "car alarms"). See also fire alarm control panel for specific fire system issues. Burglar alarms are sometimes referred to as alarm systems, see burglar alarm control panel for a discussion of hard-wired burglar alarm system design.

Burglar alarms (or perimeter detection systems, Perimeter protection, intrusion detection systems and many more terms for the same thing) are divided to two main fields home burglar alarms and industrial burglar and perimeter intrusion detection.

Cellar Nozzle. A distributing type nozzle that is inserted through an opening in the floor and into the space below, typically a basement or cellar. The nozzle directs a broken stream horizontally, either extinguishing or controlling the fire enough to allow a direct attack to be safely made. Can also be used on top of other containers.

A type of coupling used by the CFA, it is used mainly on the Australian 64mm hose, it provides a very secure coupling, obviously the threading of the coupling is repeated 3 times, it is non-hermaphrodite.

Classes of fire extinguisher and corresponding type of fire they extinguish.

 Fire extinguisher that releases carbon dioxide gas to smother and cool a fire, such as a flammable liquid.

A low pressure Fog Nozzle (usually 120 to 150 lbf/in² or 820 to 1030 [[kilopascal|kPa)) that can be adjusted to produce a near straight stream. Also commonly referred to as a Taskforce Tip (TFT).

The Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia in Australia. Many parts of Australia are sparsely populated whilst at the same time they are under significant risk of bushfire. Due to economics, it is prohibitively expensive for each Australian town or village to have a paid fire service (department). The compromise adopted is to have government funded equipment and training but volunteer fire-fighters to perform the duties of regular fire-fighters.

In South Australia, the name for the volunteer service is the CFS. Other Australian States and Territories have their own service, such as the Country Fire Authority in the state of Victoria (Australia) and the Rural Fire Service in the state of New South Wales.

In the state capital Adelaide, a conventional paid service exists, called the SA Metropolitan Fire Service (SAMFS). A handful of large towns in South Australia also have retained 'Metro' or 'MFS' services, but the vast majority (over 430 communities) rely on the CFS.

1. The waviness of a fiber expressed as crimps per unit length.

2.The difference in distance between two points on an unstretched fiber and the same two points when the fiber is straightened under specified tension. Crimp is expressed as a percentage of the unstretched length.

3. The difference in distance between two points on a yarn as it lies in a fabric and the same two points when the yarn has been removed from the fabric and straightened under specific tensions, expressed as a percentage of the distance between the two points as the yarn lies in the fabric.

Type of sprinkler system in which sprinkler heads do not have individual valves, and the water (or other extinguishing agent) is disbursed from all sprinkler heads simultaneously when a central (or zoned) valve is triggered by a sensor (or manually). Typically reserved for industrial areas where rapid fire spread must be prevented at the cost of damaging non-burning materials.

Hose coupling adapter with two male-threaded connectors back-to-back; used for connecting two female couplings together.

 A fire hydrant with a valve located at the bottom of the barrel, near the water main. The barrel of the hydrant remains dry until used. The prevents the hydrant from freezing in sub-zero temperatures. A dry hydrant is also an unpressurized pipe that can be used to draft (or draw) water from a pond or lake.

A sprinkler system having pressurized air (rather than water) in the distribution pipes until a heat-activated sprinkler head opens and releases the pressure, which opens a water valve (and possibly an accelerator valve) to flow water to the open head; used where the protected premises are not heated during freezing temperatures or where pressurized water in overhead sprinkler pipes could create another hazard.

Earmuffs are objects designed to cover a person's ears for protection. They consist of a thermoplastic or metal head-band, that fits over the top of the head, and a pad at each end, to cover the external ears. They come in two basic kinds:

• Thermal earmuffs, worn in winter to keep a person's ears warm.

• Acoustic earmuffs, also known as ear defenders: cups lined with sound-deadening material, like thermal earmuffs and headphones in appearance, which are worn as hearing protection. These may be carried on a head-band or clipped onto the sides of a hard hat, for use on construction sites. Some manufacturers combine headphones with ear defenders, allowing the wearer to listen to a music, communication or other audio source and also enjoy protection or isolation from ambient noise. Acoustic earmuffs were created in Italy in 1982.

An earplug is a device that is meant to be inserted in the ear canal to protect the wearer's hearing from loud noises or the intrusion of water, foreign bodies, dust or excessive wind.

Some earplugs are primarily designed to keep water out of the ear canal, especially during swimming and watersports. These may be made of wax or silicone which is custom-fitted to the ear canal by the wearer.

This kind of earplug protection is often worn by industrial workers who work within hearing distance of loud machinery for long periods. Earplugs are rated with "Noise Reduction Ratings" or NRRs (Single Number Ratings, or SNR, in the European Union), which provide a guide to the noise protection, in decibels, afforded by the device. Ratings usually spread between 26 to 33 decibels.

Most earplugs are made of memory foam, that is typically rolled into a tightly compressed cylinder (without creases) by the wearer's fingers and then inserted in the ear canal. Once released, the earplug expands until it seals the canal, blocking the sound vibrations that reach the eardrum. Other plugs simply push into the ear canal without being rolled first. Sometimes earplugs are connected with a cord to keep them together when not in use. Other common material bases for earplugs are wax or silicone, which is rolled into a ball and carefully molded to fit over the external portion of the ear canal, providing a snug custom fit for the wearer.

Other devices that provide hearing protection include electronic devices worn around and/or in the ear, designed to cancel out the loud noise of a gunshot, while possibly amplifying quieter sounds to normal levels. While rich in features, these electronic devices carry a price over one hundred times their foam counterparts.

Since they reduce the sound volume, earplugs are often used to help prevent hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing of the ears), amongst other ailments.

Pumps that use the venturi principle to pump water on a fire ground. Can be used for salvage by removing flood waters or supply water to a fire appliance from an open water source. Water in the appliance is used to supply a flow of water to the ejector pump which uses high pressure nozzles to entrain an increased volume of water in the hose returning to the fire appliance.

HAZMAT protective clothing used with SCBA inside the suit to protect a firefighter (HAZMAT technician) from gaseous contaminants. Also known as a Gas Suit.

 A truck outfitted for firefighting, specifically one outfitted to pump water. Generally, vehicles outfitted to pump water are called engines, while those which do not pump water (ladder trucks, tankers, rescues, for example) are not. Many rural fire engines carry a reservoir of water to pump, and use drafting and tankers to obtain further supply. Historically, an "enjin" was a machine that only pumped water.

A 20-60 foot ladder with one or more movable sections that extend beyond a base section, typically using a halyard rope and pulley mechanism for lifting and locking cams to latch the moving sections at a selected height.

Work gloves designed for vehicle extrication and other rescue applications, but not rated for firefighting. They resemble mechanics gloves but are made of tougher material, often Kevlar, and designed to protect against cuts from glass and metal.

A filter mask provides protection to the wearer from harmful airborne substances and usually covers only the mouth and nose. It limits the course of air so that it must flow through a filter which removes harmful dusts or toxic gases. Such masks range from cheaper, single-use, disposable types to reusable models with replaceable cartridges.

Because of their simple, passive design they are most commonly used for filtration of tiny suspended solid or liquid particles and often referred to as particulate masks. For this purpose, they usually employ a dense, fine natural or synthetic fiber mesh. To aid particulate filtration, the mesh is sometimes coated with substances that enhance the tendency of particulates to adhere to the fibers.

For gas filtration, mask cartridges are filled with activated carbon or certain resins that will absorb substances such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), eliminating them from the air breathed. Though less effective for this purpose, and only suitable to the least demanding applications, single-use masks also sometimes employ embedded carbon granules in the fiber mesh. There are different cartridges for different compounds. When filter cartridges become saturated or particulate accumulation within them begins to restrict air flow, they must be changed.

A filter mask provides protection to the wearer from harmful airborne substances and usually covers only the mouth and nose. It limits the course of air so that it must flow through a filter which removes harmful dusts or toxic gases. Such masks range from cheaper, single-use, disposable types to reusable models with replaceable cartridges.

Because of their simple, passive design they are most commonly used for filtration of tiny suspended solid or liquid particles and often referred to as particulate masks. For this purpose, they usually employ a dense, fine natural or synthetic fiber mesh. To aid particulate filtration, the mesh is sometimes coated with substances that enhance the tendency of particulates to adhere to the fibers.

For gas filtration, mask cartridges are filled with activated carbon or certain resins that will absorb substances such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), eliminating them from the air breathed. Though less effective for this purpose, and only suitable to the least demanding applications, single-use masks also sometimes employ embedded carbon granules in the fiber mesh. There are different cartridges for different compounds. When filter cartridges become saturated or particulate accumulation within them begins to restrict air flow, they must be changed.

System for receiving and announcing location of fire based upon input from smoke, flame or heat detectors, or manual call points or pull stations.

A fire alarm system is an active fire protection system that detects fire or the effects of fire, and as a result provides one or more of the following: notifies the occupants, notifies persons in the surrounding area, summons the fire service, and controls all the fire alarm components in a building. Fire alarm systems can include alarm initiating devices, alarm notification appliances, control units, fire safety control devices, annunciators, power supplies, and wiring.

A fire extinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations. It is not designed for use on an out-of-control fire, such as one which reaches the ceiling, endangers the user (i.e. no escape route), or otherwise requires the expertise of a fire department. Typically, a fire extinguisher consists of a handheld cylindrical pressure vessel containing an agent which can be discharged to extinguish a fire.

A gas mask is a mask worn over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic materials. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word gas mask is often used to refer to military equipment (e.g. Field Protective Mask, etc.)

Airborne toxic materials may be gaseous (for example the chlorine gas used in World War I) or particulate (such as many biological agents developed for weapons such as bacteria, viruses and toxins). Many gas masks include protection from both types.

The traditional gas mask style with two small circular eye windows originated when the only suitable material for these eye windows was glass or perspex; as glass is notoriously brittle, glass eye windows had to be kept small and thick. Later, discovery of polycarbonate allowed gasmasks with a big fullface window.

Some have one or two filters attached to the facepiece. Some have a large filter connected to the facepiece by a hose.

A glove (Middle English from Old English glof) is a type of garment (and more specifically a fashion accessory) which covers the hand of a human. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each finger are sometimes called gauntlets.

Gloves can serve to protect and comfort the hands of the wearer against cold or heat, physical damage by friction, abrasion or chemicals, and disease; or in turn to provide a guard for what a bare hand should not touch. Latex, nitrile rubber or vinyl disposable gloves are often worn by health care professionals as hygiene and contamination protection measures.

Gloves have been made of many materials including cloth, knitted or felted wool, leather, rubber, latex, neoprene, and metal (as in mail). Modern gloves made of kevlar protect the wearer from cuts. Gloves and gauntlets are also integral components of pressure suits and spacesuits such as the Apollo/Skylab A7L which went to the moon. Spacesuit gloves must combine extreme toughness and environmental protection with a degree of sensitivity and flexibility if the astronaut is to do any manual work.

Types of gloves:

Barbed wire handler's gloves Chainsaw gloves Fireman's gauntlets Disposable gloves Medical gloves Welder's gloves Aircrew gloves: fire resistant Sandblasting gloves Gardening gloves Impact gloves

Goggles (ie- safety glasses) are forms of protective eyewear that usually enclose or protect the eye area in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes. They are used in chemistry laboratories and in woodworking. They are often used in snow sports as well, and in swimming. Goggles are often worn when using power tools such as drills or chainsaws to prevent flying particles from damaging the eyes. Many types of goggles are available as prescription goggles for those with vision problems.

Goggles (ie- Virtual reality headset) are used as a wrap-around visual interface to display computer output. Commonly the computer display information is presented as a three-dimensional representation of real-world environments.

Chemical gas fire extinguishing or liquid agent for diminishing the combustion reaction rate by acting as a thermal ballast; used mainly in closed computer rooms, aircraft, and other high-value installations where corrosive chemicals or water extinguishers are judged inappropriate. Effective at low concentrations (5%) as compared with CO2 (34%). Being phased out with suitable replacements in most applications, with very restricted exemptions, due to international environmental concerns with this and other CFCs.

HEGA is an acronym for "High Efficiency Gas Absorption". Originally developed by the British military as a defense against chemical warfare, HEGA is a carbon cloth filter. This carbon cloth proved to be many times more efficient than the granular activated carbon form at adsorption of gaseous pollutants. With its light weight and easy workability, HEGA filters are now used in some residential air purifiers.

A helmet light mount is a small apparatus that is used to hold a flashlight to a hard hat. When working in dark construction zones, workers find it necessary to use a light to see what they are doing. The mount device frees their hands to continue working rather than being required to hold the flashlight. The mount is normally put on one side of the helmet, but since this can cause the helmet to tilt to one side, some users may prefer to wear two mounts in such a way as to counter-balance each other. This is more of a personal preference and is not strictly necessary. A common manufacturer is Underwater Kinetics. The UK4AA Universal Helmet Mount clips to the side of either a front brim hard hat or can be converted to fit to a full brim hard hat.

Properties of this clip include:

• Non-breakable nylon

• Non-conductive

• Fits slotted or non-Slotted, full brim, fire and bump helmets

• Clamps to ear muffs and visors

HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) is a type of high-efficiency air filter.

HEPA filters can remove at least 99.97% of airborne particles 0.3 micrometers (µm) in diameter. Particles of this size are the most difficult to filter and are thus considered the most penetrating particle size (MPPS). Particles that are larger or smaller are filtered with even higher efficiency.

HEPA filters are composed of a mat of randomly arranged fibres. Key metrics affecting function are fibre density and diameter, and filter thickness. The air space between HEPA filter fibres is much greater than 0.3 μm. The common assumption that a HEPA filter acts like a sieve where particles smaller than the largest opening can pass through is incorrect. Just as for membrane filters, particles so large that they are as wide as the largest opening or distance between fibres cannot pass in between them at all. But HEPA filters are designed to target much smaller pollutants and particles are mainly trapped (they stick to a fibre) by one of the following three mechanisms:

1. Interception, where particles following a line of flow in the air stream come within one radius of a fibre and adhere to it.

2. Impaction, where larger particles are unable to avoid fibres by following the curving contours of the air stream and are forced to embed in one of them directly; this increases with diminishing fibre separation and higher air flow velocity.

3. Diffusion, an enhancing mechanism is a result of the collision with gas molecules by the smallest particles, especially those below 0.1 µm in diameter, which are thereby impeded and delayed in their path through the filter; this behaviour is similar to Brownian motion and raises the probability that a particle will be stopped by either of the two mechanisms above; it becomes dominant at lower air flow velocities.

Diffusion predominates below the 0.1 μm diameter particle size. Impaction and interception predominate above 0.4 μm. In between, near the 0.3 μm MPPS, diffusion and interception predominate.

The initial filter air flow resistance and final filter air flow resistance are typically measured as pressure drop across the filters.

A suppression technique consisting of finely atomized water droplets at several hundred pounds per square inch of pressure. By far, one of the most efficient suppression techniques available. Advantages include a *very* high conversion rate, unmatched atmospheric cooling and control of thermal layers, very little wasted water (and consequent water damage), and the ease of managing a small diameter booster line (defined above) during application. Disadvantages are lack of distance, lack of penetration into various materials, and high risk of burns to the attack crew. HPF is quite popular in Europe, but was discarded in the U.S. due to different building construction and the resulting increase in disadvantages.

Flexible conduit for moving liquids under pressure; made of various materials including cotton, rubber or plastic (such as PVC); construction may be braided, woven, wrapped or extruded, often in layers (liner and jacket); hose construction and size differs according to its intended use (e.g., hard suction, attack, forestry, booster); typically stocked in standard lengths and coupled together with standardized fittings. See hose coupling.

Rigid interlocking end-pieces on fire hose; used for connecting hose to hydrants or fire engine pumps and other hose appliances (nozzles, wyes, manifolds, strainers, etc); standardized sizes and threads or other (non-threaded) pressure-sustaining interlocks (e.g., "Storz" or other "quarter-turn" connectors); lugs, cams, or pins are used to tighten and loosen couplings by hand or with a hose wrench.

A gate valve used to control water flow through one of the discharge ports on a hydrant with two or more ports. Typically, one fire hose is initially connected to one discharge and the hydrant gate is connected to one or more of the other outlets. This allows a second hose to be connected to a hydrant that is flowing water without shutting down the main valve to make the connection

Tool for opening valve of fire hydrant; may be simple spanner, box wrench, or adjustable wrench, or a specialized tool for use on "anti-vandalism" valves. For example, some valves require a magnet to activate a cam in order for the valve to be turned on.

An aerial appliance which has an elevating platform like a Cherry picker.

Mechanical levering device with hydraulic cylinders powered by a pump; used for forcible entry or spreading vehicle or structure parts to permit extrication of a victim. Also called Hurst Tool which is a type that includes cutter and ram/jacking features.

 "International Association Of Fire Fighters".

"International Fire Service Training Association". A major publisher of firefighter training materials

Kevlar is the registered trademark for a light, strong para-aramid synthetic fibre, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora.

Developed at DuPont in 1965 by Stephanie Kwolek and Roberto Berendt,[1] it was first commercially used in the early 1970s. Typically it is spun into ropes or fabric sheets that can be used as such or as an ingredient in composite material components.

Currently, Kevlar has many applications, ranging from bicycle tires and racing sails to body armor because of its high strength-to-weight ratio—famously: "...5 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis..."[1]

A similar fibre called Twaron with roughly the same chemical structure was introduced by Akzo in 1978, and now manufactured by Teijin.

Nozzle attached to an aerial ladder and used to direct heavy stream from advantageous height.

The leatherhead, is a term used for an old style leather helmet used by some firefighters in the US.

Leatherhead is also slang for a firefighter who uses the leather helmet. The Leather Helmet is also an international symbol of Firefighters. A symbol that is significant in not only tradition from the early years of firefighting, but one of bravery, integrity, honor and pride.

Although not a required component of the helmet, those of who truly live the tradition wear a brass eagle adornment on the top of the helmet that secures a leather shield to the front of the helmet.

Different levels of encapsulation of firefighters used during HAZMAT incidents to minimize contamination.

Measuring device designed to indicate concentrations of multiple (typically four) selected gases, such as oxygen, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, hydrogen cyanide, etc.

National Fire Protection Association. A standards and "best practice" body for the fire service.

A textile structure held together by interlocking of fibers in a random web, accomplished by mechanical, chemical, thermal or solvent means. Generally, crimped fibers that range in length from 0.75 to 4.5 inches are used.

Occupational safety and health (OSH) is a cross-disciplinary area concerned with protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment and entrants. As a secondary effect, OSH may also protect co-workers, family members, employers, customers, suppliers, nearby communities, and other members of the public who are impacted by the workplace environment.

Since 1950, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have shared a common definition of occupational health. It was adopted by the Joint ILO/WHO Committee on Occupational Health at its first session in 1950 and revised at its twelfth session in 1995. The definition reads: "Occupational health should aim at: the promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations; the prevention amongst workers of departures from health caused by their working conditions; the protection of workers in their employment from risks resulting from factors adverse to health; the placing and maintenance of the worker in an occupational environment adapted to his physiological and psychological capabilities; and, to summarize, the adaptation of work to man and of each man to his job."

The reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards are frequently identified as:

• Moral - An employee should not have to risk injury at work, nor should others associated with the work environment.

• Economic - many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State (e.g. through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the "employability" of the worker). Employing organisations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work (such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, from customers and from the wider community).

• Legal - Occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law; it is accepted that without the extra "encouragement" of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organisations would not act upon their implied moral obligations.

An alarm device which signals that a firefighter is in trouble. It can be activated manually by the firefighter, or activates automatically if the firefighter stops moving. May be integral to SCBA or separately activated.

The simplest fabric to understand is a Plain Weave; it's simply over and under in each direction. (That is to say; the weft is carried over all odd-numbered warps and under all even-numbered warps. For the next pass of the shuttle, the weft passes over the even-numbered warps, and under the odd.) Sometimes it's two over and two under. It has the advantage of giving strength in both directions with a 90º bias but the disadvantage of halving the UD strength (since half the cloth is at 90º). Another disadvantage of the plain weave is that the cloth is bent over and under which imparts some shearing distress on the fibres therefore weakening them compared to UD fibre which lays flat. Plain weaves will curve over simple one-way curves but with compound curves there can be a problem. Try pushing some in a mould and you'll find out - you'll end up with wrinkles and will have to snip the cloth here and there if you're not careful. The finest plain weave glass is about 25gsm. (German Plain = Leinwand)

A pocket mask, or pocket face mask or CPR mask, is a device used to safely deliver rescue breaths during a cardiac arrest or respiratory arrest.

Polyethylene or polythene (IUPAC name polyethene) is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products. Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other gear designed to protect the wearer's body or clothing from injury by electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection, for job-related occupational safety and health purposes, and in sports, martial arts, combat, etc. Personal armor is combat-specialized protective gear.

PPE can also be used to protect the working environment from pesticide application, pollution or infection from the worker (for example in a microchip factory).

The protection may be important in both ways, as with the use of disposable gloves by surgeons and dentists.

Protective clothing is also worn for contact sports, such as ice hockey and American football. Baseball players wear sliding shorts and a cup under their pants. See baseball clothing and equipment, goalie mask, jockstrap.

In British legislation the term PPE does not cover items such as armour.

Common protective materials include Nomex and Kevlar.

The terms "protective gear" and "protective clothing" are in many cases interchangeable; "protective clothing" is applied to traditional categories of clothing, and "gear" is a more general term and preferably means uniquely protective categories, such as pads, guards, shields, masks, etc.

For riding a motorcycle, protective headgear and eyegear are required by law in many countries.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) refers to protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other gear designed to protect the wearer's body or clothing from injury by electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection, for job-related occupational safety and healthsports, martial arts, combat, etc. Personal armor is combat-specialized protective gear.

PPE can also be used to protect the working environment from pesticide application, pollution or infection from the worker (for example in a microchip factory).

A respirator is a device designed to protect the wearer from inhaling harmful dusts, fumes, vapors, and/or gases. Respirators come in a wide range of types and sizes used by the military, private industry, and the public.

There are two main categories: the air-purifying respirator, which forces contaminated air through a filtering element, and the air-supplied respirator, in which an alternate supply of fresh air is delivered. Within each category, different techniques are employed to reduce or eliminate noxious airborne contents.

Often, a safety helmet specifically means a workman's hard hat.

A hard hat is a type of helmet predominantly used in workplace environments, such as construction sites, to protect the head from injury by falling objects, debris, bad weather, and electric shock. Sometimes the helmet shell has a midline ridge. Inside the helmet is a suspension which spreads the helmet's weight over the top of the head, providing spacing between the helmet's shell and the head so that if an object strikes the head, a safety distance cushion of approximately 3cm lessens the blow

In the Satin Weave, the weft floats or skips over as many as 12 warps before being woven in. The next pick repeats the float, but on a different set of warps. Compare the weft over the warp threads in the diagram below. You may see satin fabrics labelled as 5 or 8 harness satin weaves indicating the degree of float. The one here is a 5 harness - the weft floats over 4 warp threads. In Germany these weaves are called Atlas verbindung. These are probably the best fabrics to use for complex moulds but can appear to be tightly woven and therefore difficult to wet out with resin. Since the threads have less crimping than plain and twill, satins make for the strongest use of the fibres.

A self contained breathing apparatus, or SCBA, sometimes referred to as a Compressed Air Breaching Apparatus (CABA) or simply Breathing Apparatus (BA) is a device worn by rescue workers, firefighters, and others to provide breathable air in a hostile environment. When not used underwater, they are sometimes called industrial breathing sets. The term "self-contained" differentiates SCBA from other apparatus connected to a remote supply by a long hose. If designed for use under water, it is called SCUBA, or self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

An SCBA typically has three main components: a high-pressure tank (e.g., 2200 psi to 4500 psi), a pressure regulator, and an inhalation connection (mouthpiece, mouth mask or face mask), connected together and mounted to a carrying frame.

There are two kinds of SCBA: open circuit and closed circuit.

A yarn made by taking a group of short staple fibers, which have been cut from the longer continuous filament fibers, and then twisting these short staple fibers together to form a single yarn, which is then used for weaving or knitting fabrics.

Steel-toe boots (also known assafety toe boots, steel-capped boots or safety boots) are durable boots or shoes that have a protective reinforcement in the toe, usually combined with a sole plate, which protect the foot from falling objects and punctures from below. Traditionally made of steel, the reinforcement can also be made of a composite material, or a plastic such as thermal polyurethane (TPU). Steel-toe boots are important in the construction industry and in many industrial settings. Occupational safety and health legislation or insurance requirements may require the use of such boots in some settings, and may mandate certification of such boots and the display of such certification directly on the boots. In Canada, certified boots have a Canadian Standards Association green triangle on them.

Safety footwear now comes in many styles, including sneakers and clogs. Some are quite formal, for supervising engineers who must visit sites where protective footwear is mandatory.

A myth about steel-toe boots is that the inserts actually create a more dangerous environment, because a significant weight could cause the steel to act like a blade, severing the toe instead of the weight simply crushing the foot. However, the weight needed to induce such a failure would result in such severe damage to the toe that amputation would be necessary anyway.[1].

Some brands of steel-toe footwear, particularly Dr. Martens and Grinders, have become fashionable within subcultures such as skinhead, punk, and rivethead.

The protective clothing worn by firefighters, made of a fire-resistant material such as Nomex or Aramid, and designed to shield against extreme heat. Sometimes called bunker gear. See PPE. Includes helmet, jacket and boots, and some departments include fire-resistant pants.

Twill Weaves are better at handling compound curves than plain weaves. Look closely at the diagrams and you'll see the way the weave is formed. (The twill is formed when the weft passes over warps 1 and 2 and under warps 3 and 4, and in the next pass, the shuttle of the loom passes over warps 2 and 3 and under warps 4 and 5.) There are many variations on the theme so you will see twills listed as 1/2, 2/2, 1/3, etc. Twill fabrics are characterised by their appearing to have diagonal lines running either right or left on the fabric face.The first advantage is the fewer number of times the fibres go under and over one another. A variation of the twill is the Crowsfoot or cross twill. Twill weaves feel generally tighter, or more closely woven, than plain weaves. For most purposes a nice 100 - 160gsm twill is the best choice. (German Twill = Köper.)

ULPA is an acronym for "ultra low penetration air".

An ULPA filter (theoretically) can remove from the air at least 99.999% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria and any airborne particles with a size of 120 nanometres or larger. A number of Recommended Practices have been written on testing these filters including IEST-RP-CC001: HEPA and ULPA Filters, IEST-RP-CC007: Testing ULPA Filters, IEST-RP-CC022: Testing HEPA and ULPA Filter Media, and IEST-RP-CC034: HEPA and ULPA Filter Leak Tests.

Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), also known as high-modulus polyethylene (HMPE) or high-performance polyethylene (HPPE), is a thermoplastic. It has extremely long chains, with molecular weight numbering in the millions, usually between 2 and 6 million. The longer chain serves to transfer load more effectively to the polymer backbone by strengthening intermolecular interactions. This results in a very tough material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made. It is highly resistant to corrosive chemicals, with exception of oxidizing acids. It has extremely low moisture absorption, has a very low coefficient of friction, is self-lubricating, and is highly resistant to abrasion (15 times more resistant to abrasion than carbon steel). Its coefficient of friction is significantly lower than that of nylon and acetal, and is comparable to that of Teflon, but UHMWPE has better abrasion resistance than Teflon. It is odorless, tasteless, and nontoxic.

Polymerisation of UHMWPE was commercialised in the 1950s by Ruhrchemie AG, which changed names over the years; today UHMWPE powder materials are produced by Ticona. UHMWPE is available commercially either as consolidated forms, such as sheets or rods, and as fibers. UHMWPE powder may also be directly molded into the final shape of a product. Because of its resistance to wear and impact, UHMWPE continues to find increasing industrial applications, including the automotive and bottling sectors, for example. Since the 1960s, UHMWPE has also been the material of choice for total joint arthroplasty in orthopedic and spine implants [1].

UHMWPE fibers, commercialised in the late 1970s by the Dutch chemicals company DSM, are widely used in ballistic protection, defense applications, and increasingly in medical devices as well.

Welding helmets are headgear used when performing certain types of welding to protect the eyes , face and neck from flash burn, ultraviolet light, sparks and heat. Most commonly used with arc welding processes such as shielded metal arc welding and gas metal arc welding, welding helmets are necessary to prevent arc eye, a painful condition where the cornea is inflamed. Welding helmets can also prevent retina burns, which can lead to a loss of vision.

All welding helmets include a small window, called a lens shade, through which the welder looks at the weld. In older helmets, the window can be made of darkly tinted glass, or perhaps a pair of polarized lenses. In more modern helmet designs, transparent material that darkens automatically when exposed to the flare of a welding arc are more common. Either type, however, is susceptible to damages such as cracks that can compromise the protection from ultraviolet rays. In addition to the lens shade, the helmet has a shroud around the face to protect it from hot metal sparks generated by the arc. Some older models have a leather covering protecting the neck and shoulders as well.