A Study on the Wearing Condition and Satisfaction of Pesticide Protective Clothing

농약방제복 착용실태 및 만족도에 관한 연구

The purpose of this study is to grasp inconveniences and improvements by examining wearing condition and satisfaction of protective clothing targeting 114 Korean farmers and to suggest basic data for enhancement of pattern and wearing satisfaction of protective clothing by understanding problems of pesticide-proof clothing through comparative analysis on the size of its commercial products. Most of male subjects were in charge of spraying pesticide, whereas female were most likely to play an assistant role to hold the hose of pesticide applicator. Both of female and male subjects were very aware of the harmful effect of pesticide on human body and tried to take off the clothes immediately after spraying it to reduce possible damage caused by pesticide. As a result of examining wearing condition, the farmers avoided wearing protective clothing because that it feels hot, stuffy, and uncomfortable to move. This hesitant response of wearing the clothing was not shown significantly in case of female subjects who play an assistant role for spraying. Although the farmers wore protective equipments such as mask or gloves in a proper way as compared to protective clothing, they seemed to choose alternative way rather than best way to block pesticide completely. The satisfaction regarding to the fitting of protective clothing which the subjects showed low in all items of upper-lower clothes except waistline. It is necessary to improve the functionality such as relief from heat stress and convenience for movement rather than design or economic in protective clothing development. As a result of comparing the size of five kinds of commercial protective clothing, the farmers got confused to choose the product since designation method of size across companies showed a significant difference in an identical clothing size. In addition, the sizing system developed on a basis of a well-built man has become a hindering factor in wearing satisfaction of female farmers.