The Analysis of the Painting Work Clothes Clothing Comfort and Wearer Mobility Considering the Work Environment in the Machine and Shipbuilding Industries

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to analyze the work clothes' clothing comfort and wearer mobility of painting workers with the consideration of the work environment features in the machine and shipbuilding industries in South Korea. A questionnaire survey was conducted for the study, which consisted of questions on the clothing comfort and wearer mobility aspects of painting work clothes by clothes types and body parts. The work clothes’ clothing comfort and wearer mobility levels were scaled in 5 points i.e. 1(: very tight/very uncomfortable) to 5(: very slack/very comfortable). The painting work environmental hazardous features were considered as high impact levels of workplace temperature, oxygen deficiency, organic solvent, toxic gas factors while metal fragment factor only impacts 'low' in the painting processes with the findings throughout this study. Since the painting work consisted of surface washing and the spray and touch-up painting processes, which was carried out in an outdoor work place, the painting work clothes should meet high performance of waterproofing from the painting material and air permeability specially in summer as well as thermal performance in winter. The subjects painting workers' assessment of the existing work clothes' clothing oppression was in the levels between 3 (i.e. moderate) and 4 (i.e. comfortable) in a range of 1 to 5 points. The existing painting work clothes’ wearer mobility was evaluated ‘very uncomfortable’ in all work clothes parts, especially, armhole length, biacromial breadth, sleeve length of the jumper; and body rise, waist, hip, thigh and knee circumferences of the pants.