| dc.description.abstract | The European Directives on personal protective devices have increased the interest in protective and functional properties of work clothing and intensified standardisation work as well as stimulated research in areas with limited knowledge. There is a long tradition of research and information exchange in the Nordic countries on the subject. The NOrdisk KOrdineringsgruppe om BEskyttelseskläder som TEknisk Forebyggelsesmiddel (Nordic Coordination Group on Protective Clothing as a Technical Preventive Measure) was founded in 1984. NOKOBETEF is an independent society of professionals from the Nordic as well as other countries. NOKOBETEF has since its foundation organised symposia in Copenhagen (1984), Stockholm (1986), Gausdal, Norway (1989), Kittilä, Finland (1992), and Elsinor, Denmark (1997). The conferences have long had a good attendance from European countries and from overseas. The 6th Nokobetef conference was organised as the 1st European Conference on Protective Clothing to emphasize the European dimension. During the conference the European Society for Protective Clothing was founded. One of its first tasks will be to prepare for the 2nd conference to be held in Switzerland in 2003. The proceedings of this conference cover a broad spectrum of the subject protective clothing. Emphasis was given to the ergonomics aspects, which is in line with the present interest and priorities of the European standardisation bodies (CEN). A functional and comfortable use of protective clothing is a key element for a succesful implementation of this kind of preventive and protective measures in the workplaces. A total of 77 papers are presented in this book. They represent a qualified source of new, valuable and useful information for the advancement of the knowledge and the application of protective clothing. | eng |
