This article provides basic information about protective gloves belonging to personal protective equipment and medical gloves used as so-called products with a double purpose. It covers current requirements related to existing legislation and normative documents, including both types of gloves intended for use by employees of medical services. The article also discusses hazards arising from inappropriate evaluation of the end of service life for such types of gloves as well as currently available solutions on signalling their damage.

Safety protective properties of gloves and footwear of electro-insulating material obtained during their manufacturing process are not permanent. Ensuring safety of live work requires performing periodic inspections and electrical re-testing by a competent laboratory. Their frequency should be determined on the basis of standard recommendations, the manufacturer''s requirements and risk assessment at the workstation where this kind of personal protective equipment is used.

In 2011, over 520,000 persons worked in hazardous conditions (according to the Central Statistical Office, GUS). Noise was found to be the most common threat, with over 199,000 persons exposed to it. Due to the lack of knowledge on the proper use of hearing protectors, effective noise exposure in the real world may be higher by over 10 dB than the protection declared by the manufacturer. The prevalence of workplace noise and increased awareness of the effects of its impact on the human body has resulted in an increase in the demand for knowledge on methods of noise reduction. That is why CIOP-PIB developed an interactive system for learning the correct use of hearing protectors. The system includes a multimedia guide on hearing protectors with video tutorials, training materials with training hearing protectors, and software for evaluating the trainee''s activities.

This paper discusses hazards posed by the emission of refrigerants used in maritime refrigeration and air conditioning systems. It identifies hazards and the consequences of their release of typical refrigerants. The article presents the results of an investigation related to the operation of refrigeration systems installed on board of vessels. It also presents a sample evaluation of the negative effects of the emission of refrigerants.