COMPUTER SIMULATION OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING PROPERTIES OF MATERIAL FOR PERSONAL PROTECTION EQUIPMENT

The article presents an analysis of production factors that have a harmful effect on the health of workers. It has been established that one of the leading factors is an increased electrostatic field that occurs when a static charge accumulates on the surface of materials. An increased level of the electrostatic field can lead to various negative consequences for workers’ health. For full antistatic protection at work, not only special tools and workplaces are needed, but also special footwear made of conductive materials with high surface resistance, as well as other personal protective equipment. A computer model for simulating the occurrence and development of an electrical breakdown in a protective material for personal protective equipment is described. The model is based on energy concepts of the occurrence and development of a discharge, taking into account the statistical heterogeneity of the material’s electrical conductivity. The process of breakdown development is considered as a special case of the percolation effect and a branching random process. The model makes it possible to find a relationship between the heterogeneity of the material and the threshold of its protective properties.