METHODOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES FOR ESTABLISHING TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FIREFIGHTING CARABINERS WITHIN THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT SYSTEM OF FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the technical requirements for fire-rescue carbines, which constitute an essential component of the personal protective equipment (PPE) used by fire and rescue personnel. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that the current Ukrainian regulatory and technical framework governing the characteristics, application, and testing procedures of fire carbines is outdated and does not correspond to modern rescue technologies or international safety standards. The paper examines national legislative and regulatory documents that define the use of carbines during fire suppression, emergency rescue operations, and tasks performed at height. Several inconsistencies and gaps have been identified, including the absence of clear classification criteria, insufficient regulation of compatibility with other PPE elements, and the lack of clearly defined requirements for locking mechanisms, corrosion resistance, ergonomics, and operational reliability. A significant part of the article is devoted to comparing the outdated national standard DSTU 3979:2000 with harmonized European standards (EN 362:2004) and international standard ISO 10333-5. The study systematizes and analyzes essential parameters of fire-rescue carbines, such as minimum breaking strength, structural features, material selection, types of locking mechanisms, and methods of static, dynamic, and corrosion testing. The comparison demonstrates that European and international standards establish considerably stricter safety criteria, including higher strength requirements, mandatory salt-spray corrosion testing, and the use of self-locking, automatic gate mechanisms, which significantly reduce operational errors and enhance safety during vertical rescue and firefighting operations. Based on the conducted analysis, the paper provides scientifically grounded proposals for updating Ukrainian national requirements for fire-rescue carbines. These recommendations include introducing risk-based categorization, harmonizing testing procedures with EN and ISO standards, mandating corrosion-resistance evaluation, and incorporating high-strength materials to ensure long-term reliability in extreme operational conditions. The study substantiates the need to develop a new national standard for fire-rescue carbines that would reflect modern global practices, promote unification of equipment used by fire-rescue services, and significantly increase the operational safety of personnel during firefighting and emergency rescue missions.