One of the main causes of occupational injuries and diseases is the stress on the musculoskeletal system. Personal protective equipment (PPE) such as industrial exoskeletons began to be used at facilities across various sectors of the economy. This type of PPE is reflected in Order No. 767n of the Russian Ministry of Labor dated October 29.10.2021 «On Approval of Uniform Standards for the Issuance of Personal Protective Equipment and Washing Agents» as additional. In accordance with the Technical Regulations of the Customs Union TR CU 019/2011 «On the Safety of Personal Protective Equipment» PPE should undergo a conformity assessment procedure (certification or declaration). Nowadays, there are no documents in the Russian legal framework that set requirements for industrial exoskeletons. Therefore, PPE recommended by the Ministry of Labor cannot be used at facilities without legal consequences. The use of industrial exoskeletons is currently organized by companies for testing and trial operation, although some companies use this type of PPE. The issuance of PPE after the legal vacuum is eliminated must be justified by the presence of harmful occupational factors related to physical exertion or a high risk of physical overload. The need for industrial exoskeletons at an enterprise is determined by the results of a special assessment of working conditions and/or hazard identification and occupational risk assessment. This article presents an analysis of the regulatory framework for industrial exoskeletons, the state of the industrial exoskeleton market in Russia, an assessment of their current applicability, a proposed rationale for their use.
References
1. O sostoyanii sanitarno-epidemiologicheskogo blagopoluchiya naseleniya v Rossiyskoy Federatsii v 2022 godu (On the state of sanitary and epidemiological well-being of the population in the Russian Federation in 2022), Moscow: Publ. of Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, 2023, pp. 166–170.
2. Meditsina, stroyka, armiya: gde segodnya primenyayutsya ekzoskelety (Medicine, construction, and the military: where exoskeletons are used today),
URL: https://trends.rbc.ru/trends/industry/617192ae9a7947e18cfcd8aa
