Chemical-protective clothing

Currently, there is no information on performance testing of chemical protective clothing against carbamate nerve agents. Evaluation of fabrics used to prevent exposure to carbamate pesticides may provide guidance on selection of appropriate protective clothing. 

Carbamate nerve agents are readily destroyed by high pH (i.e., basic solutions). Use an aqueous caustic solution (minimum of 10% by weight sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate) or use undiluted household bleach. Basic peroxides also rapidly detoxify carbamate nerve agents. 

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K. Forsberg and S. Z. Mansdoif, Quick Selection Guide to Chemical Protective Clothing 2nd ed.. Global, Denver, Colo., 1994. 

Forsberg, K., and Keith, L.H. (1999) Chemical Protective Clothing Performance Index, Wiley, Chichester. 

Health Hazards Information - Recommended Personal Protective Equipment Chemical safety goggles and full face shield, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), positive pressure hose mask, airline mask rubber safety shoes, chemical protective clothing Symptoms Following Exposure Inhalation causes irritation of nose and throat, a feeling of pressure in the chest, and shortness of breath. Nausea... 

Guidelines for the Selection of Chemical-Protective Clothing by J.J. Johnson and A.D. Sehwope et ak, published by the Ameriean Con-ferenee of Governmental Industrial Hygienists... 

In addition, the use of chemical protective clothing was not supported by air or surface contamination monitoring to determine the potential for dermal exposure and the appropriate PPE. 

Breakthrough time In the context of chemical protective clothing, the rime between initial contact of the chemical on the barrier material surface and the analytical detection of the chemical on the other side of the material. 

An expert system, named "GlovES+," has been written to provide reliable selections of chemical protective clothing for a wide variety of chemicals. The system conducts "intelligent searches" which emulate a human expert s decision path in evaluating a large database from an electronic publication by Forsberg. 

Selection of polymers used in the manufacture of chemical protective clothing (CPC) is a complex task. It involves evaluating breakthrough times and permeation rates in conjunction with such task requirements as tactility and resistance to cuts and abrasion. But, it involves a more basic problem — that of deciding which polymer(s), in the absence of test data, might be most likely to resist permeation by a specific chemical. These decisions are faced not only by users of CPC (e.g., industrial hygienists), but also by poljnner chemists and CPC manufacturers. 

KEITH ET AL. Expert System for Selecting Chemical Protective Clothing... 

BS7184 Selection, use and maintenance of chemical protective clothing. 

Structural firefighters protective clothing is recommended for fire situations only it is not effective in spill situations or release events. If chemical protective clothing is not available and it is necessary to rescue casualties from a contaminated area, then structural firefighters gear will provide very limited skin protection against nerve agent vapors. Contact with liquids, solids, and solutions should be avoided. 

Even though carbamate nerve agents are rapidly detoxified or eliminated from the body, exposures may have a cumulative effect in the short-term, placing all responders who entered the hot zone without appropriate chemical protective clothing at increased risk during the remainder of the emergency. 

Use only chemical protective clothing that has undergone material and construction performance testing against arsenic vesicant agents. Reported permeation rates may be affected by solvents, components, or impurities in munition grade or modified agents. 

Currently, there is no information on performance testing of chemical protective clothing against urticants. 

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