Fully encapsulating suits

Fully encapsulating suits or chemical-resistant clothing can be cut away. 

Fully Encapsulating Suits Chemical protective suits that are designed to offer full body protection, including SCBA, are gas tight, and meet the design criteria as outlined in NFPA Standard 1991. 

Fully Encapsulating Suit (FES) Sometimes referred to as a Moon Suit, personal protective clothing diat provides complete skin, eye, and respiratory proteetion, and includes positive-pressure SCBA. The reader should refer to Chapter 2 for detailed discussions. Refer to Protective Materials. Fumes Solid particles formed by the condensation of vaporized solids, usually molten metals. Particles are much smaller than dusts with typical size ranges between 0.01 and 1.0 microns. Functional Group An atom or group of atoms, bound together chemically, that has an unpaired electron, which when it attaches itself to the hydrocarbon backbone, imparts special properties to the new compound thus formed. 

Coveralls, apron, splash suit, or fully encapsulated suit... 

A hard hat (optional and worn under the fully encapsulating suit). 

Level B protection (see Figure 13-2) does not afford the maximum skin and eye protection as does Level A. Chemical resistant clothing is not gas, vapor, or particulate tight, whereas a fully encapsulated suit is. Level B does provide a high level of protection to the respiratory tract. The productivity and comfort point of Level B is vastly superior over Level A. 

Fully encapsulating suits Nonencapsulating suits Gloves, boots, and hoods Firefighters protective clothing Proximity, or approach clothing Blast or fragmentation suits Radiation-protective suits... 

Fully encapsulating suit One-piece garment. Boots and gloves may be integral, attached and replaceable, or separate. 

General Knife Allows a person in a fully-encapsulating suit to cut his or her way out of the suit in the event of an emergency or equipment failure. Should be carried and used with caution to avoid puncturing the suit. 

Personal dosimeter Measures worker exposure to ionizing radiation and to certain chemicals. To estimate actual body exposure, the dosimeter should be placed inside the fully-encapsulating suit. 

Fully-encapsulating suit material must be compatible with the substances involved. 

Workers pictured in Figure 9-7 are wearing suits that cover and protect the components of their SCBAs. This can be important when carrying objects that can catch or obstruct or when working near stairways or ladders. Depending on whether or not these suits are fully encapsulated (checking how the sleeves and feet are made), these ensembles could be either level A or level B. 

Level A protection should be worn when the highest level of respiratory, skin, eye, and mucous membrane protection is needed. This level consists of a fully-encapsulated, vapor-tight, chemical-resistant suit, chemical-resistant boots with steel toe and shank, chemical-resistant inner/outer gloves, coveralls, hard hat, and self-contained (positive pressure) and SCBA. 

Fire Tabun reacts with steam and water to produce toxic and corrosive vapors. Any personnel not fighting a fire of sarin should immediately be evacuated from the area. Respiratory protection is required (positive pressure, full face piece, NIOSH-approved SCBA will be worn). When response personnel respond to handle rescue or reconnaissance, they will wear Level A protection that should be worn when the highest level of respiratory, skin, eye, and mucous membrane protection is needed. This level consists of a fully-encapsulated, vapor-tight, chemical-resistant suit, chemical-resistant boots with steel toe and shank, chemical-resistant inner/outer gloves (butyl rubber glove M3 and M4 Norton, chemical protective glove set), coveralls, hard hat, and self-contained (positive pressure) breathing apparatus (SCBA). 

Level A provides the highest level of skin, respiratory, eye, and mucus membrane protection. Equipment includes a fully encapsulated water- and vapor-proof suit, boots, gloves, and hardhat, which contains a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). The suit should contain a cooling and communication system. 

A. Protective clothing may be as simple as a disposable apron or as sophisticated as a fully encapsulated chemical-resistant suit. However, no chemical-resistant clothing is completely impervious to all chemicals over the full range of exposure conditions. Each suit is rated for its resistance to specific chemicals, and many are also rated for chemical breakthrough time. 

Level A provides maximal protection against vapors and liquids. It includes a fully encapsulating, chemical-resistant suit, gloves and boots, and a pressure-demand, self-contained breathing apparatus (SCB A) or a pressure-demand supplied air respirator (air hose) and escape SCBA. 

A fully encapsulating chemical-resistant suit. This suit literally is an envelope surrounding the entire body with inserts for feet, hands, and fingers. 

A Pressure-demand full facepiece SCBA or pressure-demand supplied-air respirator with escape SCBA Fully-encapsulating chemical resistant suit The highest level of respiratory, skin and eye protection... 

There is no universal chemically resistant suit that is safe to use with all chemicals. Obviously, the suit material will depend on the type of chemical exposure involved. Since it fully encapsulates, it also involves gloves (both sides, inner and outer) which are chemical resistant and chemical resistant boots. When selecting suit material, it is best to seek the aid of the... 

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