Clothing,protective

The purpose of chemical protective clothing is to protect the wearer against the effect of toxic or corrosive/caustic products which could enter the body (inhalation, skin absorption) or cause tissue damage upon contact with the skin. These products could be in vapor, liquid, or solid form. One type of material is not compatible with every type of chemical. While it may provide excellent resistance against one chemical, the same material may provide very poor or no protection against another chentical. The levels of protection under OSHA standards are as follows  

Level D A work uniform affording minimal protection, used for nuisance contamination only. This level may al.so include  

Level C A full body splash protective (not gas tight) garment and air purifying respirator. This level provides a lesser level of respiratory protection, and a lesser level of skin protection for use when the concentration(s) and type(s) of airborne substance(s) is known, and the criteria for using air purifying respirators is met. 

Visibility is increased due to the elimination of a separate suit face. shield. 

for some hazardous operation, full protective clothing is required, it should consist of full facepiece airline breathing apparatus, together with gloves and overalls made of impermeable material. Rubber boots are also advised. 

In cases where respiratory devices are used to avoid exceeding occupational exposure limits, chemical protective suits are necessary. These are available for use against many different chemicals, and are made from various types of elastomer materials or coated fabrics. Most chemical protective suits enclose the whole body. In order to reduce any leaks, the protective boots are integrated. Normally one can choose from protective suits having fiiU face masks with a connector for a cartridge or an external compressed air breathing apparatus (Fig. 6.25 b), or with an 

Similarly to protective gloves, most chemical protective clothing belongs to category II or III of PPE (personal protective equipment against medium or irreversi-ble/lethal risks). In accordance with the CEN (Comite Europeen de NormaUza-tion/European Committee for Standardization), it is divided into 6 classes (see Table 6.19). 

In addition, there are standardized requirements for antistatic properties of protective clothing according to EN 1149-1 [6-63]. The test criteria and protective levels for the permeation resistance to liquid chemicals and the analogous penetration resistance of protective clothing are described in EN ISO 6529 (permeation resistance of liquids [6-64]) and EN ISO 6530 (penetration resistance of liquids [6-65]). They replace the earlier standards EN 368 and 369. 

Type 3 EN 14605 Chemical protective clothing with liquid-tight connections against splashes [6-60] 

Welding arcs and torches are capable of massive destmction of fluoropolymers due to the exeessive heat that they generate. The plastic part should be removed before metal is cut or welded. Local exhaust ventilation should be provided whenever it is not possible to remove the polymer from the area to be welded or cut. 

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Nomex is another aramid fiber Kevlar and Nomex differ only in that the substitution pattern in the aromatic rings is para in Kevlar but meta in Nomex Nomex is best known for its fire resistant properties and is used in protective clothing for fire fighters astronauts and race car drivers... 

Skin redness and from slight to corrosive irritation is caused by direct contact. Acryhc acid is more corrosive than esters. The monomers not only irritate the skin, but may also be absorbed through the skin. Therefore, gloves and protective clothing and shoes or boots should be used in addition to eye (or hiU face) protective equipment. Upon contact, the skin should be flushed with copious amounts of water foUow-up medical attention should be sought. Medical attention should also be obtained if any of the earlier mentioned symptoms appear. 

In normal practice, good ventilation to reduce exposure to vapors, splash-proof goggles to avoid eye contact, and protective clothing to avoid skin contact are required for the safe handling of acrylic monomers. A more extensive discussion of these factors should be consulted before handling these monomers (67). 

Chemically Resistant Fibers. Fibers with exceUent chemical resistance to corrosive and/or chemical warfare agents or extreme pH conditions (eg, very acidic or very alkaline) were initially used for protective clothing. However, appHcations for filtration of gases and Hquids in numerous industrial faciHties are now the more important. For example, PPS is suitable for use in filter fabrics for coal-fired boilers because of its outstanding chemical and heat resistance to acidic flue gases and its exceUent durabUity under these end use conditions. Many high tenacity fibers are also chemically inert or relatively unaffected under a variety of conditions. Aramids, gel spun polyethylene, polypropylene, fluorocarbon, and carbon fibers meet these criteria and have been used or are being considered for appHcations where chemical resistance is important. 

T. L. Vigo, in M. Raheel, ed.. Protective Clothing Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, in press, Chapt. 9. 

T. L. Vigo and A. F. Turbak, eds., High-Tech Fibrous Materials Composites, Biomedical Materials, Protective Clothing and Geotextiles, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C., 1991, 398 pp. 

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

Appropriate protective clothing and equipment should be worn to minimize exposure to methacrylate liquids and vapors. Chemically resistant clothes and gloves and splash-proof safety goggles ate recommended. The working area should be adequately ventilated to limit vapors. Should chemical exposure occur, contaminated clothing should be removed and the affected area washed with copious amounts of water. Medical attention should be sought if symptoms appear. Eurther information about methyl methacrylate and other methacrylates is available (141). 

Nitronaphthalene is metabolized to the carcinogenic 2-naphthylarnine in the human body (39). Respirators, protective clothing, proper engineering controls, and medical monitoring programs for workers involved in making by-product 2-nitronaphthalene should be used. 

V-Nitrosamines are potentially hazardous and should be handled in designated hoods and with protective clothing. Nitrosamines can be destroyed by treatment with aluminum—nickel alloy under basic conditions (78,79). 

Handling of soluble uranium compounds requires appropriate clothing to prevent skin contact and eye protection to prevent any possible eye contact. Protective clothing requirements for insoluble uranium compounds should prevent repeated or prolonged skin contact. Eye protection for use in handling insoluble uranium compounds should prevent any possibiUty of eye contact. Respirators should always be worn to prevent inhalation of uranium dust, fumes, or gases (38). 

Health and Safety. Protective clothing that is compatible with the remover formula must be worn. Caustic soda baths should be ventilated to remove vapors from the work area. Most caustic removers are corrosive and cause severe bums with minimal contact to the skin. Canister respirators that are compatible with the remover should be worn. 

Lithium peroxide is a strong oxidizer and can promote combustion when in contact with combustible materials. It is a powerful irritant to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes (2) protective clothing should be worn when handling lithium peroxide. The LD q has not been deterrnined, and there is no designated threshold limit value (TLV). However, 5 g of many lithium compounds can be fatal. 

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