True or False: Much of the chemical protective equipment today is intended for single-use/disposable
True
When using single-use PPE, how much decon is done?
Enough for it to be safely removed, but not completely free of contamination
How often are reusable garments required to be tested?
On regular intervals and after each use
What does the acronym, meant to show potential types of harm a responder may face, TRACEMP stand for?
- T- Thermal
- R - Radiological
- A - Asphyxiating
- C - Chemical
- E - Etiological/biological
- M - Mechanical
- P - Psychogenic
What are some of the levels of protection in a hazmat emergency?
- Street clothing and normal work uniforms is the lowest level
- Firefighter turnout gear is the next level; not considered chemical protection b/c it may breakdown when exposed
- High-temperature protective equipment - best addresses unusually high thermal hazards, during short term exposures.
What makes chemical protective clothing unique?
- Designed to prevent chemicals from coming in contact with the body
- Manufacturers supply charts to assist you in choosing right clothing for incident
What are some factors that affect the chemical resistance of materials?
- Storage conditions
- Temperature
- Resistance to cuts, tears and abrasions
What are chemical-resistant materials?
Designed to inhibit or resist the passage of chemicals into and through the material by the process of penetration, permeation, or degredation
What is penetration?
The flow of a hazardous chemical through closures, such as zippers or seams
What is permeation?
Process by which a hazardous chemical moves through a material on the molecular level, occurs through material itself instead of openings in material
What is degredation?
Physical decomposition of a clothing material b/c of chemical exposure, general use, or ambient conditions.
What is vapor-protective clothing(fully encapsalating protective clothing)?
- Offers full body protection from highly toxic environments and requires wearer to use an air supplied respiratory device such as SCBA
- No skin is accessible to outside
- NFPA 1991 sets performance standards for vapor-protective garments
What is liquid splash-protective clothing?
- Designed to protect wearer from chemical splashes
- NFPA 1992 governs liquid splash-protective clothing
True or False: A safety briefing should always include a review of hand signals
True
What is the NFPA 1994: S**tandard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents
Developed to address the performance of protective ensembles and garments specific to WMDs
What are Supplied Air Respirators (SAR)?
- Positive pressure, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear certified units that maintain pressure inside the face piece, in relation to the pressure outside the face piece, so that pressure is positive during both inhalation and exhalation
- NFPA 1981, standard on open-circuit SCBA for emergency services
What is a Level A ensemble?
- Fully encapsalating garment that completely envelopes both the wearer and his respiratory protection
- Highest level of protection
- Effective against vapors, gases, mists nad dusts
- Indicated for when environement exceeds IDLH values for skin absorption
What is a Level B ensemble?
- Consists of multi-piece chemical-protective clothing, boots, gloves, and SCBA
- USed when type and atmospheric concentration of identified substances require a high level of respiratory protection is required but less skin protection
What is a Level C ensemble?
- Complete ensemble consists of work clothing, chemical protective clothing, chem resistant gloves, and a form of respiratort protection other than an SCBA or SAR.
- Appropriate when substance is known, concentration is measuredm and criteria for using an air purifying respirator (APR) are met
- Appropriate when significant skin and eye exposure is unlikely
What is a Level D ensemble?
- Offers lowest level of protection
- Consists of coveralls, work shoes, hard hat, gloves, and standard work clothing
- Used only when the atmosphere contains no known hazard and when work functions preclude splashes, immersion, and potential for unexpected inhalation or contact with hazardous chemicals
What is an Air Purifying respirator (APR)?
Device worn to filter particulates and contaminants from the air before it is inhaled
True or False: Chemical protective equipment performance requirements include tests for durability, barrier intengrity after flex and abrasion challenges, cold temperature flex and flammability
True
What are the 2 levels that wearing PPE is a hazardous proposition?
- Simply wearing PPE, responder acknowledges some level of danger
- Wearing it puts an inherent stress on the responder
What are some safety procedures that responders can employ when wearing PPE?
- Pre-entry medical evaluation
- Buddy system
- Radio communication sorted out and tested
- Hand signals
