Personal protective equipment, or PPE, is designed to provide protection from serious injuries or illnesses resulting from contact with chemical, radiological, physical, electrical, mechanical, or other hazards. Careful selection and use of adequate PPE should protect individuals involved in chemical emergencies from hazards affecting the respiratory system, skin, eyes, face, hands, feet, head, body, and hearing.
No single combination of protective equipment and clothing is capable of protecting against all hazards. Thus, PPE should be used in conjunction with other protective methods, including exposure control procedures and equipment.
In this article I will describe PPE needed for HazMat operations and CBRNE incidents.
PPE Main Categories
- SCBA = Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
The breathing apparatus must be approved according to EN 137 (2006) type 2.
All components of the SCBA must be arranged to minimize interference when maneuvering in confined spaces and when passing through small openings. Also, the components of the SCBA must be easily removed for routine service and maintenance. The breathing apparatus should accept a range of compressed air cylinders (steel, aluminum, carbon composite, or fully synthetic type 4) and have the option of twin cylinder configurations.
The backplate usually is a two-piece, anti-static composite construction with an ergonomic design to evenly distribute the weight of the SCBA over the user’s lumbar region, hips, and shoulders.Some back plates have a 3- or 4-position multi-height adjustment to customize the back plate to the wearer’s torso….
You can read the whole article in my Ebook here » P.P.E. for HazMat operations and C.B.R.N.E. incidents
| Article by John S. Retsios | |
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John S. Retsios is a Health & Safety Consultant and personal protective equipment (PPE) trainer with more than 20 years of field experience. He specializes in equipment and response solutions for hazardous materials (HazMat) and CBRNe (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive) emergencies, providing comprehensive expertise to organizations and professionals operating in demanding environments. » https://www.linkedin.com |
