Personal Protective Equipment Flashcards
personal Protective Equipment - Clothing and Ensembles
PPE is intended to shield individuals from chemical, physical, radiological biological waste site hazards.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910 requirement require the use of PPE. a combination of PPE shluld be used in conjunction with other protective methods. The use of PPE can itself create workplace hazards such as heat exhaustion impaired vision and reduced mobility
It is the 3rd level of controls following engineering and administrative controls. PPE is the last resort when
administrative and engineering contorl measures fail to control them
About PPE - when to wear
a hazardous waste site must be protected against the potential hazards. PPE is to shield or isolate individuals from waste site hazards. The hazards may be chemical, physiological radiological, or biological
to protect the following systems from hazards such as respiratory system, skin, eyes, face, hands, head, body, and ears.
Why use PPE
The use of PPE can itself create worksite hazards, heat stress, physical and psychological stress, impaired vision, difficulties in communication, mobility, severely limit work shifts, severely limit movement, added time and expense for training, worker slow down
the greater the level of PPE the greater the risk
overprotection and under protection are both hazardous so use cautiously
Developing a PPE Program
Written PPE plan established at all hazardous waste site should protect the wearer from safety health hazards and protect the wearer from malfunction and at wast sites.
be aveialble.
comprehensive should include
ha=zardous identificatrion medial monitoring
environmental survellance selection use and decontamination of PPE
employee training prior to ee use
reviewed annually
results of program evaluation should be posted for ee to review
Training
is strongly recommended
respirator training is required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910. I & Z
familiar of the equipment in a non hazardous situation
instills confidence
aware of capabilities and limitations of equipment
increases efficiencey of operations
may increase the protective efficiency use
reduces the expense of PPE maintenance
Protective clothing
is considered any article offering skin and body protection
full encapsulating
non encapsulating
aprons leggings sleeve protectors gloves
Type of protective clothing
Firefighting flas fire garments blast and fragmentation suits cooling garments radiation protective suits Each type of protective clothing has a specific purpose; many, but not all, are designed to protect against chemical exposure.
Selection of Chemical Protective Clothing
chemical protectice clothing CPC is in a variety of material that offers a range of protection against different chemicals.
the appropriate material depends on the tasks and chemical hazard.
The material will resist:
permeation - Permeation is the process by which a chemical dissolves and moves through clothing material. Permeation occurs on a molecular level.
degredation - Degradation is the loss of or change in the fabric’s chemical resistance or physical properties. Degradation can result from exposure to chemicals, from use, or from ambient conditions (e.g., sunlight).
penetration - Penetration is the movement of chemicals through zippers and fasteners (especially if they become brittle at cold temperatures), exhalation valves (especially under hot or cold temperatures), stitched seams, or imperfections (e.g., pinholes) in clothing material.
Permeation and Degredation
guidelines for the selection of chemical protective clothing. materials and over 300 chemicals. no clothing material protects against everything.
permeation rate and breakthrough depend on several factors: ( Time of from initial exposure until hazardous material is detected on the inside of the CPC suit)
clothing material
manufacturing method
concentration of hazardous material
temperature pressure and humidity
soluability of the chemical through the material
Protective clothing
This reference is set up as a table (as a matrix) of clothing and 300+ chemicals.
the compatibility of the chemicals with PPE clothing is based on the valuation of the permeation and degradation data. The data is drawn from tests vendor literature and raw material suppliers.
permeation and degradation charts are also available from manufacturers.
Permeation rate
Permeation rates and breakthrough time (the time from initial exposture until hazardous chemicals are detected on the inside of the CPC) can vary depending on these factors:
clothing material type and thickness
manufacturing method
concentration of hazardous substances
temperature pressure and humidity
the solubility of chemical in clothing material
the diffusion coefficient ( established through testing of the permeating chemical in the material)
Heat Transfer Characteristics
Clo Value - is a measure of the capacity of CPC to dissipate heat loss through means other than evaporation. the larger the clo value the greater the insulating properties of the material cpc and the lower the heat transfer.
consideration should be evaluated before workers begin working in their PPE suits, such as: job duration air supply consumption ambient temperature and coolant supply
some special conditions require special PPE such as:
fire
explosion
radiation
Accessories may also be needed are as follows:
backup escape air supply
leather over gloves communications radio life jacket flashlight crowbar axe or knife depending on the situation
Work Mission Duration
before workers begin working in PPE the duration of the work should be determined.
several factors include:
air supply consumption length of air lines suit ensemble permeation to hazardous chemicals ambient temperature coolant supply
Air Supply Consumption
the duration of the air supply must be considered
before planning to use SCBA work activity.
the anticipated operated time of the scba is indicated on the equipment.
it is base on a moderate work rate (some lifting, carrying or heavy equipment operation)
an actual operation however - several factors can reduce the rate
the following actions should be considered and the work time adjusted accordingly.
work rate
fitness
body size
breathing patterns
Work Rate
the actual in use duration of wearing scbas can be reduced from 1.3 to 1/2 during strenuous work. For eg. drim handling, or repetitive work any task that is strenuous.
Newer employees often use more air because they are
not yet acclimated to the work site conditions
Fitness
Fitness Physically fit individuals use oxygen more efficiently and can extract more oxygen from a given volume of air than do unfit individuals. this significantly increases the SCBA operating time.
Body Size
Larger individuals consume air at a higher rate than small individuals thereby decreasing the SCBA time.
Breathing Patterns
Quick shallow or irregular breaths use air more rapidly than do deep regularly spaced breaths. Hea induced anxiety and lack of acclimatization can induce hyperventilation resulting in decreased SCBA operating time.
Ambient Temperatures
Ambient temperature has a major influence on the work mission duration as it affects both the worker and the proctectiveness of the ensemble Heat stress which can occur in even moderate temperatures is the greatest danger to the worker in a totally encapsulating ensemble.
More
Hot and cold ambient temperatures affect
valve operation on suits and respirators
the durabality and flexibility of
the integrity of suit fasteners
the breakthrough time and permeation rates of chemicals
the concentration of airborne contaminants
Coolant Supply
Coolant supply under warm or strenuous conditions adequate coolant (ice or gel packs) reduces heat stress.
if necessary the duration of the coolant supply will affect mission duration.
after shifts workers must drink water and electrolytes to prevent dehydration.
Ee’s in PPE will perspire and become more dehydrated at an increased rate. work must wait until a time when temperatures are favorable.
Other considerations
In addition to permeation, degradation and penetration, these factors must be considered when selecting PPE for the worker. They do not only affect chemical resistance but the worker’s ability to perform the required tasks.
durability -
the material have sufficient strength for the physical stress
resist tears, punctures and abbrasions
repeated use after contamination or decontamination
special conditions -
fire explosion and radition require PPE
unique problems with PPE for radiation
special equipment
a qualified health physicist in the case of radiation
special protective equipment may not protect against some chemicals therefore an additionaol CPC would be necessary
Accessories
may be needed if specific hazards exist
personnel working in areas where they could drown
life jackets
floatation gear
added bulk and restricted mobility in cases like these
Noise protection
noise protection
ear muffs or ear plugs can be used
reusable or disposable ear plugs must be reviewed by a health and safety officer because of the route for introducing contamination into the ear
also consider the effect hearing protection has on a worker’s ability to communicate
