7

Mission-Specific
Competencies:
Personal
Protective
Equipment
 7

Objectives (1 of 3)
• Describe personal protective equipment
(PPE) for hazardous materials incidents
• Describe the capabilities of the PPE
provided by the authority having
jurisdiction (AHJ) so as to perform any
mission-specific tasks assigned
 7

Objectives (2 of 3)
• Describe how to don, work in, and doff the
PPE provided by the AHJ
• Describe PPE performance requirements
• Describe ways to ensure that personnel
do not go beyond their level of training and
equipment
 7

Objectives (3 of 3)
• Describe cooling technologies
• Terminate the incident by completing the
reports and documentation pertaining to
PPE
 7
Selecting Personal Protective
Equipment
• Use risk-based approach in selecting
• Disposable, single, or limited use
• Reusable
– Need testing at regular intervals
– Store in cool, dry place
 7

TRACEMP (1 of 2)
• Acronym for potential responder hazards
– Thermal
– Radiological
– Asphyxiating
– Chemical
 7

TRACEMP (2 of 2)
– Etiological/biological
– Mechanical
– Psychogenic
 7
Street Clothing and Work Uniforms
(1 of 2)
• Least protection
• Nomex flame-resistant jumpsuit
 7
Street Clothing and Work Uniforms
(2 of 2)

A Nomex jumpsuit.
 7
Structural Firefighting Protective
Equipment (1 of 3)
• Includes:
– Helmet
– Bunker coat
– Bunker pants
– Boots
– Gloves
 7
Structural Firefighting Protective
Equipment (2 of 3)
• Includes:
– Hood
– SCBA
– Personal alert safety system (PASS) device
 7
Structural Firefighting Protective
Equipment (3 of 3)

Standard turnout gear or structural firefighting gear.

 7
High Temperature–Protective
Equipment (1 of 2)
• Protects for short exposure
• Does not protect from hazardous
materials
 7
High Temperature–Protective
Equipment (2 of 2)

High temperature–protective equipment protects the

wearer from high temperatures during a short exposure.
 7
Chemical-Protective Clothing
(1 of 2)

• Compatibility charts
– Help choose right clothing for incident
• Chemical-resistant materials resist:
– Penetration
– Permeation
– Degradation
 7
Chemical-Protective Clothing
(2 of 2)

• May be single- or multi-piece garment

• Two main kinds:
– Vapor-protective clothing
– Liquid splash–protective clothing
 7

Vapor-Protective Clothing (1 of 2)
• Full body protection
• Used for highly contaminated
environments
• Requires SCBA
 7

Vapor-Protective Clothing (2 of 2)

Vapor-protective clothing retains body heat, so it also increases

the possibility of heat-related emergencies among responders.
 7
Liquid Splash–Protective Clothing
(1 of 2)
• Protects wearer from chemical splashes
• Does not protect from gases and vapors
 7
Liquid Splash–Protective Clothing
(2 of 2)

Liquid splash–protective clothing must be worn

whenever there is the danger of chemical splashes.
 7

Respiratory Protection
• SCBA
– 30-minute units
– 60-minute units
• Required by law in contaminated
environments
 7

Level A Ensemble (1 of 2)
• Fully encapsulating garment
• Encloses wearer and the respiratory
protection
• Protects against only brief flash fire
• Affords alpha radiation protection
 7

Level A Ensemble (2 of 2)

A Level A ensemble envelops the wearer in a totally

encapsulating suit.
 7

Level B Ensemble (1 of 3)
• Common level of protection, often chosen
for its versatility
• Chemical protective:
– Clothing
– Boots
– Gloves
– SCBA
 7

Level B Ensemble (2 of 3)
• High level of respiratory protection
• Less skin protection
• Little or no flash fire protection
 7

Level B Ensemble (3 of 3)

A Level B protective ensemble provides a high level of

respiratory protection but less skin protection.
 7

Level C Ensemble (1 of 3)
• Appropriate when airborne contaminant is
known
• Worn in long-duration, low-hazard
situations
 7

Level C Ensemble (2 of 3)
• Consists of:
– Standard work clothing
– Chemical-protective clothing
– Chemical-resistant gloves
– Respiratory protection other than SCBA/SAR
 7

Level C Ensemble (3 of 3)

Level C protective ensemble includes chemical-protective clothing

and gloves as well as respiratory protection.
 7

Level D Ensemble (1 of 2)
• Work uniform that includes coveralls
• Provides minimal protection
 7

Level D Ensemble (2 of 2)

A Level D protective ensemble is primarily a work uniform that

includes coveralls and provides minimal protection.
 7

Equipment Performance
• Garments will withstand reasonable insults
• Not “bulletproof”
• Read manufacturer’s specifications
 7

Responder Safety (1 of 3)
• Issues can arise from wearing PPE
– Heat exhaustion
– Heat cramps
– Heat stroke
• All are preceded by dehydration
 7

Responder Safety (2 of 3)
• Field of vision is compromised
– Can result in slips and falls
– Face piece fogs up
• Bulky PPE inhibits mobility
• Gloves become slippery
 7

Responder Safety (3 of 3)
• Safety procedures include:
– Pre-entry medical monitoring
– Use of buddy system
– Radio communication
– Hand signals
 7

Heat Exchange Units

• Forced-air cooling systems
• Ice-cooled or gel-packed vests
• Fluid-chilled systems
• Phase-change cooling technology
 7

Forced-Air Cooling Systems

• Force prechilled air through a system of
hoses worn close to the body
• Lightweight, provide long-term cooling
benefits
• Inhibit mobility (attached to external, fixed
compressor)
 7
Ice-Cooled or Gel-Packed Vests
(1 of 2)
• Low cost
• Portable
• Packs can be “recharged” (refrozen)
• Bulky
• May fool body into retaining heat
 7
Ice-Cooled or Gel-Packed Vests
(2 of 2)

Ice-cooled system.
 7

Fluid-Chilled Systems (1 of 2)
• Pump ice-chilled liquid through tubes
• May limit mobility
• Additional weight can increase workload
and generate more heat
 7

Fluid-Chilled Systems (2 of 2)

A fluid-chilled or water-cooled system.

 7
Phase-Change Cooling Technology
(1 of 2)
• Temperature of material is chilled to 60°F
• Fabric wicks away perspiration
• “Recharges” more quickly than gel-packed
vest
 7
Phase-Change Cooling Technology
(2 of 2)

Phase-change cooling technology.

 7
Reporting and Documenting
Incidents
• Important part of response
• Correlated with how well organized
response was
• Formal accounts of event
• Exposure records
 7

Summary (1 of 3)
• Use risk-based approach in selecting PPE
• Follow policies of local jurisdiction
• Chemical-protective clothing includes
vapor-protective and liquid
splash−protective clothing
 7

Summary (2 of 3)
• NFPA 1994 covers garment and respiratory
protection
• Levels A is required when environment exceeds
IDLH values for skin absorption
• Level B is minimum when operating in unknown
environment
• Level C is appropriate when the type of airborne
substance is unknown, concentration is
measured and criteria for APR’s are met
 7

Summary (3 of 3)
• PPE may cause heat-related maladies
• Cooling technology under garment may
help
• Follow manufacturer’s guidelines
• Written accounts of event and exposure
records needed