Faced with a huge array of potential hazards, a bewildering choice of protective clothing and the complexity of the certification information, what criteria should be used to select the right protective clothing?
This Selection Guide and the ensuing sections provide you with a summary of the European Standards for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and further information on which to base your decisions.
Within the context of an overall risk analysis 9 STEPS, should be followed (in alignment with national legislation / recommendations) to arrive at the most appropriate protective clothing.
Step 1
The first step is to conduct a detailed assessment of the working environment(s) concerned and the nature of the hazard(s) that are, or may be, present.
Step 2
- Determine the degree(s) of exposure level(s) to identify a potential suitable minimum garment ‘CE-Type’. The 6 CE Category III Types (Type 1 to 6) of chemical protective clothing protection facilitate the selection to determine the nature of the hazard exposure.
- Certification to a particular protection Type represents the tightness of the garment against a particular form of exposure (gas, liquid or dust). However it does not mean that the item is 100% impervious to this type of exposure.
Step 3
- Knowing the toxicity or consequences of short or long-term exposure to a hazard is essential, consider whether a coverall has been tested to EN ISO 6529, which gives information concerning the chemical permeation and penetration of the fabric where the chemical is tested up to 480 minutes and a minimum of 10 minutes.
- Further assistance can be accessed in the Instructions for Use attached to DuPont products packaging, where you can find permeation data for a selection of chemicals.
Step 4
1. Fabric
- From exclusive DuPont technologies such as DuPont? Tychem? and DuPont? Tyvek? to SMS and microporous film fabrics, DuPont offers a variety of fabrics with different levels of comfort, durability, breathability and protection to meet your specific needs.
- Knowing how well the fabric used in the garment provides a barrier to specific hazardous materials. Testing for chemical protective fabrics can be divided into two primary categories:
- Penetration testing - appropriate for particle hazards. Penetration occurs when there is bulk movement of a material through a pore, hole, gap or defect in the fabric and is the proper method to evaluate particle barrier.
- Permeation testing - appropriate for liquid and gaseous hazards. Permeation, occurs when there is movement of the material through the barrier fabric on a molecular level. It is possible for a liquid or vapor to permeate through a fabric even when there is no observed opening in the fabric. Permeation testing is a more sensitive and representative way of characterizing the interaction of liquids and gases with the barrier fabric. It is critical for fabrics that are exposed to hazardous liquids, vapors or gases.
2. Seam construction
- Appropriate seam configuration for your application is critical, and the knowledge that the garment has been constructed with strong, tight seams. One loose thread or gap and the barrier between you and your environment unravels—leaving you vulnerable.
Step 5
- To assess the protective clothing from a ‘whole garment’ perspective and determine its mechanical properties, strength, abrasion resistance, susceptibility to tearing, and seam integrity, we recommend you undergo garment wear trials under ‘actual conditions of use.
- The correct size and cut of a protective coverall has a huge impact on wearer’s protection. DuPont protective garments come in a full range of sizes to suit different physical and gender characteristics, are non-restrictive, ergonomically fit, and compatible with other PPE items without being bulky to avoid snagging, tearing, or tripping.
Step 6
- Maximising the wearer’s comfort while identifying the appropriate protection and mechanical performance is critical. It will significantly contribute to correct coverall use with optimised wearer satisfaction and productivity.
- As with protection-in-use (please see Step 5), it is essential to develop and practice donning and doffing procedures (Step 8). Conduct user wear trials to assess the perceived comfort in-use of the garment(s) being considered.
- DuPont offers various garment styles - from hoods and shoe covers to aprons, coveralls, and fully encapsulated suits.
Step 7
- Next, you should ensure that the protective garments are free from hazardous or banned ingredients, do not present hazards to the ecosystem, and do not include skin allergens or sensitisers. It is essential to consider the manufacturer’s reputation, accreditations, the brand's strength, business credentials, ethical standing, and environmental record, in addition to the basic garment requirements.
- An exceptional manufacturer should provide a high level of pre-and aftersales service and support, ideally including training programs, testing services, selection tools, risk-analysis guidance, and permeation data.
Step 8
- Ensure proper training is provided for correct donning, doffing and usage. The wearers should be aware of the product limitations.
- The manufacturer’s Instructions for Use (product’s manual) should be followed carefully for additional protection and care instructions.
Step 9
- To evaluate performance, wear trials are essential to ensure full ‘in-use’ compatibility under expected operating conditions.
- These user try-out exercises should involve as many people as possible, depending on the nature of the work; these trials may be conducted over days or weeks to evaluate if it results in the correct and most cost-efficient choice of protection.
Please contact your DuPont representative or distributor to get a wear-trial form. The result will be a choice of garment that fulfils user expectations in terms of fit, function, comfort, performance, durability, and, of course, safety.
DuPont provides innovative protection solutions and expert technical support tailored to meet the specific needs of workers in the oil & gas industry worldwide. Reach out to us to know how we can help you better protect your workers.?#DuPontPPE?#Tyvek?#Tychem?#Kevlar?#Nomex?#Safety?#PPE
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