What to wear to a spill response operation

Carefully selected personal protective equipment (PPE) and protective clothing will help to shield or isolate spill responders from the chemical hazards that may be encountered. It should be noted, however, no single combination of protective equipment and clothing will protect against all hazards.

Typical PPE includes respirators, safety goggles/glasses, face shields, ear plugs/muffs, gloves, safety boots/shoes, boot/shoe covers and hard hats. Protective clothing adds further skin and/or body protection via chemical-protective, fire-protective and/or radiation-protective suits, jackets, sleeves, leggings, aprons, coveralls/overalls and other garments. The question then is which of those are appropriate for a given spill response. Selecting the proper protective ensembles should take into consideration factors like:

• Hazards or suspected hazards.
• Routes of exposure (inhalation, skin absorption, eye contact, ingestion and injection).
• Barrier performance and durability of the PPE or clothing.
• Task-specific conditions.
• Effects of the PPE or clothing in relation to heat stress.

To help you and your workers begin to select appropriate PPE and protective clothing, OSHA has defined four levels of protection: Levels A, B, C and D. Level A offers the highest protection, Level D the least protection. These levels are meant as a guide, and your site conditions may dictate suitable PPE and clothing combinations other than Levels A, B, C or D. Moreover, as hazardous conditions change during a spill response effort, the level of protection may need to be upgraded or downgraded for the new conditions.

Level A — At a minimum, a Level A ensemble will include a totally encapsulating, substance-compatible and chemical-protective suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); chemical-resistant inner and outer gloves; and chemical-resistant steel toe and shank boots. OSHA states Level A protection should be used when:

• The substance is identified, and it requires the highest level of skin, eye and respiratory protection.
• The task involves a high potential for splash, immersion or exposure to unexpected vapors, gases or particulates that are harmful to the skin or may be absorbed through the skin.
• Skin contact is possible, and the substance has or is suspected to have skin hazards.
• Operations will be conducted in confined, poorly ventilated spaces with unknown conditions.

Level B — This ensemble will include chemical-resistant clothing with an SCBA, chemical-resistant inner and outer gloves, and chemical-resistant steel toe and shank boots. According to OSHA, Level B protection is advised when:

• The substance type and air concentration is identified with severe inhalation hazards that do not present a severe skin hazard.
• Vapors or gases are not completely identified but are not suspected of being harmful to the skin or capable of being absorbed through the skin.
• The atmosphere is less than 19.5-percent oxygen.

Level C — This level includes chemical-resistant clothing with a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-approved air-purifying respirator. OSHA allows for Level C when all three conditions below are met:

• Exposure or direct contact with the substance will not adversely affect or be absorbed through the skin.
• The substance and its air concentration is known and an air-purifying respirator is capable of removing the contaminants.
• All OSHA criteria for the use of an air-purifying respirator are met.

Level D — This level is considered a work uniform with minimal protection from nuisance contamination. It consists of coveralls, safety glasses or goggles, and chemical-resistant steel toe and shank boots/shoes. Level D protection can be used when:

• The atmosphere contains no known hazard.
• Work precludes splashes, immersion, unexpected inhalation or contact with hazardous chemicals.

For more information, visit www.JJKeller.com and search for “spill control” or call (877) 564-2333.