{"operation":"document","citation":"ERG 2024, Protective Clothing","title":"Protective Clothing","source_type":"guidance","agency":"U.S. DOT / Transport Canada / SICT","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"2024-04-04","effective_on":null,"summary":"Official ERG2024 protective clothing guidance, pages 352-353.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-protective-clothing.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-protective-clothing.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-erg-2024-protective-clothing","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2024-04/ERG2024-Eng-Web-a.pdf#page=352","body":"PROTECTIVE CLOTHING\nSTREET CLOTHING AND WORK UNIFORMS\nThese garments, such as uniforms worn by police and emergency medical services personnel,\nprovide almost no protection from the harmful effects of hazardous materials/dangerous goods.\nSTRUCTURAL FIREFIGHTERS’ PROTECTIVE CLOTHING (SFPC)\nThis category of clothing, often called turnout or bunker gear, is the protective clothing\nfirefighters normally wear during structural firefighting operations. It includes a helmet, coat,\npants, boots, gloves and a hood to cover parts of the head that are not protected by the helmet\nand facepiece. It can be used with full-facepiece positive pressure self-contained breathing\napparatus (SCBA). It should, at minimum, meet the OSHA Fire Brigades Standard (29 CFR\n1910.156) or NFPA 1851.\nStructural firefighters’ protective clothing provides limited protection from heat and cold. It\nmay not provide adequate protection from harmful vapors or liquids encountered during\nhazardous materials/dangerous goods incidents.\nEach guide includes a statement about the use of SFPC in incidents involving the materials\nreferenced by that guide. Some guides state that SFPC provides limited protection. In those\ncases, the responder wearing SFPC and SCBA may be able to perform a quick “in-and-out”\noperation. However, this type of operation can place the responder at risk of exposure, injury\nor death. The incident commander makes the decision to do this only if there is an overriding\nbenefit (for example, to perform an immediate rescue, turn off a valve to control a leak, etc.).\nPlease note that the coverall-type protective clothing customarily worn to fight fires in forests or\nwildlands is not SFPC and is not recommended nor referred to elsewhere in this guidebook.\nPOSITIVE PRESSURE SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS (SCBA)\nThis apparatus provides a constant, positive pressure flow of air within the facepiece.\nYou should always use an SCBA certified by NIOSH and the Department of Labor/Mine\nSafety and Health Administration, in accordance with:\n•\n42 CFR Part 84\n•\nrequirements for respiratory protection specified in OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134\n(Respiratory Protection) and/or 29 CFR 1910.156 (f) (Fire Brigades Standard)\n•\nNFPA 1852\nChemical-cartridge respirators or other filtering masks are not acceptable substitutes for\npositive pressure SCBA. Demand-type SCBA does not meet the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156\n(f)(1)(i) of the Fire Brigades Standard.\nRESPIRATORS\nIf you suspect a chemical warfare agent is involved in an incident, use NIOSH-certified\nrespirators with CBRN protection.\nPage 350\n\nN95 respirators are the most common of the seven types of particulate filtering facepiece\nrespirators. This product filters at least 95% of airborne particles (0.3 microns), but is not\nresistant to oil. N95 filtering facepiece respirators do not protect against gases and vapors.\nPowered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) force ambient air through the air-purifying cartridge\nor filter into the facepiece. A PAPR does not supply oxygen or air from a separate source\n(e.g., cylinders).\nCHEMICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT\nFor you to safely use this type of protective clothing and equipment, you need specific skills\ndeveloped through training and experience. This type of special clothing may protect against\none chemical but be readily permeated by chemicals for which it was not designed. Therefore,\ndo not use this type of protective clothing unless it is compatible with the released material.\nAlso, be aware that it offers little or no protection against heat and/or cold.\nExamples of this type of equipment have been described as:\n(1) Vapor Protective Suits (NFPA 1991), also known as Totally-Encapsulating Chemical\nProtective Suits or Level A* protection (OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix A & B)\n(2) Liquid-Splash Protective Suits (NFPA 1992), also known as Level B* or C* protection\n(OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120, Appendix A & B), or suits for chemical/biological terrorism\nincidents (NFPA 1994), class 1, 2 or 3 Ensembles and Standard CAN/CGSB/\nCSA-Z1610-11 – Protection of first responders from chemical, biological, radiological,\nand nuclear (CBRN) events\nNo single protective clothing material will protect you from all hazardous materials/dangerous\ngoods. Do not assume any protective clothing is resistant to cold and/or heat or flame\nexposure, unless certified by the manufacturer (NFPA 1991 5-3 Flammability Resistance\nTest and 5-6 Cold Temperature Performance Test).\n*Consult the glossary for more information about protection levels under the heading\n“Protective Clothing.”\nPage 351","truncated":false,"body_characters":4572}