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Types of Protective Clothing

Protective clothing is another term for personal protective equipment. Personal protective equipment is necessary when working in areas with chemical and biological hazards. Situations when protective clothing may be needed include emergencies, chemical manufacturing and processing, hazardous waste clean up, asbestos removal and applying pesticides. Different types of protective clothing have different types of uses. Certain heat and physiological factors are brought into play when selecting this types of gear. Protective clothing should be worn with gloves, glasses and other protective equipment.

  1. Vapor Protective Suit

    • This type of suit should be worn with a full face SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) mask, chemical-resistant gloves and chemical-resistant boots. Workers also use a two-way radio when wearing these suits. A hard hat, cooling system, and outer gloves are optional. The vapor protective suit provides protection to the respiratory system, skin and eyes from solid, liquid and gaseous chemicals. This type of protective clothing is used when the chemicals have been identified as a serious threat to the eyes, skin and respiratory system. Vapor protective suits are necessary in poorly ventilated or confined areas.

    Liquid-Splash Protective Suit

    • This requires a full suit with a pressure-demand, full-face SCBA mask, inner chemical resistant gloves, chemical-resistant safety boots, two-way radios and a hard hat. All of these should be worn with the suit. Optional protective equipment includes a cooling system and outer gloves. This provides respiratory protection, but less skin protection. Even though this is a liquid-splash protection suit, it does not protect against gas or vapors. This suit is for when identifiable chemicals don't require a lot of protection to the skin. All parts of the protective clothing and equipment should resist penetration by the chemicals present.

    Support Function Protective Garment

    • This protective clothing requires a protective garment, full-face piece, an air-purifying respirator, chemical resistant gloves and boots, two-way radios and a hard hat. Optional protective equipment includes a face-shield and escape SCBA. This garment provides as much skin protection as the liquid-splash protective suit, but provides a lower amount of respiratory protection. This suit also does not protect against gas or vapor chemicals. The support function protective garment is necessary when chemicals won't affect the skin. The contaminants in the air should already be identifiable and measurable before putting on the protective equipment and entering the area. The protective clothing equipment should resist penetration of the chemicals and mixtures. This uniform is not acceptable for chemical emergency responses.

    Coveralls

    • Coveralls come with safety boots or shoes, safety glasses or chemical splash goggles. Optional protective equipment includes gloves, escape SCBA and a face-shield. This protective clothing provides no respiratory or skin protection. This suit is can be worn only when there are no known hazards in the area. Some examples include previous splashes, immersions, inhalations or direct contact with chemicals. Do not wear coveralls in chemical emergency responses or in the Hot Zone. The area should at least have 19.5 percent oxygen.

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