Levels of Protective Clothing

Protective clothing is meant to help employees to stay safe while doing their job in hazardous conditions. Protective clothing comes in four different levels and the correct level for different jobs depends on the possible hazards encountered by the employees in their working environment. These level guidelines will help the employers to match the appropriate level of protective clothing with the conditions and hazards their employees face every day in their work environment.

Protective Clothing

• The most important reasons to choose a specific level of protective clothing involves the identification of the hazards or suspected hazards, the performance of the protective clothing materials to protect from the hazards, and the identification of the ways in which the hazards can affect employees. This is important because certain protective clothing materials can only protect you against certain hazards and the most common routes for hazardous materials are inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion and eye or skin contact. In addition, protective clothing needs to be suitable for the work performance and working conditions to fully offer the protection needed.

Level A

• You need to use level A protective clothing when you need the greatest level of skin, respiratory and eye protection against hazardous substances; there is a measured high concentration of atmospheric vapors, gases or particulates in the air; or when there is potential exposure to unexpected vapors, gasses or particulates. Level A protection is also necessary if highly hazardous substances can possibly be in contact with the skin or the operation is done in a confined and poorly ventilated area where the hazards of the substance are not known. Level A protective clothing includes a chemical protective suit, coveralls, long underwear, gloves with outer chemical resistance, gloves with inner chemical resistance, chemical-resistant boots with steel toe and shank, hard hat and disposable protective suit, gloves and boots worn over the chemical protective suit. In addition, you need to wear National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health approved positive pressured, full-face, self-contained breathing apparatus or air respirator.

Level B

• Level B protective clothing includes a hooded chemical-resistant overalls or suit, coveralls, gloves with outer chemical resistance, gloves with inner chemical resistance, boots with outer chemical resistance and steel toe and shank, disposable and outer chemical-resistant boot covers, hard hat and face shield. In addition, you need to wear a positive pressured and full-face, self-contained breathing apparatus or air respirator. You need to use level B protective clothing when you need the highest level of respiratory protection but a lesser level of skin protection and the atmosphere has less than 19.5 percent oxygen.

Level C

• Level C protective clothing includes a hooded chemical-resistant overalls or suit, coveralls, gloves with outer chemical resistance, gloves with inner chemical resistance, boots with outer chemical resistance and steel toe and shank, disposable boot covers with outer chemical resistance, hard hat, escape mask and face shield. In addition, you need to wear either a full-face or half-mask air purifying respirator. Level C protective clothing is used when the types and concentrations of the airborne substances are known.

Level D

• Level D protective clothing includes coveralls, gloves, chemical-resistant boots or shoes with steel toe and shank, boots with disposable outer chemical resistance, safety glasses, hard hat, escape mask and face shield. You should use level D protective clothing when the risk of contamination is only a nuisance, when your working environment has no known hazards and your work does not include splashes, immersions or possible inhalation or contact with hazardous chemicals.