Personal protective equipment and rescuer safety
Personal protective equipment and rescuer safety test whether you can select the right protection for the hazard, put it on and take it off without contaminating yourself, and manage the physical and mental load of rescue work.
Core rules
- PPE follows a hazard assessment: what is the substance, what is the route of exposure, what is the concentration, and how long will you be exposed? Then choose protection for skin, eyes, respiratory tract, head, hands, feet, and hearing.
- Respiratory protection: an N95 or FFP2 filters particles only; a powered air-purifying respirator filters particles and some vapours; self-contained breathing apparatus supplies independent air and is required for oxygen-deficient, immediately dangerous to life or health, or unknown atmospheres.
- Chemical protective suits are graded, from splash suits to fully encapsulating gas-tight suits; the level and the material must match the chemical.
- Structural firefighting turnout gear and SCBA are not chemically protective.
- Donning and doffing are buddy-checked procedures. Doff slowly, remove the most contaminated items last, in the correct order, and bag waste.
- Rescuer safety includes work-rest cycles, hydration, cooling and warming, rehabilitation after each cylinder or work period, and reporting exposures.
- Report every exposure and injury, and keep vaccinations current.
Worked example
A refrigeration plant leaks ammonia and a worker is unconscious inside. Reasoning: recognize the toxic, corrosive gas; do not enter in a dust mask or filter mask; call a specialist team; require SCBA and a gas-tight suit; establish hot, warm, and cold zones; decontaminate the casualty at the warm zone before treatment; and monitor entrants for heat stress and gas breakthrough.
Traps
- Wearing gloves only and calling it PPE.
- Using an air-purifying respirator in an oxygen-deficient or unknown atmosphere.
- Doffing gloves last and then touching your face.
- Skipping rehabilitation to keep working, which is a common cause of heat illness.
- Reusing disposable or contaminated items.