NCJ Number
192326
Date Published
2001
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This executive summary presented the results from six commercially available Level A protective suit designs to determine their ability to protect in a chemical warfare (CW) agent or biological environment.
Abstract
In 1996, the Department of Defense created the Domestic Preparedness Program. One of the goals of the program was to enhance Federal, State, and local emergency and hazardous material (HAZMAT) in response to nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) terrorism incidents. In some instances, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Level A protective suits may be needed to enter a contaminated area. Limited information was available regarding the effectiveness of commercially available and commonly used OSHA Level A suits as protection against chemical warfare (CW) agents. The U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM) created a program to test some of the Level A suit designs using CW agents and test procedures developed for assessment of military-issue CW protective equipment. This executive summary is an overview of the results of the evaluation and is intended for Federal, State and local emergency and HAZMAT personnel as an aid in their evaluation of work concerning Level A suits currently being used and as an assistance to future procurement of appropriate Level A suits. The suits and suit materials were tested in new, as received condition. Each suit was tested in two different ways: the measurement of permeation of both GB and HD through material swatches and measurement of the total aerosol leakage into the suits when worn as part of a total personal protective equipment (PPE) system under simulated conditions. In the permeation tests, sample swatches were cut from selected areas of each suit design. These swatches were then exposed to the chemical agents Mustard (HD) and Sarin (GB), and vapor permeation through them measured. In the aerosol tests, each suit design was worn by testers, who followed a prescribed sequence of movements inside the test chamber containing a controlled aerosol of corn oil that is a non-toxic simulant for chemical and biological agent aerosols. The test data showed that the OSHA Level A suits can protect the wearers from CW agents. The length of protection provided by the each suit varied considerably according to how well the suit fitted the individual, the body motions required, and the concentration and distribution of the chemical agent in the environment.