BY CHRISTOPHER HAWLEY
Selecting protective clothing for hazardous situations has always been difficult. Terrorism incidents add another layer of issues to the selection process. When responders are going to enter or work in a potentially hazardous environment, proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for their survival. The only way to determine if your protective clothing posture is appropriate is to use a risk-assessment process. For chemical or weapons of mass destruction (WMD) scenarios, many response teams use a risk-based response approach that classifies potential risks in four basic categories: fire (reactivity), corrosive, toxic, and radioactive. Recent innovations, which will be discussed later, have made this decision process much easier.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
Several other factors affect the selection of protective clothing, such as state of matter, container shape and size, quantity of material, and environmental conditions. Other than for heat stress, these factors are not in any specific order, but all must be considered in the decision-making process.
Heat Stress
This is a leading cause of responder injuries. The style or type of protective clothing determines the amount of heat stress that will be added to the already burdened responders. Any type of protective clothing adds heat stress to the wearer. Major efforts must be undertaken to minimize heat stress through physical fitness programs (preincident acclamation) and hydration during and after the emergency. Responders should be in the habit of trying their very best to drink fluids prior to entering a hazardous situation or any large campaign. Water is the best hydration fluid; the sugars and carbohydrates in sport drinks delay the movement of the water into the intestines. Water is assimilated into the body through the small intestines, where water starts to travel through the system to replenish fluids lost. Understandably, time is usually of the essence, but drinking fluids while en route to the scene can be a lifesaver.
Another possible time to get some additional fluids is while donning the protective clothing. As soon as crews are decontaminated and remove their protective clothing, and once in a clean area, they should drink water. Some jurisdictions prefer to perform a post-entry medical exam before fluid intake, but the fluid is of prime importance, and the medical exam should be geared toward the responder’s hydration and mental status.
One advantage well-trained haz mat crews have over regular responders is the use of a risk-assessment process that includes the selection of appropriate protective clothing. Firefighters are used to arriving at a situation and, for the most part, entering potentially hazardous areas with little thought about their protective clothing. The primary reason for this is that firefighters typically have only one type of protective clothing, structural firefighting protective clothing. Haz mat crews, on the other hand, have a variety of clothing at their disposal. A risk-assessment process is needed to determine which ensemble is appropriate. During this process, additional information can be gathered, which helps haz mat crews to enter hazardous situations slightly better informed. Most fire officers conduct a risk assessment when they arrive, and the remainder of the crew is always focused on safety, but haz mat crews take a few extra seconds to evaluate the situation.
Fire officers and firefighters would be well advised to take a little time to consider the issues addressed above before entering a potentially hazardous situation. Captain Greg Socks with the Montgomery County (MD) Fire & Rescue Service on more than one occasion has stated that he is a better fire officer because of his command experience with the haz mat team. A number of his peers agree with that risk-based thought process. Making informed decisions leads to a safer response, enables you to take advantage of available resources, and provides a defined command presence.
Other Considerations
Other considerations include the amount and state of matter of the potentially hazardous substance, the aggressiveness of the material, the route of entry for the material into the body, the type of work that will be performed, the length of time in PPE, the potential for contact with the hazardous material, and the psychological stress on response crews. You cannot know all of this information, but the more information you have, the better the PPE decisions you will make. Understanding the chemical and physical properties of the material with which you may be dealing is also advantageous. There are major differences in the type of PPE required for a gaseous material and a solid material. A material emitting considerable vapors requires one type of protective ensemble, whereas a rock that does not emit vapors requires another type.
Regarding the variables of the type and length of work, rescue crews at a building collapse conducting search operations that will last for a couple of hours could probably get by with their firefighter protective clothing. It would not be the optimal clothing for the situation, but it offers a minimal amount of discomfort and fewer restrictions.
Operating at a collapse scene for several days would require a much different style of clothing. One great shortcoming in terrorism preplanning is the type of respiratory protective equipment. Some departments feel the SCBA is sufficient as an air supply and to protect crews from airborne hazards. In the short term, SCBA is a likely choice, but air supply will always be a limiting factor. In a building collapse scenario, where crews will be operating for multiple hours, it is a serious issue. Although there are choices with air bottle size, the increase in bottle size adds additional weight and, therefore, additional stress. Even when using 30-minute air bottles, responders will become fatigued after several bottle changes. Frequent bottle changes also increase the possibility for slips, trips, and falls in a hazardous situation. In situations requiring the use of a radiological dispersion device (RDD) and other scenarios where mass contamination is a concern, SCBA offers the best protection, but it is a short-term solution. Other respiratory protection should be considered for long-term operations.
Recent innovations in protective clothing offer emergency responders (firefighters and law enforcement) some additional choices. In addition to standard chemical protective ensembles, which typically are used in haz mat situations, some new styles have entered the market. The clothing is appropriate for a variety of situations in addition to structural firefighting, including urban search and rescue (USAR) and haz mat. GORETM CHEMPAKTM Ultra Barrier Fabric is one such example. It is flame- and chemical-resistant; has a form-fitting profile that facilitates mobility; and meets National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1994, Standard on Protective Clothing Ensemble for Chemical/Biological Terrorism Incidents, and NFPA 1992, Standard on Liquid Splash Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies.
The Tychem® ThermoPro garment by DuPontTM is chemical- and flash-fire resistant and is available in several coverall styles. It is compliant with NFPA 1992 as well as NFPA 2112, Standard on Flame Resistant Garments for the Protection of Industrial Personnel against Flash Fire. Some of these new types of clothing would be especially advantageous when responding to a potential clandestine drug lab, typically methamphetamine laboratories, in addition to other WMD responses.
Keep in mind that the use of PPE is an engineering control against the potential hazards that may exist at the emergency scene. The second part of the equation involves administrative actions and the risk-assessment process. The officer’s risk assessment outlines the specific use of PPE and ensures the safety of the responders at the emergency scene. However, this can be realized only if the hazardous environments have been discussed prior to the event (administrative controls). Just like the preplanning of a tactical operation or the prefire plan, risk assessment and suit selection should be discussed for the chemicals or other hazards that are common within a community.
Emergency response personnel are being called to respond to a variety of emergency situations. Having available a selection of appropriate protective clothing is one step in implementing an effective protective clothing program. Taking a few seconds to make informed PPE and tactical decisions can only add to responder safety.
Standard firefighter protective clothing is not a “one suit fits all” solution, and continual use of potentially contaminated or degraded clothing increases the risks. Departments should become familiar with all the varieties of garments on the market today and choose their PPE according to the advantages/protection it offers for the types of emergencies to which the department is most likely to respond, thereby increasing the department’s safety and efficiency.
CHRISTOPHER HAWLEY, a 24-year veteran of the fire service and a haz-mat responder for 17 years, is a project manager for Computer Science Corporation and is responsible for International WMD and Haz mat training provided for the DoD-DTRA International Counterproliferation Program. He is a retired fire specialist with the Baltimore County (MD) Fire Department, where he was the special operations coordinator. He is the author of a number of texts including Hazardous Materials Incidents and Air Monitoring & Detection Devices (Delmar Publishers, 2004). He is the co-author, with Greg Noll and Mike Hildebrand, of Special Operations: Response to Terrorism and HazMat Crimes (Delmar Publishers, 2001). Hawley is the owner of FBN Training & Consulting, a company that provides emergency-response training worldwide.
