SYMPOSIA PAPER Published: 01 January 1989
STP22934S

TECP Suit Testing and Comparison

Source

Adoption of OSHA 29 CFR § 1910.120, the safety standard for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response, recommends procedures for testing totally encapsulating chemical protective (TECP) suits. These procedures and many other test methods are discussed. The reliability and validity of the prescribed laboratory and field tests are examined, with emphasis on the field test methods. A variety of commercially available TECP suits, both reusable and limited use, are evaluated according to the visual inspection method, the static pressure leak test, and ammonia intrusion test. Results indicate that the reliability and validity of these methods is suspect and that none are quantitative within acceptable margins of error. However, based on these procedures, until acceptable predictors of suit success in the field are established, reusable TECP garments produce favorable results in all three tests five cases out of six, and limited use or disposable garments typically fail all of the tests. The results indicate that the limited use or disposable TECP suit should not be used as the sole protective garment, but may be suitable for use as a first line of defense over a reusable TECP suit.

Author Information

Stinchfield, MRA
Sweeney, RL
Jensen, JC
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Details
Developed by Committee: F23
Pages: 65–85
DOI: 10.1520/STP22934S
ISBN-EB: 978-0-8031-5093-5
ISBN-13: 978-0-8031-1297-1