Classification, Selection and Application of Firefighters' Chemical Protective Clothing

【Abstract】Firefighters' chemical protective clothing is the protective clothing worn by firefighters when handling chemical accidents to prevent the intrusion of chemical agents and toxic industrial chemical vapors, gases, liquids, and tiny particles on the human body. In this paper, combining with the actual rescue and protection of chemical accidents in fire-fighting forces, the classification of firefighters' chemical protective clothing and the types of fabrics are adopted, and the application methods of chemical protective clothing for firefighters are proposed.

【Key words】 firefighters, chemical protective clothing, application methods

1 Introduction

Firefighters' chemical protective clothing (CPE) is a protective clothing worn by firefighters when handling chemical accidents. It originates from military nuclear and biochemical protective clothing (NBC) . It was originally designed to prevent vapors and gases including chemical agents and toxic industrial chemicals. , liquids and micro-particles infiltration of the human body. It protects the wearer's head, torso, arms, and legs from chemicals, and does not apply to firefighting and disposal of accidents involving radioactive materials, liquefied gases, cryogenic liquid hazardous materials, and explosive gases.

When dealing with various types of chemical events, fire fighters face toxic, harmful or flammable and explosive materials and chemicals. In many cases, fire fighters enter the operating environment with an unknown degree of danger and require the highest level of protection. Many chemicals have a direct corrosive effect on the human body's respiratory system and skin, or cause harm to the human body through absorption on the skin, or cause dermatitis, allergies and other illnesses due to exposure to chemicals. Its degree of harm may cause fire fighters to become ill, cripple or even endanger their lives. Chemical protective clothing for firefighters is personal protective clothing that firefighters must wear when handling chemical incidents . Therefore, the use of chemical protective clothing for firefighters in civil fields such as firefighting and emergency rescue has become more and more extensive, and has become an indispensable protective device for fire fighting and fire rescue operations in the environment of chemical dangerous goods.

At present, there are 8 million kinds of chemical dangerous goods that people use or may come into contact with in production, life , and incompatibility with complex realities. The scientists are aware of the toxic side effects of most dangerous goods and human skin. Very little. Especially at the chemical accident site, the chemical characteristics reflected by each chemical are not the same, and the emergency treatment plans adopted are also different. The use of chemical protective clothing by the fire department is based on traditional concepts. It is not known that companies that manufacture or sell chemical protective clothing should require them to provide detailed technical manuals or training on the products, and be familiar with the characteristics of chemical protective clothing, choose and use them. , maintenance, testing information, as well as supporting products, security warnings, etc. This article starts with the classification and main performance of chemical protective clothing , and puts forward the application methods of chemical protective clothing for firefighters.

2 Classification of chemical protective clothing for firefighters

There is a wide variety of chemical protective clothing for firefighters and the classification is not clearly defined. According to the type of fabric, it can be divided into three categories: limited use, repeated use, and selective adsorption. According to the style, it can be divided into body type, conjoined type, and fully enclosed type; according to the joint structure, it can be divided into sewing seam, overlock seam, ultrasonic hot melt, and anti-chemical glue. sealing strips, sealing strips and the like sutures; wearing styles and types of air breathing apparatus built into chemical protective clothing, chemical protective clothing external air respirators, long tube respirator chemical protective clothing in accordance with respirators; hazardous chemicals in accordance with To a certain extent, chemical protection clothing for firefighters can be classified into two categories: airtight protection (level 1) and liquid spray protection (level 2) .

GA 770 — 2008 Chemical Protective Clothing for Fire Fighters clearly states the main technical features of chemical protective clothing for firefighters. One class of chemical protective clothing for firefighters is the chemical protective clothing worn by firefighters in the event of disposal of high-concentration, high-permeability gas chemicals in a short period of time. Wearing this suit can enter oxygen-free, oxygen-deficient and ammonia, chlorine, Gas and other gas fields, gasoline, acetone, ethyl acetate, benzene, toluene and other organic medium gas on-site and sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, ammonia, sodium hydroxide and other corrosive liquids on-site rescue work. Secondary firefighters' chemical protective clothing is a firefighter's disposal of liquid chemical dangerous goods and corrosive articles and chemical protective clothing worn during an oxygen-deficient on-site environment to provide rescue workers with the lowest level of splashing liquids and particulates. Protection level. Can prevent liquid penetration, but can not prevent the penetration of steam or gas.

3 Firefighter Chemical Protective Clothing Fabric Type

The first chemical protective clothing materials used dry tarpaulin, with the development of polymer materials, gradually changing to synthetic rubber coating or plastic film. The first time activated carbon was used in chemical defense technology, in 1916 , the Russian chemist Sherinsky invented the world's first gas mask equipped with activated carbon . Until the 1960s, the successful development of activated carbon coated fabric, breathable and anti-chemical suits made a breakthrough, countries began widely used in chemical warfare suits activated carbon manufacturing. Currently, there are mainly three types of protective clothing fabrics, such as limited use, repeated use, and selective adsorption, for protective clothing currently sold on the market . See Table 1 for details .

When chemical products come into contact with clothing, they are usually attacked by holes in the fabric and penetrate into the fabric in molecular form. However, limited use and repeated use of two kinds of fabrics are mainly used in isolation to protect against sweat and heat generated by the human body. They are not suitable for use by officers and men who perform various fire fighting and rescue operations for a long time. The selection of adsorption type fabrics depends on the anti-oil mechanism of oil-adsorption or spreading-liquid-infiltration-adsorption, so that the anti-chemical suits allow the human body to release the sweat vapor and heat while protecting the human body against both the protective performance requirements and wearing comfort. Sexual requirements.

4 Chemical protective clothing selection method

4.1 How to determine the degree of disaster site protection

( 1 ) After receiving the task of dispatching the police, firefighters and rescuers should enquire with the dispatching command center on the way to the accident site about the types of hazards and determine their hazard characteristics so that the protection level of the plan and rescue personnel can be completed as soon as possible.

( 2 ) After reaching the scene, when the nature of the specific chemical is not determined, the scout personnel shall select the highest level of protection (level 1 protection) to carry out the reconnaissance, and timely and appropriately delineate the warning area according to the leakage situation. At the same time, by asking the informed person or the driver / assist (generally, there are two persons in the dangerous goods transport vehicle, one is the escort officer in the driver, and the escort personnel are generally responsible for the category and the hazardous characteristics of the chemical dangerous goods drawn by the vehicle. And the method of disposal is known.) Determine the nature of the chemical.

( 3 ) Determine the nature of the chemical by consulting the relevant manuals through the chemical logo or UN number.

( 4 ) Search for dangerous goods signals on the vehicle body ( signs, spray marks “poison” and “explosion” on both sides ).

( 5 ) By consulting the on-board documents (transport documents, waybills, dangerous goods identification form) and so on.

( 6 ) Chemical Safety Data Sheets / Product Safety Data Sheets.

( 7 ) Information on product packaging (chemical safety label).

4.2 How to choose the right chemical protective clothing

(1) determines the type of toxic chemicals, according to the nature and amount of information (in particular, to determine its toxicity, corrosiveness and volatility characteristics, etc.), is determined according to the disaster site level disaster protection class determination method to determine the chemical protective clothing worn Environment, need to protect human body parts, choose to wear protective equipment, see Table 2 for details .

( 2 ) Determine the type of chemical protective clothing. According to the characteristics of the three types of protective fabrics in Table 1 , determine the type of chemical protective clothing.

( 3 ) Determine the protective properties of the fabric. The main consideration here is the physical strength (pulling, tearing, bursting strength) and chemical protection (penetration, penetration performance) of chemical protective clothing.

( 4 ) Determine the design of protective clothing. Here mainly consider the style of chemical protective clothing, seams and sizes and other issues.

5 Use of Chemical Protective Clothing

Wearers should understand the scope of use of chemical protective clothing for first-class firefighters before use. During the wearing process, someone must help with it. The detachment process must be assisted and monitored by ancillary staff. Wearing staff need to be trained to be familiar with wearing, detaching and using points. In use, clothing must not be in direct contact with flames and melts; it must not be in contact with sharp objects to avoid punctures or damage. The following checks must be performed before use:

( 1 ) Whether the gloves and rubber boots are installed correctly;

( 2 ) Whether inside or outside the clothing is polluted;

( 3 ) Whether there are holes or cracks in the fabrics and joints;

( 4 ) Is the sealing zipper operated properly and the sliding state is good?

( 5 ) Is the overpressure exhaust valve damaged and the diaphragm working properly?

( 6 ) Whether the window is damaged and whether it is coated with Baoming fluid (the window that painted Baoming fluid should not be fogged);

( 7 ) Whether the airtightness of the whole outfit is good.

Secondary firefighters' chemical protective clothing must not be in direct contact with flames and melts. Before use, the clothing must be carefully inspected for damage. If it is damaged, use is strictly prohibited. When using, we must pay attention to the hood and the mask mask closely, neck buckle, chest and white buckle must be fastened to ensure that the neck, chest airtight. The belt must be tightened to reduce the "bellows effect" during exercise.

The information in this article comes from the Internet and was reorganized and edited by China Rescue Equipment Network.