Department Editor: Scott Jenkins

Workers in the chemical process industries (CPI) can wear chemi-cal protective clothing to protect

themselves from exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals in the form of vapor, liquid and solid particles. While chemical protective clothing has not been regulated to the extent that safety glasses, hard hats and some other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been, an international standard is available for classifying the performance of chemical protective equipment.

When testing chemical protective cloth-ing (CPC), a two-pronged approach is taken, where the whole garment is tested as well as the individual components. Testing both separately is an integral part of evaluating the overall integrity and expected performance of the CPC.

ISO 16602ISO 16602 (“Protective clothing for protection against chemicals—classifica-tion, labeling and performance require-ments”) provides an objective system to appropriately test, classify and label chemical-protective apparel. The require-ments outlined in ISO 16602 provide a common language for the performance of chemical protective clothing.

ISO 16602 designates minimum performance levels of protective clothing for six types of chemical hazards. The performance requirements are based on results from existing test-method stan-dards, and the garment type designa-tion is based upon the physical state of the hazard (vapors, liquids, aerosols or particles; Figure 1). The garment types are as follows:

liquid mist

solid particulate chemicals

aerosols

liquid chemicals

-tection against chemicals and vapors and toxic particles

Although ISO 16602 permits a range of performance levels for a series of key properties, it also establishes a minimum level of performance for each major type of hazard.

Each workplace environment is unique, and the ISO 16602 Standard does not consider all specific hazards that may be present. Safety and oc-cupational health professionals should consider hazards that are specific to their work conditions and then consult the ISO 16602 standard to determine the minimum requirements of chemical protective garments used in the particu-lar situation.

ISO 16602 focuses exclusively on typical chemical hazards and protective clothing requirements for those hazards, so each work situation will likely require additional forms of PPE, possibly includ-ing footwear, gloves, face protection, fall protection and respirators.

Hazard assessmentA hazard assessment provides a basis for understanding what chemical protec-tive clothing and other PPE are neces-sary to protect the workers operating in specific situations. The environment, chemical hazard and work activity must be considered in selecting the protective clothing — including the fabric, seam type and garment design — that is most suitable. The goal is to select clothing with adequate protection, but without overprotecting a worker with unneces-sary clothing, which can result in heat stress, reduced field of vision, restricted mobility and increased physical exertion for the wearer, as well as higher costs for the employer.

Performance testingWhen setting the requirements for each clothing type in ISO 16602, the entire garment is tested in addition to the individual components.Whole-garment tests. During whole-gar-ment tests, a human subject wears the test garment and accompanying PPE, such as gloves, boots and respirator. The subject is exposed to non-hazardous test chemicals inside an enclosed cham-ber while performing a series of move-ments meant to simulate actual work activities. This whole-garment testing is used to validate the barrier performance of the entire ensemble against a specific type of chemical threat (gas, liquid or particle). Test chemicals are used to determine how much of a similar-phase

chemical will leak into the suit. Class tests. Whole-garment tests do not evaluate the chemical permeation properties of the garments. This is as-sessed in the class testing portion of ISO 16602. Beyond the whole-garment tests, additional tests are conducted on the garment’s fabric(s) and components to qualify the class performance level.

Within each of the six garment types, there are also requirements directed at the mechanical, barrier and basic flammability properties of the fabrics, and components used to make chemi-

are used to determine the mechanicaldurability, the barrier against specific chemical hazards, and ease of ignition of the garment materials. The results of these tests will fall into a unique performance class. Each type within ISO 16602 specifies a combination of barrier and durability tests levels, estab-lishing a minimum performance class for each of the tests to meet the specific type requirements. A higher class rating denotes a higher level of performance for that property.

The flammability requirements out-lined in ISO 16602 establish a mini-mum performance level of flame spread once the material is ignited; it does not qualify an ensemble as suitable for pro-tection against heat and flame hazards.Heat and flame protection is not in the purview of ISO 16602, but is covered

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Quincy, Mass.; www.nfpa.org).

Editor’s note: This “Facts at your Fingertips” col-umn was adapted from the following article:

ChemicalProtective Clothing

Type 1

Gas-tight

protection

against

chemicals

and vapors

and toxic

particles

Type 2

Non

gas-tight

protection

Type 3

Protection

against

pressurized

liquid

chemicals

Type 4

Protection

against

liquid

aerosols

Type indication doesn’t tell you everything

about the performance of the CPC. It only

tells that it meets the minimum require-

ments of a particular “type” certification

Type 5

Six “types” of CPC outlined in ISO 16602

Protection

against

airborne,

solid

particulate

chemicals

Type 6

Limited

protection

against

liquid mist

FIGURE 1. ISO 16602 provides an objective system to appropriately test, classify and label

chemical-protective apparel. The standard designates minimum performance levels of protec-

tive clothing for six types of chemical hazards. The garment type designation is based upon the

physical state of the hazard (vapors, liquids, aerosols or particles)