Department Editor: Scott Jenkins

W
orkers 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 16602
ISO 16602 (Protective clothing for
protection against chemicalsclassica-
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:
* lype : Llmlled prolecllon ogolnsl
liquid mist
* lype : Prolecllon ogolnsl olrborne
solid particulate chemicals
* lype 4: Prolecllon ogolnsl llquld
aerosols
* lype 3: Prolecllon ogolnsl pressurlzed
liquid chemicals
* lype 2: Mongosllghl prolecllon
* lype 1: Gosllghl [voporprolecllve| pro-
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 specic hazards
that may be present. Safety and oc-
cupational health professionals should
consider hazards that are specic 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 assessment
A hazard assessment provides a basis
for understanding what chemical protec-
tive clothing and other PPE are neces-
sary to protect the workers operating
in specic 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 eld of vision, restricted
mobility and increased physical exertion
for the wearer, as well as higher costs
for the employer.
Performance testing
When 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 specic
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
garments 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
ammability properties of the fabrics,
and components used to make chemi-
col prolecllve clolhlng. Loborolory lesls
are used to determine the mechanical
durability, the barrier against specic
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 species a combination of
barrier and durability tests levels, estab-
lishing a minimum performance class
for each of the tests to meet the specic
type requirements. A higher class rating
denotes a higher level of performance
for that property.
The ammability requirements out-
lined in ISO 16602 establish a mini-
mum performance level of ame spread
once the material is ignited; it does not
qualify an ensemble as suitable for pro-
tection against heat and ame hazards.
Heat and ame protection is not in the
purview of ISO 16602, but is covered
wllhln hre solely slondords lrom lhe Mo-
llonol Flre Prolecllon Assoclollon [MFPA,
Quincy, Mass.; www.nfpa.org).
Editors note: This Facts at your Fingertips col-
umn was adapted from the following article:
Lovoslc, S., Chemlcol Prolecllve Clolhlng,
Chem. Eng., Morch 2011, pp. 13.
Chemical
Protective 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 doesnt 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)