Hazmat suit
A chemical-protection suit (CSA ) is a personal protective equipment that the carrier completely isolated from its environment so that it can work in radiologically, chemically or bacteriologically contaminated environment. He, for example, comes in accidents involving dangerous goods are used. For air supply the CSA carrier carries mostly a SCBA on your back.
Use
The operating time is limited for the support of the CSA due to the high physical and mental stress at 20 to a maximum of 25 minutes. Added to this is the time that is needed for the decontamination of the wearer. In order to reduce the temperature load just in summer temperatures, cooling vests can be worn underneath or a ventilation system with hoses in arms and legs are used in the suit. The heat emitted mostly taken from the breathing air circulation and thus, however, reduces the supply of breathable air when using eg a compressed air breathing apparatus. A further limiting effect is the limited resistance to various chemicals.
The CSA is not resistant to all substances. Before each use, the manufacturer-supplied list of resistance should be matched against the existing hazardous material. Also, heat radiation, and for example, at the exit of gases possible icing should be avoided by cold. Just as sharp edges, this can damage the material and thus lead to the contamination of the beam. To avoid mechanical damage, another pair of protective gloves may optionally be worn over the built- in CSA gloves, but that limit extremely strong manipulation ability of the wearer.
Molding
In Germany, there are according to the trade association rules for safety and health at work No. 189 different types:
Type 1 (1a, 1b and 1c) are gas -, liquid-and dust-proof Type 2 and 3 are liquid, spray and dustproof Type 4 spray and dustproof Type 5 dustproof Type 6 limited against liquid chemicals Type 1: Full gas-tight protective suits, divided into:
- Type 1a: with internal entrained breathing air, for example by a self-contained breathing apparatus.
- Type 1b: with external air supply. In general, this is also a breathing apparatus, but this can also be used as protection suit hose supplied or equipped with proper respiratory filter
- Type 1c: suit with compressed air hose supply ( free flow ), eg used in laboratories.
Type 2: non-gas- tight protective suits
The fire brigades in Germany the CSA to the fire service provision 500 is part of the body form of protection 3, where the types 1a and 1b are used which are 943-2 classified into type 1a ET and type 1b -ET " for emergency teams " according to DIN EN.
It should be noted that Type 1a should not be operated with regenerative devices because of the heat exchange of the device can not be guaranteed. In type 1b is the complete respiratory protection equipment is contaminated with a contamination of the suit and the same; remains generally during a mission not determine for sure that the hoses are resistant to the respirator against the encountered chemicals. On the other hand, offers this type has the advantage that in case of persistent or unknown contamination, the person with a new breath of air can be supplied without breaking the protection of the individual.
Type 1a is very common in the fire service, type 1b can be found for example in the standard loading of the NBC reconnaissance vehicles in specialized hazardous material trains, in the army, in shipping and in the industry again.
Specially designed for use by firefighters, there are the designs CSF and CMF belonging to both type 1a.
In Austria, the chemical protective suits of protection level III.