How many levels of ppe

The amount of protection provided by PPE is material-hazard specific. That is, protective equipment materials will protect well against some hazardous substances and poorly, or not at all, against others. In many instances, protective equipment materials cannot be found which will provide continuous protection from the particular hazardous substance. In these cases the breakthrough time of the protective material should exceed the work durations. Other factors in this selection process to be considered are matching the PPE to the employee's work requirements and task-specific conditions.

The durability of PPE materials, such as tear strength and seam strength, should be considered in relation to the employee's tasks. In some cases layers of PPE may be necessary to provide sufficient protection, or to protect expensive PPE inner garments, suits or equipment. The more that is known about the hazards at the site, the easier the job of PPE selection becomes. As more information about the hazards and conditions at the site becomes available, the site supervisor can make decisions to up-grade or down-grade the level of PPE protection to match the tasks at hand.

The following are guidelines which an employer can use to begin the selection of the appropriate PPE. As noted above, the site information may suggest the use of combinations of PPE selected from the different protection levels i.

It should be cautioned that the listing below does not fully address the performance of the specific PPE material in relation to the specific hazards at the job site, and that PPE selection, evaluation and re-selection is an ongoing process until sufficient information about the hazards and PPE performance is obtained. Part A. Personal protective equipment is divided into four categories based on the degree of protection afforded.

Level A - To be selected when the greatest level of skin, respiratory, and eye protection is required. Disposable protective suit, gloves and boots depending on suit construction, may be worn over totally-encapsulating suit. Level B - The highest level of respiratory protection is necessary but a lesser level of skin protection is needed.

Hooded chemical-resistant clothing overalls and long-sleeved jacket; coveralls; one or two-piece chemical-splash suit; disposable chemical-resistant overalls. Atmosphere contains no known hazards No or very low potential for unexpected respiratory or skin contact with environmental hazards. First responders When identified or potential risk of biological, liquid or vapor chemical hazard exposure exists.

First responders When entering the most heavily contaminated radiation zones to rescue victims or protect valuable property necessary for public welfare. First receivers When working in post-decontamination areas should wear Standard Precautions PPE per protocol for infection control purposes 3.

Expense and training requirements restrict use to hazardous materials response teams; lack of mobility; heat and other physical stresses; limited air supply. Encapsulating suit or junction seams sealed, supplied air respirator or self-contained breathing apparatus. High level of protection adequate for unknown environment entry, supplied air ensemble with increased mobility and dexterity.

Dependence on airline or limited air supply; heat and physical stresses; expense and training significant; fit testing required. Taking this step will open the spreadsheet in Excel rather than your web browser. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Section Navigation. Important update: Healthcare facilities. Learn more. To maximize protection from the Delta variant and prevent possibly spreading it to others, get vaccinated as soon as you can and wear a mask indoors in public if you are in an area of substantial or high transmission.

For this reason, response personnel must wear appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment whenever they are near the site. The more that is known about the hazards at a release site, the easier it becomes to select personal protective equipment. There are four levels of personal protective equipment.

Level A protection is required when the greatest potential for exposure to hazards exists, and when the greatest level of skin, respiratory, and eye protection is required. Examples of Level A clothing and equipment include:. Level B protection is required under circumstances requiring the highest level of respiratory protection, with lesser level of skin protection.