You need to ensure you wear personal protective equipment (PPE) whenever you’re around hazardous materials. You should always wear a full-body chemical suit in industrial and scientific settings where you risk encountering harmful gases or toxic chemicals. What are PPE chemical suits, and what do you need to know? Continue reading to find out more.

What Is a PPE Chemical Suit?

Chemical suits, often known as hazmat suits, are full-body safety gear used to protect yourself and your coworkers from toxic liquid or gaseous contaminants. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified four categories of hazmat protection, spanning from level A (most protection) to level D (least protection).

The gear you’re wearing should adapt to any specific circumstances or hazardous materials you might encounter. The degree of protection you have for a situation must effectively shield you against the projected physical, chemical, and biological threats.

Who Needs Hazmat Suits?

Any qualified individual who handles hazardous materials needs to wear a hazmat suit. Personnel working at medical and healthcare facilities, firehouses, nuclear sites or laboratories, biological labs, and so on fall into this category. One example of when you’d need a hazmat suit is for construction work in older buildings that may house mold or asbestos.

Different Levels Explained

Level A and Level B are two of the most common hazmat protection levels you’ll need. Level A protection is essential when there is a substantial risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals. The items required for high-level protection defend your lungs, skin, and eyes from solid, liquid, and gaseous chemicals. In addition, you need to wear this level of a chemical suit when carrying out activities in poorly ventilated areas and enclosed spaces.

You should use Level B suits when you need maximum respiratory protection but only a minimal amount of skin protection. This gear safeguards against liquid splashes but does not protect against chemicals and vapors. You’ll put on this level suit when you’ve previously identified chemicals in the vicinity and know that liquids, not fumes, are the only dangers present.

Breaking down what PPE chemical suits are and what you need to know highlights how crucial this gear is when facing potentially hazardous situations. TG Technical Services provides high-quality chemical suits to protect you against dangerous compounds in various circumstances. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our products.