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Protection and Safety Chapter 14 Safety Aspects and Protective Properties of Textiles (Collier & Epps, 1999) All textiles are protective to some extent ?!?! What is, then, the main difference between common textiles and PROTECTIVE TEXTILE MATERIALS? Protection/Safety Properties Protection/Safety properties of textile materials are those that protect the human body from a variety of hazardous environments and harmful substances What is HAZARD? A hazard is any source (event, conditions, substance) of potential damage, harm or adverse health effects on something or someone under certain circumstances. Basically, a hazard can cause harm or adverse effects (to individuals as health effects or to organizations as property or equipment losses). Sometimes a hazard is referred to as being the actual harm or the health effect it caused rather than the hazard. For example, the disease tuberculosis (TB) might be called a hazard by some but in general the TB-causing bacteria would be considered the "hazard" or "hazardous biological agent". What is RISK? Risk is the chance or probability that a person will be harmed or experience an adverse health effect if exposed to a hazard. It may also apply to situations with property or equipment loss. Protection/Safety Properties Hazardous Environments Chemical Thermal (heat, fire, molten metal, and electric arc) Mechanical (impact and cut/slash/puncture) Radiation (nuclear, UV and electromagnetic) Biological Extreme ambient conditions EXAMPLES OF HAZARDS AND THEIR EFFECTS Workplace Hazard Example of Hazard Example of Harm Caused Thing Knife Cut Substance Material Benzene Asbestos Leukemia Mesothelioma Source of Energy Condition Electricity Wet floor Process Welding Practice Hard rock mining Shock, electrocution Slips, falls Metal fume fever Silicosis Protective Clothing Personal Protective Clothing is designed to extend people’s physical and physiological limitations in response to environmental and hazardous conditions. Selection Criteria: Protection and safety Comfort and functional fit Durability Functional design details Appearance Maintenance Cost Protection From Thermal Hazards The primary function of thermal protective clothing is to minimize or eliminate physical harm as a result of fire or exposure to hot surfaces, molten metal splashes, electric arc explosions, etc. The performance of thermal protective clothing depends on its ability to insulate and to maintain structural integrity when exposed to high heat. Materials for Thermal Protection Inherent thermal-stable fibers: • • • • • • Aramid (Nomex®, Kevlar®, Kermel®) Polybenzimidazole (PBI) Carbon Novoloid Sulfar Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) Fire-retardant (FR) finished fibers: • • • • Cotton Wool Rayon polyester Factors Affecting Fire/Heat Protection Burning behavior (thermal resistance) Fabric structure Thermal inertia (TI) TI = density x heat capacity x thermal conductivity Guidelines to Ensure Maximum Effectiveness Anything worn over protective clothing should be made of FR material, specially the outermost garment or layer Avoid undergarments such as nylon or polyester/cotton blends that can melt against the skin and increase the severity of burn injury Wear controlled loose-fitting clothing to increase the insulating effect of air between clothing layers Methods of Testing Heat/Fire Protection Ignition Resistance and Flammability • • • • Resistance of textile materials to burn Tendency of textile materials to burn Flame spread properties Ease of ignition Limiting Oxygen Index Heat Protective Properties Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) or Exposure Energy to Thermal End Point is the thermal energy input to a fabric specimen that is required to result in a heat transfer through the specimen sufficient to cause a second-degree burn in human tissue Protection From Chemical Hazards Workers need to be protected from a wide range of hazardous chemical substances, such as pesticides, in the form of solid, liquids, or gases. Effectiveness as barrier against a specific chemical, the style and construction, comfort factor, mode of use, and cost have an impact on the selection of CPC. Polymer materials used in CPC: Tyvek® Saranex® (Saran-laminated Tyvek®) Teflon® Permeation Testing Permeation of a liquid or vapor through protective clothing material, involves three steps: • The sorption of the chemical at the outside surface of the CPC material • The diffusion of the chemical through the CPC material • The desorption of the chemical from the inside surface of the CPC Factors Affecting Permeation Assessment Temperature Material Thickness Solubility Parameter Multi-component Liquids Persistent Permeation Design and Construction of Protective Clothing Performance Standards for CPC NFPA 1991, Standard on vapor protective suits for hazardous chemical emergencies NFPA 1992, Standard on liquid splash protective suits for hazardous chemical emergencies NFPA 1993, Standard on protective suits for nonemergency, non-flammable hazardous chemical operations Protection From Mechanical Hazards Impact Protection Impact is defined as a violent contact or collision. During the impact event, three actions result from the application of forces on impact: • Tension • Shear • Compression In order to design protective body coverings, it is important to understand the factors in impact on the human body that may lead to injury. Critical conditions for body protection: • • • • Pressure Gradual deceleration Momentum Elasticity The most basic objective of impact protective equipment is that prevents penetration of the body by an impacting object. Age, gender, build up, general health, and physical and psychological condition on an individual affect body tolerance to a specific injury. Material for Impact Protection Elastic solid foams Fiber-reinforced resins High-performance polyethylene Para-aramid (Kevlar®) Light-weight metals Ceramics Factors Affecting Impact Protection Material content Fabric structure Tensile, shear and compression strength Resistance to extreme temperatures Fabric stiffness Testing Impact Protection Ballistic tests (V50 ballistic limit) ASTM Guide F2053-00 Standard Guide for Documenting the Results of Airborne Particle Penetration Testing of Protective Clothing Materials. Cut/Slash/Puncture Protection Protection against mechanical aggressors is based on the same principles as protection from larger scale impacts. Materials that protect from cut, slash or puncture either have a strong, solid surface that repels the aggressor (sending its kinetic energy off in another direction) or are composed in a way that allows some sort of energy exchange to take place. Materials used solely for cut resistance do not have to provide impact protection but need to resist cutting Materials Used for Cut/Slash/Puncture Protection Cotton Leather Nylon Polyester Carbon fiber High-performance polyethylene Para-aramid (Kevlar®) Common Protecting Products Cut-resistant gloves Protective sweaters Medical glove liners Chain saw cut protection Testing Cut/Slash/Puncture Protection (ASTM) F1342-91(1996)e2 Standard Test Method for Protective Clothing Material Resistance to Puncture F1414-99 Standard Test Method for Measurement of Cut Resistance to Chain Saw in Lower Body (Legs) Protective Clothing F1458-98 Standard Test Method for Measurement of Cut Resistance to Chain Saw of Foot Protective Devices F1790-97 Standard Test Method for Measuring Cut Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing F1818-97 Standard Specification for Foot Protection for Chain Saw Users F1897-98 Standard Specification for Leg Protection for Chain Saw Users Cut Protection Performance Tester Protection From Biological Hazards Biological hazards involve living organisms that can reproduce in supportive environments. They are particular dangerous because small amounts can contaminate a community once they have entered just one “host” and subsequently been passed to others while they continue to grow. Biological hazardous substances may reach and eventually harm the body by four different routes: Direct contact Breathing in Ingestion Injection Materials for Biological Protection Physical Methods of Imparting Protection • Three-layered composite non-wovens (spun-bonded/ melt blown/spun-bonded)made of polypropylene or polyester/pulp. • Polyethylene-coated wet-laid non-wovens • Melt blown microfiber filter media for masks Chemical Methods of Imparting Protection • Antimicrobial-coated woven and non-woven materials • Liquid-repellent fabrics and membranes Mechanical Pressure Tester1 1 ASTM F23.40.04, Draft test method for the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by synthetic blood. Testing Biological Protection (ASTM) F1670-98 Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Synthetic Blood F1671-97b Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Blood-Borne Pathogens Using Phi-X174 Bacteriophage Penetration as a Test System F1819-98 Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Synthetic Blood Using a Mechanical Pressure Technique F1862-00a Standard Test Method for Resistance of Medical Face Masks to Penetration by Synthetic Blood (Horizontal Projection of Fixed Volume at a Known Velocity) Protection From Radiation Hazards Protection Against Nuclear Radiation The effects of large nuclear radiation can have severe, often fatal, consequences to human beings for short and long terms. Protective clothing designers must understand how radiation affects the body to determine the types and levels of protection needed. Types of radiation: • • • • X rays Ionizing radiation Alpha, beta and gamma radiation Microwaves There is protective clothing against alpha and beta radiation, but not for gamma radiation. Clothing for Nuclear Radiation Protection Protective clothing for nuclear power workers generally takes the form of completely encompassing coverall with integrated gloves, boots and hood. These anti-contamination suits are made of impermeable vinyl to closely woven materials such as cotton. Clothing for X-Rays Radiation Protection The material most commonly used in X-ray protective clothing is lead-impregnated vinyl. It is also possible to use antimony instead of lead because it is about four times lighter than lead, but antimony is more expensive. The protection offered by radiation-protective materials is expressed in millimeters of lead equivalency. Nuclear-radiation Protection X-rays Radiation Protection Protection Against UV Radiation Ultraviolet radiation (UVR), from the sun or artificial sources, is associated with problems such as carcinogensis, cataracts, sunburns, and photo-aging. UV-A radiation (320 to 400 nm) causes little visible reaction on the skin, but can decrease the immunological response of skin cells. UV-B radiation (290-320 nm) can cause sunburn and may be also responsible for the development of skin cancer. Factors affecting UV protection • Fabric cover factor • Fiber content • UV-absorbent finishes Testing UVR Protection Sun Protection Factor (SPF) % UVR transmission = 100 - % cover factor SPF = 100 / % UVR transmission SPF = 100 / 100 - % cover factor Total UV transmission evaluated as a function of wavelength measured by a spectrophotometer. In order to calculate the SPF value from the transmitted radiation, two additional spectral factors must be taken into account: The relative strength of the solar radiation as a function of wavelength and the relative erythermal response (reddening) of the skin to each given wavelength of light.