Types of Preventive Clothing and Their Uses or Applications Part-2:notablebiographies

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Positive Pressure Personnel Suits (PPPS):
Positive pressure personnel suits (PPPS) or positive pressure protective suits, informally known as “space suits”, “moon suits”, “blue suits”, etc. — are highly specialized, totally encapsulating, industrial protection garments worn only within special biocontainment or maximum containment or biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) laboratory facilities [The most dangerous threat level]. These facilities research dangerous pathogens which are highly infectious and may have no treatments or vaccines available. They also feature other special equipment and procedures such as airlock entry, quick-drench disinfectant showers, special waste disposal systems, and shower exits.

Figure 8: “A laboratorian wearing an older-model PPPS before entering a Maximum Containment lab or “suit lab”

Figure 9: “A BSL-4 laboratorian working in an ILC Dover Chemturion “Blue Suit”

Figure 10: “Researcher at US Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia, working with influenza virus under biosafety level 3 conditions, with respirator inside a biosafety cabinet (BSC)”

Hazmat (Hazardous materials or Dangerous goods) Protection Suit:

Hazmat or Hazardous Materials or Dangerous Goods:
Dangerous goods are solids, liquids, or gases that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment. They are often subject to chemical regulations. In the United States and sometimes in Canada, dangerous goods are more commonly known as hazardous materials, (abbreviated as HAZMAT or HazMat). “HazMat teams” are personnel specially trained to handle dangerous goods. Dangerous goods include materials that are radioactive, flammable, explosive, corrosive, oxidizing, asphyxiating, biohazardous, toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic. Also included are physical conditions such as compressed gases and liquids or hot materials, including all goods containing such materials or chemicals, or may have other characteristics that render them hazardous in specific circumstances.

Hazmat Suit:
A hazmat suit (hazardous materials suit) is a piece of personal protective equipment that consists of an impermeable whole-body garment worn as protection against hazardous materials. Such suits are often combined with self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to ensure a supply of breathable air. Hazmat suits are mostly used by firefighters, researchers, personnel responding to toxic spills, specialists cleaning up contaminated facilities and workers in toxic environments.

Figure 11: “An Emergency Medical Technician team training as rescue (grey suits) and decontamination (green suits) respondents to hazardous material and toxic contamination situations”

Figure 12: “Hazmat Suit being used during some Detection Process”

Figure 13: “Military grade Hazmat Suits used by US Army during Gulf-War 1990-91”

Figure 14: “Hazmat Suits being used by Police Officials of New York Police Department during Crisis Management Drill”

Figure 15: “Drug Enforcement Administration agents wearing Level B hazmat suits.”

Figure 16: “Rescue Team wearing Hazmat Suits with self contained breathing apparatus or SCBA”

Bomb Disposal Suit:
A bomb suit or a blast suit is a heavy suit of body armor designed to withstand the pressure generated by a bomb and any fragments the bomb may produce. It is usually worn by trained personnel attempting bomb disposal. In contrast to ballistic body armors, which usually focus on protecting the torso and head, a bomb suit must protect all parts of the body, since the dangers posed by a bomb’s explosion affect the entire body.

Parts of the bomb suit overlap for maximum protection. The suit protects in several different ways. It deflects or stops projectiles that may come from an exploded device. It also stops or greatly decreases the pressure of the blast wave being transmitted to the person inside of the suit. Most bomb suits, such as the Advanced Bomb Suit use layers of Kevlar, foam, and plastic to accomplish these things.

In order to maximize precision, bomb suits lack gloves. This gives the wearer’s hands maximum mobility, but leave their hands and forearms completely unprotected.