Protective Equipment and Medical Monitoring

1
Protective Equipment and Medical Monitoring
2
Protective Equipment Types

• Level A
• Level B
• Level C
• Level D

3
Level A

• Highest level of respiratory/skin protection
• Suit fully encapsulates rescuer, SCBA
• Used in hot zone with
• Unknown substances
• Substances with potential for respiratory and
  skin absorption hazards

4
Level A
5
Level B

• Full respiratory protection
• Lower skin protection level
• Suit non-encapsulating, but chemically resistant
• SCBA worn outside of suit
• Typically worn in warm zone by decon team

6
Level C

• Non-permeable suit, boots, hand, eye protection
• Air-purifying respirator with cartridges for
  specific substances
• Worn during transport of patients with 2o
  contamination risk

7
Level D

• Firefighter turnout gear
• NOT suitable for HAZMAT incidents

8
Selection of PPE

• Based on chemical involved
• NO single suit material is appropriate for all
  chemicals
• Permeability charts should be consulted to
  determine breakthrough times for suit material

9
Selection of PPE

• Latex gloves are NOT chemically resistant
• Nitrile gloves hive high resistance to most
  chemicals
• Leather boots will absorb chemicals permanently

10
Medical Monitoring Rehab

• A primary role of EMS
• Entry team personnel should have annual physicals
  with baseline vitals on file

11
Entry Readiness

• Monitor
• BP
• Pulse
• Respiratory rate
• Temperature
• Body weight
• ECG
• Mental/neurological status

• Abnormal findings prohibit entry
• Pre-hydrate with 8 to 16 oz of water or diluted
  sports drink

12
After-Exit Rehab

• Monitor
• BP
• Pulse
• Respiratory rate
• Temperature
• Body weight
• ECG
• Mental/neurological status

• Use weight loss to estimate hydration status
• Rehydrate
• Do NOT permit reentry unless
• Alert
• Non-tachycardic
• Normotensive
• Normothermic
• Within reasonable percentage of normal body weight