ASTM F1461-17

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it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: F1461 − 12 F1461 − 17
Standard Practice for
Chemical Protective Clothing Program
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1461; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This practice is intended to promote the proper selection, use, maintenance, and understanding of the limitations of chemical
protective clothing (CPC) by users, employers, employees, and other persons involved in programs requiring CPC, thereby limiting
potentially harmful and unnecessary skin exposures.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
F739 Test Method for Permeation of Liquids and Gases through Protective Clothing Materials under Conditions of Continuous
Contact
F903 Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Liquids
F1001 Guide for Selection of Chemicals to Evaluate Protective Clothing Materials
F1052 Test Method for Pressure Testing Vapor Protective Suits
F1154 Practices for Qualitatively Evaluating the Comfort, Fit, Function, and Durability of Protective Ensembles and Ensemble
Components
F1194 Guide for Documenting the Results of Chemical Permeation Testing of Materials Used in Protective Clothing
F1383 Test Method for Permeation of Liquids and Gases through Protective Clothing Materials under Conditions of Intermittent
Contact
F1494 Terminology Relating to Protective Clothing
F2588 Test Method for Man-In-Simulant Test (MIST) for Protective Ensembles
2.2 NFPA Standards:
NFPA 1991 Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials Emergencies
NFPA 1992 Liquid Splash-Protective Ensembles and Clothing for Hazardous Materials Emergencies
NFPA 1994 Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents
2.3 ISO Standard:
ISO 16602 Protective Clothing for Protection Against Chemicals—Classification, Labeling, and Performance Requirements
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 analytical detection limit, n—a number, expressed in units of concentration (or amount), that describes the lowest
concentration level (or amount) that an analyst can determine to be different from an analytical blank (background level).
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F23 on Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F23.30
on Chemicals.
Current edition approved Aug. 1, 2012Nov. 1, 2017. Published September 2012November 2017. Originally approved in 1993. Last previous edition approved in 20072012
as F1461 - 07.F1461 – 12. DOI: 10.1520/F1461-12.10.1520/F1461-17.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Available from National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471, http://www.nfpa.org.
Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO Central Secretariat, BIBC II, Chemin de Blandonnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva,
Switzerland, http://www.iso.org.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
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3.1.2 biological monitoring, n—the chemical analysis of chemicals or metabolites, or both, from a worker’s blood, urine,
fingernails, sweat, breath, and so forth.
3.1.3 buddy system, n—a means of organizing employee work groups whereby each participant is matched with another so that
prompt assistance can be rendered in the case of any emergency.
3.1.4 chemical protective clothing (CPC), n—an item of clothing that is specifically designed and constructed for the intended
purpose of isolating all or part of the body from a chemical hazard.
3.1.5 decontamination, n—the reduction, removal, or neutralization of contaminant or contaminants from protective clothing to
safely permit the protective clothing to be doffed (taken off), or reused, or discarded.
3.1.6 elastomer, n—an elastic polymer that has properties similar to rubber.
3.1.7 fabric, n—a planar structure consisting of yarns or fibers.
3.1.7.1 Discussion—
Unlike a polymer sheet, a fabric is normally subject to penetration by gases and liquids.
3.1.8 Fick’s laws of diffusion, n—mathematical descriptions of the movement of one type of molecule through another.
3.1.8.1 Discussion—
Diffusion is not due to holes or pores in chemical protective clothing materials.
3.1.9 hazard assessment, n—an examination of the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present,
which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
3.1.10 industrial hygienist, n—a person who, by experience and academic training, is qualified to recognize, evaluate, and
control chemical, physical, and biological agents in the workplace, or a person certified by the American Board of Industrial
Hygiene.
3.1.11 occlusion, n—the physical process of covering a chemical that has been applied to or spilled on the skin, thereby
disallowing its evaporation and generally increasing its absorption through the skin.
3.1.12 physical-chemical parameters, n—values for physical or chemical properties of a test chemical or polymer, or both, such
as solubility parameters, molecular weight, vapor pressure, and so forth.
3.1.13 plastic, n—a material that contains, as an essential ingredient, one or more organic polymeric substances of large
molecular weight, is solid in its finished state, and, at some stage in its manufacture of processing into finished articles, can be
shaped by flow.
3.1.14 polymer, n—a substance consisting of molecules characterized by repetition (neglecting ends, branches, junctions, and
other minor irregularities) of one or more chemically bonded types of monomeric units.
3.1.15 polymer sheet, n—a continuous polymeric planar structure.
3.1.15.1 Discussion—
It is not normally subject to penetration by gases or liquids.
3.1.16 program, n—a documented policy with procedures for selection and use of CPC.
3.1.17 program administrator, n—a person responsible for the formulation and implementation of a CPC program.
3.1.18 program authority, n—a person responsible for enforcing the requirements of a CPC program.
3.1.19 toxicity, n—the propensity of a substance to produce adverse biochemical or physiological effects.
3.1.19.1 Discussion—
Such effects are termed toxic effects, as used in this practice.
3.2 For definitions of other protective clothing-related terms used in this practice, refer to Terminology F1494.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 This practice presents those elements that constitute a chemical protective clothing (CPC) program and conditions to be used
in establishing a program for the selection and use of CPC. Adherence to this practice requires that a written program be developed
for any use of CPC.
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4.2 Although much remains to be determined regarding the toxicity of vapor and liquid exposure to the skin, this practice
outlines the essential information necessary and suggested methods for hazard risk assessment prior to the selection of CPC (see
PracticePractices F1154).
4.3 This practice does not address the various methods for testing CPC or obtaining the data upon which CPC assessments are
made. These test methods are listed in Section 2 of this practice.
4.4 This practice does not include recommendations that may apply to personal protection from nuclear radiation, radioactive
contamination, or microbiological organisms, or to clothing that is worn to protect a particular environment from the entry of
chemicals, particles, or living matter that may arise from the wearer.
4.5 CPC should be used when other means of control are not available. Its major uses should be limited to the following:
4.5.1 Maintenance operations;
4.5.2 Upset or emergency conditions;
4.5.3 Use in lieu of engineering controls when they are not feasible or are being installed;
4.5.4 Supplementing feasible engineering controls when they fail to control the hazard completely; and
4.5.5 Use in the event that engineering controls fail.
4.6 Engineering controls and substitution of materials should be stressed as the first line of defense in all control situations since
effective use of CPC depends on worker compliance, proper selection, quality control, and other variables that may prove to be
weak links in an overall control process.
5. Minimum Program Requirements and Objectives
5.1 The primary objective shall be to minimize employee exposures. This objective should be accomplished to the extent
feasible by accepted engineering control measures. These include enclosure or confinement of the operation, isolation of the worker
from the operation, substitution of less toxic materials, and modification of work practices. When these controls are not feasible,
or while they are being implemented or evaluated, appropriate CPC shall be used pursuant to the requirements in this practice and
regulatory requirements, where applicable.
5.2 Program Administration and Responsibility:
5.2.1 Responsibility and authority for implementing the CPC program shall be assigned to a single person. This person will
normally be a plant manager, supervisor, or other person with line supervisory authority. This person is called the program
authority.
5.2.2 Normally, a second person shall have responsibility for preparing the written program. This person is called the program
administrator. His duties also include maintaining and updating standard procedures and the CPC written program, based on
changes in CPC technology and knowledge; maintaining records; auditing and evaluating the program; directing, interacting with,
or supervising those who dispense CPC at the worksite and those who train workers in the use of CPC; and establishing procedures
for the purchase of CPC. The program administrator will usually have staff responsibilities. The program administrator shall have
knowledge of CPC sufficient to supervise the CPC program properly. (Where possible, the administrator of a CPC program should
also be the administrator of the respiratory protection program, if one exists, in order to improve coordination.)
5.3 Written Programs—The CPC program shall be established and detailed in a written document.
5.4 CPC Selection—The selection of the CPC article shall be based on consideration of the following:
5.4.1 Exposure situation (vapor, pressured splash, liquid splash, intermittent liquid contact, and continuous liquid contact);
5.4.2 Toxicity and amount of the chemical(s) (that is, best knowledge or the estimate of ability to permeate the skin and of
systemic toxicity);
5.4.3 Physical properties of the contaminant chemicals (for example, vapor pressure, molecular weight, and polarity);
5.4.4 Functional requirements of the task (for example, dexterity, thermal protection, fire protection, and mechanical durability
requirements); and
5.4.5 Properties of the CPC that are relevant to the physical and chemical hazards and functional requirements of the task. These
properties are determined through appropriate testing techniques and include permeation resistance, degradation resistance,
penetration resistance, dexterity, resistance to tear, and so forth, as applicable. (See Test MethodMethods F739 and F903, Guide
F1001, and Practice Test Method F1052.)
5.4.6 Selection of the CPC should consider the materials from which the garment, gloves, visor, hoods, and boots are
constructed, the seam construction and the design of the garments.
5.4.7 Selection of the CPC sholdshould also consider the likelihood of coming in contact with the hazardous materials, the
duration of the contact, the amount of contact and the direction of liquid contact.
5.5 The selection procedure shall be documented. Minimally, the selection process should consider degradation, penetration,
and permeation resistance of the CPC. Degradation could result in an adverse loss of integrity and chemical resistance properties.
Penetration could result in direct skin contact by an agent from bulk flow through seams, pinholes, and so forth. Permeation can
result in skin contact by an agent without any outward signs of either penetration or degradation since molecular flow of the
contaminant through the protective article is occurring.
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5.6 Training—Each CPC user shall be given training that shall include the following:
5.6.1 A description of the hazards for which the CPC is being selected;
5.6.2 An explanation and discussion of the toxicity of the contaminants for which CPC is being used including symptoms that
indicate an overexposure has occurred;
5.6.3 Limitations of CPC use;
5.6.4 Training how to use CPC, including donning, decontamination in order to safely doff the garment, doffing, proper storage,
maintenance, inspection, and decontamination for safe reuse where applicable; and disposal of CPC.
5.6.5 Each CPC user should tested after training and periodically thereafter, to verify that they understand and can follow the
CPC training, retrained if necessary or restricted from using CPC if they can not understand or follow the training.
5.7 CPC Use—The employer shall not use CPC in violation of the written program or the manufacturer’s instructions. When
using CPC, the employer shall consider special emergency-use precautions. The buddy system shall be used in conjunction with
emergency-use CPC.
5.8 Maintenance and Storage—Maintenance and inspection shall be conducted on a schedule that ensures that each piece of
CPC delivers the protection for which it was selected. Minimally, each piece of CPC shall be inspected by the wearer prior to its
use to ensure its integrity. CPC should be stored in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions.
5.9 Decontamination—Procedures for decontamination and reuse shall be documented. CPC should not be used after it is
contaminated unless it can be demonstrated that the decontamination CPC is safe to wear.
5.10 Field Evaluation and Biological Monitoring—The use of methods to estimate actual exposures in the field or estimate
doses from biological samples are appropriate when the choice of CPC has uncertainty or when estimates of total doses to
employees are necessary. The latter is particularly important for low vapor pressure organic chemicals that are absorbed through
the skin readily.
5.11 Purchasing—The purchase of CPC shall be coordinated carefully with the selection and use of CPC. Failure to monitor
and control the purchase of CPC could result in improper CPC use, leading to worker exposure. The purchaser’s action shall be
dependent on the requirements from the program administrator. Without clear CPC specification, the lowest price usually dictates
purchase.
5.12 Considerations of Medical and Human Factors—The possible physiological and psychological effects caused by wearing
CPC shall be considered. These effects, which include heat stress and claustrophobic reactions, may be particularly evident when
TECP totally encapsulating chemical protective (TECP) suits are worn. CPC selection is a balance between protection from
chemical hazards and performance, physiological, and psychological burdens. Chemical protection should not be compromised,
nor should the worker be unnecessarily burdened.
5.12.1 In most cases, use of CPC entails a risk of heat stress. There should be a written heat stress management plan in place
to anticipate heat stress, monitor heat stress among CPC users, mitigate the risk by used of engineering controls, work practices
of additional PPE and rehabilitate CPC users with elevated core body temperatures.
5.13 Auditing—CPC programs shall be audited periodically in order to ensure that all components are functioning as described
in the written program. Methods for auditing the program shall be well described, including the ways and means for correcting
defects in the program.
6. Program Administration and Responsibilities
6.1 Employer Responsibility—Employer responsibility is vested in the program authority. The employer shall be responsible for
providing CPC to employees when it is necessary and enforcing its proper use. All CPC shall be selected by the employer using
the latest information available to him. The employer shall establish and maintain a CPC program that shall include the minimum
requirements of this practice as outlined in Section 5 and supported, where appropriate, by Sections 6 through 16 and the
Appendixes.Appendices.
6.2 Employee Responsibility—Employees have the responsibility and duty to use all CPC that is provided to them in accordance
with the instructions and the training that they have received. All CPC shall be treated with respect and inspected and maintained
in accordance with the employer’s program requirements. Should an employee sense any change in the performance of his CPC
or exhibit any symptoms of overexposure, he shall report this to the employer immediately.
6.3 Program Administrator—An individual, preferably from the company’s industrial hygiene or safety engineering function,
should be assigned responsibility for administering the CPC program. For companies without these functions, the CPC program
should be administered by a qualified person responsible to the program authority, and consultation from an industrial hygienist
should be sought in establishing the program. The individual should be trained in control techniques that involve chemical
protective clothing. Responsibilities of the individual include the following:
6.3.1 Performance of hazard assessments with respect to the exposure of employee’s skin to hazardous solids, liquids, or vapors.
6.3.2 Selection of the appropriate CPC configuration and materials of construction that will provide adequate protection for each
exposure, either present or anticipated.
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6.3.3 Maintenance of records and written procedures in a manner that documents the CPC program and allows for the evaluation
of the program’s effectiveness.
6.3.4 Evaluation of the CPC ProgramProgram’s Effectiveness—This includes frequent comparison of the program with current
regulations and standards, and comparison of the program as it is implemented with the written procedures. At least annually, the
program should be audited by a team from the plant or worksite.
6.3.5 The use or implementation of biological monitoring and medical surveillance, where necessary, to determine and
document whether CPC use is controlling exposures effectively or CPC use is causing undue stress on the worker, or both.
7. Written Program
7.1 Minimally, all written programs shall address Section 5. This section should be supplemented with Sections 6 through 16
of this practice, where appropriate. The written program shall be available to employees at a place to which they have reasonable
access. Employees shall receive training (Section 9), and it should address all sections of the written program.
7.2 Minimally, written procedures should address those operations for which routine uses of CPC are anticipated and contrast
those with written procedures for the emergency use of CPC. Employees should have a thorough understanding of the limitations
of CPC for routine use as compared to those situations in which emergency use of CPC is necessary. This should be stated clearly
in the written program.
8. Selection of CPC
8.1 Selection of CPC requires determination of the nature and extent of the hazard, including the toxicity of the chemical and
the manner in which it is used. The selection is then based on this hazard determination and the interpretation of appropriate
physical and chemical resistance tests of the CPC. Ideally, these tests should be performed as part of the selection process. In
emergency situations or in the interim before tests are performed, professional judgment involving analogous situations, available
literature, or estimates of permeation based on physical-chemical factors may be relied on.
8.2 Hazard Assessment:
8.2.1 Determine what contaminants may be present and pose a significant threat of exposure to the worker’s skin. Evaluate the
likelihood or risk of contact with the worker’s skin and the length of time for which exposure is expected. Consider the information
given in Appendix X1.
8.2.2 From analogy with other chemicals, previous experience, biological monitoring studies, or other available information,
determine whether the skin is a significant route of uptake for the chemical in question, and the subsequent effect of uptake or
primary contact, or both. Very little is known concerning the absorption rates of individual chemicals through the skin, the extent
to which metabolic conversion of chemicals may occur within the skin, the differences in absorption of liquid or vapor forms of
the same chemical, and the vapor exposure levels under CPC to which the skin may be exposed after CPC contact with a chemical.
Hence, hazard assessment is qualitative, at best.
8.3 Selection Information:
8.3.1 Determine the configuration of CPC necessary (for example, apron, gloves, and TECP suit), based on the knowledge of
the task to be performed and the hazards to which the worker is exposed. Consider 8.2 and the factors given in Appendix X2.
8.3.2 Selection Based on Penetration—Determine penetration properties for those materials with seams, zippers, noticeable
differences in thickness, or voids (paper, cotton, woven, or nonwoven fabrics). Proper selection based on a penetration test provides
the user with a CPC garment that will not allow the bulk flow of liquid through seams, zippers, or imperfections in the CPC
garment for a specified period of time at a specified pressure. Specifically for splash protection,protection and when vapor exposure
to the skin is not hazardous, negative penetration test results can be used to select a garment. See Test Method F903.
8.3.3 Selection or Disqualification Based on Degradation—If the contaminants in question have low potential for skin
absorption and are of low,low but significant,significant toxicity, degradation properties of the candidate CPC materials may be
sufficient to determine acceptable CPC. Selection based on degradation alone provides the user with chemical protective clothing
that should not degrade upon exposure. Hence, in the purest sense, degradation tests provide a mechanism for disqualifying certain
CPC since those that pass must be evaluated for penetration or permeation, or both. CPC that fails degradation testing need not
be subjected to penetration or permeation test.
8.3.4 Selection Based on Permeation Resistance—Where CPC must provide vapor protection or resistance to permeation of
liquid chemicals, or both, permeation resistance data (see Test MethodMethods F739, Test Method F1383, Test Method F2588,
Practiceand F1052, and Guides F1001 and F1194) must be reviewed. These data must be interpreted and compared. In addition,
factors affecting permeation such as material thickness, exposure to mixtures, and temperature may be important. See Appendix
X3 for more guidance in these areas.
8.3.5 Physical Hazards and Functional Requirements of Task—Where appropriate, determine other properties, other than
chemical resistance, of the CPC and compare them to the functional requirements of the task and physical hazards associated with
the task. Consider the need for cut and tear resistance, heat and cold resistance, puncture resistance, abrasion resistance, dexterity,
and tactility. Additionally, consider flame, flash, and thermal protection needs. Consider potential human factors requirements such
as heat stress, increased work rate, restricted movement, and so forth. Very few data are available for these parameters on most
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CPC products. Where tests are available for these parameters, few are specific to CPC. Adaptation is possible, however, acceptance
criteria often must be determined individually, since the criteria may vary with the job.
8.3.6 Size—Determine size options for the CPC candidate materials. Selection of CPC must take into consideration fit of the
CPC to the wearer. Improper fit can cause a loss of coordination, dexterity, or tactility, thereby hindering the worker in the
performance of his job, decreasing productivity, and possibly causing an increased hazard to the worker. In addition, certain CPC
garments, such as TECP suits, may be so large for the individual that they cause increased work effort in performing the job and,
consequently, increased stress to the worker. Garments that are too small may become stretched, torn, or separated at the seams
and closures during use, thereby compromising protection.
8.4 Selection Logic—Based on all of the above factors, select from among the qualifying CPC candidates. The following
alternative situations and selection outcomes are based on hazard, that is, the toxicity of the chemical (including propensity for skin
absorption) and the nature of the job.
8.4.1 Low Toxicity—If toxicity and skin absorption are low, select that CPC demonstrating no observable penetration. The CPC
should not degrade for the entire length of the task.
8.4.2 A Moderate-to-High Toxicity—For liquid contact or intermittent liquid contact, or both, with contaminants having
toxicities and skin absorption properties that are moderate-to-high, moderate to high, select the CPC garment with the longest time
to normalized breakthrough or the lowest steady-state permeation rate, or the lowest amount of cumulative permeation. CPC
garments not having the best permeation properties (that is, shortest normalized breakthrough times, highest steady-state
permeation rates, or high amounts of cumulative permeation) may be selected provided that biological monitoring of the worker,
field evaluations of the CPC, or a written risk assessment is performed. CPC should not degrade for the entire length of the task.
8.4.3 Splash or Spill Only—Where the only possibility for exposure is limited to splash, spill, or incidental contact, and egress
from the workplace is easily achieved, select that CPC garment that demonstrates no observable degradation degradation,
penetration, or penetrationpermeation over a period of time for which egress would be required. Workers must be instructed to
leave the work area and change CPC garments when splashed if garments are selected only for the purpose of resisting splash.
8.4.4 Gas or Vapor Concentrations Only—Where potential exposure to high vapor concentration is the only source of exposure,
choose CPC in accordance with the toxicity and concentration of the chemical. A buddy system should be used.
8.4.5 Combinations of Exposure Situations—Where exposure situations are combinations of the above, select for the worst case
worst-case scenario.
8.4.6 Quantitative Selection Criteria—At present, decisions based on more quantitative selection criteria than described in 8.4
are not possible due to the lack of definitive information on skin absorption and subsequent toxic effects. Therefore, descriptions
such
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