SECURING GLOVES TO PROTECTIVE SUITS: AN ALTERNATIVE TO DUCT TAPE
BY KEVIN M. MENDE, LIEUTENANT, LADDER 1, El Paso (TX) Fire Department
One sweltering day (108°F) our haz-mat team responded to an incident involving a leaking boxcar carrying cresol. After researching to determine the product`s physical and chemical characteristics and incompatibilities, decontaminating solutions, medical treatments for exposure, and a myriad of other factors, the plan formulated had members hand-jack the approximately 50 drums, stacked 25 on 25 (none on pallets) in the boxcar out to the boxcar entrance so that the leakers could be found. A forklift with a drum adapter then would move the drums out.
Since cresol has a pretty low vapor pressure and inhalation wasn`t a major concern, it was determined that team members would wear Level B suits to protect against skin absorption of this poison, which is slightly related to–but much more toxic than–alcohol.
Crew after crew entered the hot zone, slowly working the drums out. The last drum was reached about 10 hours later. Four leaky drums were found.
Decon was ongoing. Each crew passed through the established corridor. Suddenly, one team member passing through the corridor complained that his hands were burning. As he was being stripped of his suit, another member also began complaining that his hands were burning. Both team members, stripped of their suits, were taken to the ambulance. The paramedic, who established that the burning began while decon was washing the members down, and, in the words of one team member, “some liquid got in through the gloves,” had the responders soak their hands in PEG (polyethylene glycol) while en route to the hospital.
EVALUATION
If your department is using duct tape to secure gloves to suits at haz-mat incidents, as we did at this incident and prior to it, this scenario can happen in your jurisdiction as well. This use of duct tape at a haz-mat scene must be seriously evaluated. Let`s begin by looking at the ingredients in duct tape. Most duct tape is made of a polyethylene-backed cloth and natural rubber adhesive. It is designed to adhere to metals, providing an airtight seal. But, to its advantage, it will adhere to almost anything, including most common glove materials (neoprene, nitrile, and so on), though to a lesser degree than it does to metal. It also is convenient to use. Since it`s made of cloth, it is easy to tear; and it is readily available at many stores.
Its disadvantages for haz-mat protection use include the fact that it “crinkles” easily, especially when used on an item that is not perfectly flat, such as a Level B suit sleeve, thereby compromising its sealing effect. It won`t adhere to silicones (no big deal) or the powders or lubricants glove manufacturers use in their molds (big deal!). But, its main disadvantage is that its glue is derived from natural rubber, a material not usually recommended for hazardous materials entry. Various chemical clothing selection guides more often than not list natural rubber as a material “not recommended, <1 hr permeation.” In our re-search, we discovered that natural rubber definitely should not be used in incidents involving cresol.
THE ALTERNATIVE
Lieutenant Keith Cooper was given the task of finding an alternative means of securing the gloves for our department. His work provides the basis for this article. We began by looking at something that already worked, the Chemfab 6000 Level A suit we use, which uses a ring-and-clamp assembly to attach the gloves to the sleeves. The question became, How can we adapt that system for a Level B suit? The following procedure ultimately was developed and is used by the El Paso (TX) Fire Department`s haz-mat and decon teams.
The Rationale and Adaptation
Looking at a standard sleeve of a Level B suit, we usually see an elastic-banded cuff designed to wrap around a glove (Figure 1). The normal action then is to wrap duct tape around this to reinforce and seal the connection (Figure 2). The person in the suit now is stuck in it until someone unwraps the duct tape from his wrist. The alternative method involves using a plastic ring, a stainless-steel hose clamp, and two neoprene bands (Figure 3). The items shown are used with the Chemfab suit. Since our department currently uses the suit for Level A entries, we purchased the items from the manufacturer instead of making our own. (Directions for making the devices are given below.)
Procedure
The procedure used for attaching the gloves is as follows:
Place the plastic ring into the glove and move it so it opens the glove (Figure 4).
With a hand in the glove, push the ring through the sleeve of the suit until the elastic band of the sleeve`s cuff is centered on the plastic ring (Figure 5). (Make sure the correct hand is in the correct sleeve, outward pointing fingers look a little silly and definitely feel awkward.)
Wrap one of the neoprene bands around the cuff/glove connection so it covers the point at which they meet completely (Figure 6).
Tighten the stainless-steel hose clamp around the neoprene band so that it seals (Figure 7).
Wrap the second neoprene band around the stainless-steel hose clamp (Figure 8). This will prevent the clamp from getting too contaminated and protect any loose suit fabric from catching on it and tearing.
Repeat the steps for the opposite glove.
That is all it takes. It may seem a little more involved than using the duct tape, but using it in the field has not been shown to waste any significant amount of time. Preattaching the gloves, in fact, actually decreases the time needed to suit up for an incident. An additional advantage is that the gloves are much easier to remove. Since the sleeve and glove slide off the hand as one unit, you don`t have to unwind a load of duct tape to get the person out of the suit; and team members can pull their hands inside to check their air, adjust straps, scratch their nose, or do whatever they need to do without removing the suit. Keep in mind that this is not an airtight seal, but it is a very good liquid seal.
After the personnel have passed through the decon corridor, we simply pull the suit off them and remove the bands, clamps, and rings at our convenience. It is a good idea to keep a bucket of decon solution nearby for tossing in the items so they can be thoroughly decontaminated.
MAKING THE DEVICES
To make your own glove-attaching system, purchase the following items (Figure 9):
a section of four-inch-diameter PVC pipe;
a number of stainless-steel hose clamps, 412 inches to five inches in diameter;
a tool to cut the PVC pipe (whatever you feel is appropriate; we show a hacksaw here);
some long-cuff neoprene (cement) gloves (old training gloves work well); and
sandpaper.
Preparing the ring assembly
Cut the PVC pipe into 112-inch-wide rings (Figure 10).
Sand the edges of the rings smooth (Figure 11).
Cut two-inch-wide bands off the cuffs of the neoprene gloves (Figure 12).
You now have all the equipment needed to make the “tapeless” connection for a Level B suit (Figure 13).
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The chemical industry is ever growing, and we must continue to expand our base of knowledge and experience in all areas of hazardous-materials response. Firefighters have always been known as “jacks of all trades.” By applying our skills and abilities to the hazardous-materials field as well as firefighting, we will continue the fire service tradition of excellence. n
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