In 2015, The International Association of Firefighters collaborated with Jeffrey Stull from the International Personal Protection, Inc. and conducted a study to test the effectiveness of turnout gear's ability to protect the permeation and penetration of exposure to a firefighters skin. They called it the Fluorescent Arsenal Screening Test.
This test involved a firefighter, who would be asked to exercise in an Arsenal filled room for 30 minutes and be evaluated on the amount of "arsenal" exposure left on his body. The 30 minutes represented one fire deployment. The firefighter went thorough an extensive shower cleaning prior to the test. Stull and his team provided this firefighter with clean turnouts and a brand new hood. The arsenal exposed room was 25ft by 50ft, at 70 degrees temperature and 50% relative humidity. After 30 minutes of exercise, they began the screening and the results were shocking.
There were very heavy aerosol deposits on the neck, cheeks, ears, and hair due to penetration through the hood. The dark bands below the ears were relatively clean areas that were covered by the mask straps.
The lower front torso showed moderate to heavy aerosol deposits, and the location and pattern suggest infiltration through the coat-trouser interface. The bright spots on the hands and wrists could have been due to aerosol penetration, an artifact from doffing, or a combination of both.
|
|