EPA Levels of Protection
The individual components of clothing and equipment must be assembled into a full protective ensemble which both protects the worker from the site-specific hazards and minimizes the hazards and drawbacks of the PPE ensemble itself. PPE ensemble components are based on the widely-used EPA Levels of Protection: Levels A, B, C, and D.
Selecting Ensembles
The EPA Levels of Protection are used as a starting point to create PPE ensembles; however, you must tailor each ensemble to the specific situation to provide the most appropriate level of protection.
Level A Protection
Use Level A protection when:
- The chemical is identified and requires the highest level of respiratory, skin, and eye protection.
- Substances with a high degree of hazard to the skin are known or suspected to be present, and skin contact is possible.
- Operations must be conducted in confined, poorly ventilated areas until the absence of conditions requiring Level A protection is determined.
- The fully-encapsulating suit material must be compatible with the substances involved.
Equipment
The following constitute Level A equipment. It may be used as appropriate:
- positive pressure, full face-piece self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), or positive pressure supplied air respirator with escape SCBA, approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
- totally-encapsulating chemical-protective suit
- coveralls (1)
- long underwear (1)
- gloves, outer, chemical-resistant
- gloves, inner, chemical-resistant
- boots, chemical-resistant, steel toe and shank
- hard hat (under suit) (1)
- disposable protective suit, gloves and boots (depending on suit construction, may be worn over totally-encapsulating suit).
Footnote 1 Optional, as applicable.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
3-5. Which of the following EPA Levels of Protection requires the highest level of respiratory, skin, and eye protection?
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