Contamination Control - Protective Clothing and Equipment

Vocabulary flashcards covering protective clothing, gloves, foot protection, respiratory devices, and facility PPE requirements from the Contamination Control training material.

Cloth Coveralls

Protective clothing that provides protection from low to moderate levels of dry contamination; protection is low when wet or during prolonged contact, and they are not effective against highly permeable radionuclides like tritium and gases.

Plastic Coveralls

Protective garments providing protection against high levels of dry contamination and wet contamination, but offering only limited protection against tritium and other highly permeating radionuclides.

Disposable Coveralls

Coveralls (such as Tyvek suits) that provide moderate protection from radioactive contamination and are used for mixed hazards (e.g., asbestos, PCBs) where reuse is not desirable; they can tear fairly easily.

Outer Personal Clothing Restriction

The standard specifying that, at a minimum, outer personal clothing should not be worn under protective clothing when entering High Contamination Areas or during work requiring a double set of protective clothing.

Surgical Gloves

Lightweight hand protection used as a minimal requirement in light contamination work areas requiring high dexterity; they are fairly easy to tear or puncture.

Rubber Gloves

Lightweight gloves with a good gripping surface used in moderate to heavy contamination areas, offering greater puncture, abrasion, and solvent resistance than surgical gloves but lower dexterity.

Neoprene Gloves

Synthetic rubber gloves, typically arm-length, mounted to containment devices (such as gloveboxes, glovebags, or cabinets) to provide a gas-tight seal and protect workers handling highly contaminated materials.

Glove Taping and Tabbing

The procedure of taping gloves to the sleeves of lab coats, coveralls, or plastic suits, with a folded tab left on the tape to permit easy removal.

Cotton Glove Liners

Liners worn inside standard gloves for comfort, which should never be worn alone or treated as an actual layer of contamination protection.

Leather or Canvas Work Gloves

Heavy-duty gloves worn either in place of or in addition to standard gloves during work activities requiring additional strength or abrasion resistance.

Booties

Foot protection items made of plastic or cloth (sometimes referred to as cloth shoe covers) used to protect the lower leg area below the coveralls from contamination.

Shoe Covers

Protective coverings made of plastic or rubber worn over booties to add a second layer of protection and provide traction; they may be taped to pant legs depending on contamination levels and job type.

Full Face Respirators

Respiratory protection devices used to filter particulate radionuclides and/or radioactive iodine from breathing air when the ambient atmosphere is not immediately dangerous to life and health.

Supplied Air Systems

Respiratory systems that prevent inhalation of particulate and gaseous radionuclides in atmospheres that are not immediately life-threatening.

Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

A device that supplies a portable source of breathing air to the user when entering an atmosphere that may be immediately dangerous to life and health (IDLH).

Respiratory Protection Prerequisites

The three mandatory criteria—medical approval, training, and fit testing—that must be fulfilled and verifiable in the field prior to using any respiratory protection.

Respirator Fit Requirements

Field requirements mandating that male wearers be clean-shaven in the sealing area and that all wearers perform user fit checks to ensure a proper seal prior to entry.

Radiological Personnel Protective Equipment Procedures

Documented procedures and attachments providing guidance on selecting and using PPE and respiratory gear to control external and internal exposure to radioactive contamination.

Radiological PPE Authorized Use Policy

The principle stating radiological PPE must be used strictly for radiological control purposes; using PPE beyond authorized boundaries violates ALARA principles, increases waste, and hinders worker performance.

PPE Requirements Variations

Modifications or additions to PPE requirements justified by other safety, radiological, or physical factors (such as heat stress), which require concurrence from Radiological Control Management.