Number 21, September 1999

Radiation Safety Monthly Focus:
Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment

Personal protective clothing and equipment (PPE) for most radiation workers consists of disposable gloves, a lab coat and eye protection. Appropriate street clothing can help protect you when paired with proper PPE.

Let's start with gloves. Selecting the right glove for the hazard is essential. PVC used to be the most popular glove, recently supplanted by latex. But latex allergens bother some people and latex is not always the best barrier. New types of gloves on the market include nitrile and chloroprene. ORS can help you select the right glove for the job, and we will even give you a free pair each of chloroprene and nitrile gloves to try out. Always wear disposable gloves when handling any hazardous materials. Remove them when you leave the work area or lab. Never wear your gloves in public areas--always transport radioactive materials inside clean, secondary containers. Here is a special situation. Sodium iodide can easily penetrate the skin and some gloves; wear two pair of gloves and monitor the hands frequently with a survey meter. If you find contamination, remove and replace the outer pair.

Button up your lab coat so it protects your skin and clothing and will not catch on protruding objects. Many types of lab coat fabrics are available ranging up to some highly chemical-resistant (and expensive) materials.

Eye protection is required whenever hazardous materials are used in procedures with a potential splash hazard. It is a good idea to always wear it in the laboratory. Ordinary eyeglasses are not, by themselves, acceptable. You need safety glasses, safety glasses with side shields, goggles or a full face shield, depending on the work.

Lead aprons may be useful in situations where a radiation worker might be exposed to low-energy gamma radiation, say from dental or medical X-rays. However, in most laboratory situations it is better to shield the source. Lead aprons are heavy and bulky and don't protect the extremities or face anyway.

Finally, wear clothing of substantial fabrics (no shorts or T-shirts), and sturdy leather shoes (no sandals or canvas shoes).

May we remind you.

Animals do not belong on passenger elevators! An inspector from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) was on the Chicago campus recently, investigating a complaint that animals were being transported on passenger elevators. Granted, sometimes one or more of the freight elevators may be slow or out of commission in the Medical School complex, however it is the animal user's responsibility to try and avoid using the passenger elevators. There are many good reasons for this prohibition; passengers should not be unwilling subjects to animal pathogens and allergens or to what they may consider sensory, emotional or moral insults. Do not carry animals, radioactive materials, hazardous chemicals or pathogenic materials on passenger elevators.