182 Disposable chemical protection Protection against infectious diseases Workers may come into contact with biological substances in a wide range of situations. Appropriate personal protective equipment must be used to prevent potential infection. Clothing designed to provide protection against infectious diseases establishes a physical barrier between the wearer’s skin and the source of the infection, and prevents the disease from spreading to other people or environments. Generally, micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses are classed as biological substances. A detailed definition is provided in EU Directive 2000/54/EC. The crucial common denominator between all of these materials is that they can cause infections, trigger allergies, or produce a toxic effect. Biological substances are placed in one of four categories depending on the infection risk they present: Risk group 1: Biological substances that are unlikely to cause disease in humans. Risk group 2: Biological substances that can cause human disease and might be a hazard to workers, but are unlikely to spread to the community; there is usually effective prophylaxis or treatment available. Risk group 3: Biological substances that can cause severe human disease and present a serious hazard to workers; they may present a risk of spreading to the community, but there is usually effective prophylaxis or treatment available. Risk group 4: Biological substances that cause severe human disease and are a serious hazard to workers; they may present a high risk of spreading to the community, and there is usually no effective prophylaxis or treatment available. The risk groups of each biological substance are described in detail in the annex to EU Directive 2000/54/EC. Typical applications in which workers may be exposed to infectious substances include: • Waste water treatment and drainage work • Waste disposal • Agriculture • Food industry • Work that involves contact with animals and/or products of animal origin • Healthcare, hospitals, emergency services A detailed list of all biological substances that you may be exposed to in various applications, and the potential diseases associated with these substances, can be found in a number of publications, including the BGIA Report 1/2013. Protective clothing in accordance with EN 14126:2003 The EN 14126 standard defines the performance requirements for clothing designed to protect against infectious diseases. The defined test procedures focus on the medium that contains the micro-organisms, such as fluids, aerosols or solid dust particles. Due to the heterogeneous nature of the micro-organisms, it is not possible to define performance criteria for them. The tests stipulated by the standard relate only to the material; seam technologies are not taken into account. Taped seams provide a higher level of protection, as the micro-organisms are small enough to penetrate through the tiny needle holes along the seam. The entire protective suit must also be certified as chemical protection clothing (see page 183). Wearing appropriate protective clothing does not provide complete, guaranteed protection against all chemical risks. It is also essential that you put on and remove the PPE correctly to ensure safety (see page 184). Any person who assists in the removal of the clothing is also exposed to the risk of contamination. Model uvex 3B chem classic uvex 3B chem light uvex 4B uvex 5/6 classic uvex 5/6 classic light Art. no. 89880 89843 98375, 89094 98449 17595, 17596 ISO/FDIS 16604/16603 Resistance to contaminated liquids 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6 EN 14126 appendix A Resistance due to mechanical contact with substances containing contaminated liquids 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6 6 of 6 ISO/DIS 22611 Resistance to contaminated liquid aerosols 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3 ISO/DIS 22612 Resistance to contaminated solid particles 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3 3 of 3
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