DuPont Tychem protective suits are designed for limited wear and they can be safely used until damaged, deteriorated, or contaminated. Once a suit is contaminated by toxic chemicals, it must be discarded. If the suit is damaged during use, the responder must immediately retreat, undergo field decontamination, remove and discard the suit. It is the responsibility of the safety professional who is in charge of the garment’s usage to determine whether it has been contaminated or it can safely be re-used.

There is no known standard, non-destructive way to assure that decontamination of a chemical personal protective suit has been totally achieved. Guidelines are difficult to obtain. Also, because many fabrics are absorbent, there is the possibility that the chemical could remain in the suit after decontamination. This is especially true in very hazardous chemical situations, (Level A), where unknown or very toxic, or carcinogens are present. Here, the safest method of decontamination is disposal.

A Chemical Suit Should Be Disposed Of:

• After a Level A situation where it has been exposed to unknown chemicals.
• If it  has been exposed to toxic chemicals such as mutagens, or carcinogens.
• If the suit is damaged, has tears, punctures, discoloration, is deformed or misshapen.
• If it shows any signs of wear or deterioration.
• If the suit does not pass the positive pressure test.

Decontamination And Re-use May Be A Possibility If:

• The suit has a low degree of contamination with a known, non-toxic chemical.
• It has been in contact with non-carcinogens or chemicals that are not absorbed through the skin.
• The suit has had a low degree of chemical exposure.
• There is no physical damage to the suit.  

The Tychem Responder®, Responder CSM®, and Reflector® suits all provide a very high level barrier against a variety of 260 chemicals. If there is any question of contamination, the suit should be discarded and properly disposed of.

Removable suits that are made of materials such as PVE, CPE, Butyl and others are able to ‘hold out’ well against specific chemicals. These suits are appropriate for use against many Level A (gases) and Level B (liquids) in industrial situations where there are known chemical hazards. In this case, if the chemical is known, decontamination might be practical.

Before the protective suit is re-used, it should be thoroughly inspected following the DuPont Tychem Garment Inspection procedure. It should also pass pressure and inflation testing as outlined in the DuPont Personal Protection Instruction Manual for Universal Pressure Test Kit. If it fails any portion of the inspection, it should be discarded and not worn.