Development of a Test Apparatus/Method and Material Specifications for Protection from Steam under Pressure

摘要

Industrial steam presents a worker hazard that has not been addressed within the protective clothing industry to date, and traditional flame-resistant materials provide little protection against this hazard. A test method and associated equipment has been developed and evaluated against field measurements to ensure that the method is able to differentiate among materials and is representative of the actual hazard. A two-level system of ranking textiles has been suggested: Level 1-fabrics that would be used for everyday use, and Level 2-fabrics that could be used for higher risk operations. The two-level system proposed is based on energy transmitted through the material and time to the onset of a second-degree thermal injury.