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Posted By Lee Ainsworth
Has anyone used or have a contact for PPE that keeps the body cool?
A maintenance task, undertaken annualy, is to clean a molten caustic salt bath that has a working temperature of 455 degrees celsius, added to this, it's normally done in the summer shut down when the outside temperatures should be up. The caustic has to be pumped out at this temperature to prevent it setting hard. The employees wear chemical/heat resistant PPE while doing the job, which as you can imagine is hot work and they sweat a lot. While doing the job they have regular breaks and salt supplement drinks. The problem is, they want to get the hoods of as soon as possible and no matter how much extraction is in the area there is always an element of salt in the air which gets onto their faces and then burns with the mixture of sweat.
I would like to provide a good suit that provides a cooling process while wearing it.
can anyone help.
Thanks Lee
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Posted By Andy Petrie
McLaren formula one team are currently using a cooled, chemical resistant suit for their pit team. This has been developed by an independant company, who's name i can't remember. I suggest you contact McLaren direct to ask who supplies them with the suits.
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Posted By Lee Ainsworth
Andy,
Thanks for the response, don't suppose you have a means of contact for them do you? I've tried their web site with no luck.
I could still do with more help on this, if anybody out there has anything it would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Lee
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Posted By John Webster
The McLaren suit is from
Med-Eng Systems Inc.
2400 St. Laurent Blvd.
Ottawa, ON.
K1G 6C4
Canada
Tel: 1-613-739-9646
Fax: 1-613-739-4536
info@med-eng.com
www.med-eng.com
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Posted By Jim Sweetman
Lee,
Maybe your answer may not be in cool PPE.
PPE should only be provided as a last approach after all other controls have been used. Is there any specific reason why the operation must be carried out before the job has been suitably cooled down?
It might be worth while drawing people's attention to the Harvestine case. A number of people picked up fines, as well the company. In their case, they 'baked' two men to death, but there may be similar circumstances to your particular situation.
Hopefully, you may get a response from someone who deals with similar work to yourself. They will be able to provide practical guidance.
Regards
Jim
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Posted By Lee Ainsworth
Jim,
The salt has to stay at working temperature to be pumped out. Because of its properties if it was allowed to cool it would harden very quickly and block up the pumps. The area where the task is performed is quite open, risk assessments, safe working procedures and controls are in place. The workers don't actaully come into contact with the hot substance unless moisture or water hits it (thats another story) the problem is the general area is warm through the number of burners and furnaces. Once the workers put on their suits and start physically working it gets a lot hotter. Even when the burners are turned off which they will be after the salt has been pumped out, the suits will still have to be worn because of the dried salt in the environment which they will be removing.
Lee
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Posted By Lee Ainsworth
Thanks for the help on this.
I've found the suppliers to McLaren and e-mailed them for more info on the product. It sounds quite good on the web site.
Any more information that anybody has on this would be appreciated.
Lee
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Posted By Andy Petrie
If i was you I would try and arrange a visit of the McLaren factory and test site to see them in action. I would be more than happy to accompany you :0)
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