How DuPont Weaves Sustainability into PPE for Machining, Metalworking

The coding system helps employers comply with standards set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the nation’s top workplace safety regulator.

The agency requires that businesses provide appropriate PPE to workers whose duties expose them to hazards including flying debris, chemicals and toxic substances, and failure to comply can be costly.

In the year through September 2022, the agency issued 497 citations and imposed $1.19 million in penalties for violations.

OSHA rules also make employers responsible for maintaining PPE, training employees to use it correctly and identifying the most appropriate items for each job.

With chemical protective gear, in particular, important considerations in selection include fabric technology, fabric testing and seam construction, DuPont says. Here’s a more detailed look at each, according to the company:

Fabric Technologies

Protective clothing today is often made from one of five materials. In descending order of protective capabilities, DuPont says, those are:

• DuPont™ Tychem®: Fabrics exclusive to DuPont that protect wearers from a broad range of hazards including heavy chemical exposure.
• DuPont™​ Tyvek®: Also exclusive to DuPont, Tyvek features high-density polyethylene fibers entangled into a protective material, with no filters or thin films that can wear away and reduce effectiveness, the company says.
• Microporous films (MPF): Bi-laminate with a thin microporous layer atop a spunbonded polypropylene nonwoven. The protective barrier is lost when the film layer wears away.
• Spunbond-meltblown-spunbond (SMS): Fabrics made with this technology rely on the meltblown polypropylene layer in the middle of the open tri-laminate polypropylene structure to act as the main filter against particles.
• Spunbond polypropylene (SBPP): With a highly open structure, this breathable tear-resistant fabric offers limited barrier protection.

Fabric Testing

The two primary categories of tests for protective garments are for penetration, which gauges vulnerability to particles that might get through a pore, hole or other defect; and permeation, which measures movement through the suit on a molecular level, the company says.

The latter method is critical for fabrics used in areas containing hazardous liquids, vapors or gases.

Seam Construction

Seams are key to the protective capabilities of chemical PPE, so determining whether they can stand up to the demands of particular jobs is crucial. Otherwise, a loose thread or gap can allow hazards to penetrate the barrier. Common types of seams, according to DuPont, include:

• Serged or sewn: Three threads interlocked around the raw edges of two pieces of fabric for a strong, stress-resistant connection.
• Bound: Tightly sewn with a reinforced outer binding to increase the strength of the seam and its barrier against hazards. This method guards against misting of non-hazardous liquids and particle penetration.
• Taped: In addition to being sewn together, seams are taped to provide strong protection from chemicals in heavy liquid splashes as well as tough resistance.
• Double-taped: Seams are sewn together, then taped on both the inside and outside for a very strong chemical- and stress-resistant connection.                  

For PPE buyers unsure about which gear is best suited to particular jobs, DuPont offers assistance through its web-based SafeSPEC™ tool.

Available on desktop browsers as well as mobile apps, SafeSPEC™ provides information on the complete range of DuPont PPE garments and accessories, including Tyvek®, Tychem®, Kevlar® and Nomex®.

The tool can analyze up to five chemicals or other hazards simultaneously and allows users to search not only by hazard but by industry or pre-saved scenarios. To shop DuPont products, click here.

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