Tabun

Recommendations for Personal Protective Equipment /PPE/ should be based on a site-based job hazard analysis of possible hazards including skin contact, air concentrations, heat stress, etc. All PPE should be used with appropriate additional administrative controls including medical surveillance, employee training, respirator fit-testing, and decontamination procedures to limit the potential for unforeseen adverse effects. /Nerve Agents/PPE for Emergency Responses Based Upon EPA's AEGLs

Protection Required	Concentration of Tabun
SKIN. If no splash or contact hazard: (1) General washable work clothing or disposable coverall; (2) Washable or disposable boots and gloves for general purpose protection.	<AEGL-1 (durations of 10 & 30 min and 1, 4, & 8 hr) to <50 x 8 hr AEGL-1
SKIN. If skin contact with liquid is a possibility: (1) Boots and gloves are mandatory; (2) Other chemical clothing required based on hazard assessment. Butyl rubber or layered impervious clothing which has received material and construction performance testing against tabun also required.	<AEGL-1 to <50 x 8 hr AEGL-1
SKIN. Level A/B protection /depending on vapor concentration/ ... Skin contact more likely with higher air levels. Butyl rubber or layered impervious clothing which has received material and construction performance testing against tabun	>50 x 8 hr AEGL-1
AIR. Any CBRN-approved or CWA tested Powered Air Purifying Loose Fitting Facepiece, hood or helmet and a NIOSH-approved CBRN filter or a combination organic vapor, acid gas, particulate cartridge/filter or any CBRN-approved or CWA tested Continuous Flow respirator with a Loose Fitting Facepiece, hood or helmet.	>AEGL-1 but <25 x 8 hr AEGL-1
AIR. Any CBRN-approved or CWA tested Tight Fitting Air Purifying or Powered Air Purifying Full Facepiece	>25 x 8 hr AEGL-1 but <50 x 8-hr AEGL-1
AIR. Any CBRN-approved or CWA tested Self Contained Breathing Apparatus with a Full Facepiece operated in a Pressure Demand Mode or any CBRN-approved or CWA tested Supplied Air Respirator with a Full Facepiece operated in a Pressure Demand Mode with an Auxiliary Escape Bottle	>50 x 8 hr AEGL-1

Wear protective gloves and clothing to prevent any reasonable probability of skin contact. Butyl rubber gloves and Tyvek "F" decontamination suit provide barrier protection against chemical warfare agents. Although resistant to liquid chemical agents, impermeable protective clothing may be penetrated after a few hours of exposure to heavy concentration of agent. Consequently, liquid contamination on clothing must be neutralized or removed as soon as possible. All protective clothing (suits, gloves, footwear, headgear) should be clean, available each day, and put on before work. Contact lenses should not be worn when working with this chemical. Wear splash-proof chemical goggles and face shield unless full face-piece respiratory protection is worn. Employees should wash immediately with soap when skin is wet or contaminated. Provide emergency showers and eyewash.

The PPE ensemble selected depends on the level of knowledge available regarding the chemical agent. Respirators chosen initially for responders into a known release area should be a positive pressure self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) with a Level A protective suit until monitoring results allow for other decisions. OSHA would generally require these respirators to be NIOSH-certified CBRN SCBA respirators for use by employees. Some chemical warfare agents have been shown to seriously degrade and damage some respirators. Respiratory protection specifically approved by NIOSH for CBRN exposures is highly desirable but where not available, the incident commander may allow alternative suitable respirators during emergency operations. These are, depending on exposure levels, other NIOSH approved SCBAs or full-face air purifying respirators, which have been specifically tested by the manufacturer as effective against chemical warfare agents. Respirators other than SCBAs may be selected based upon accurate monitoring results with appropriate limits of detection for the subject agent. When conditions have been determined to be appropriate for the use of air purifying respirators, a NIOSH-approved CBRN APR Full Facepiece Air Purifying Respirator (APR) with a CBRN Canister, or a Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA) tested full facepiece APR with a combination organic vapor/acid gas/particulate canister may be used. A list of CBRN approved SCBA and APR may be obtained from the NIOSH website...

...Butyl rubber or layered impervious clothing which has received material and construction performance testing against specific chemical agents by the manufacturer, the government or a third party testing agency using an accepted protocol.

Personal Protective Requirements: "G" series Nerve Agents pose both a severe respiratory and severe contact hazard. Wear appropriate fully encapsulating protective gear with positive pressure self contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). Structural firefighters' protective clothing is recommended for fire situations only; it is not effective in spill or release events. Thickened agents pose a less significant vapor hazard but a much more significant contact hazard. /"G" Series Nerve Agents/