CBR Suit Training

Disaster Preparedness and Management Unit

Background

Depending on incident location casualties will begin to arrive at hospitals within 30 minutes of impact. Most casualties arrive at the hospital within 1 to 1.5 hours of the first patient.

Masks are the conventional respiratory protection system used by ED staff. They rely on the lungs drawing air through the filter, negative pressure, thus extremely fatiguing. The close fitting mask also reduces communication. Their use requires constant practice. Additionally facial hair and glasses prevent the correct sealing of respiratory masks to the face.

Background

Hospitals are critical infrastructure and must be protected from contamination in order the maintain the capacity to treat patients and to protect staff.

Patients delivered to a hospital by ST John Ambulance (SJA) from the site of a CBR incident will have been decontaminated at the incident site. Those that self present will include contaminated and the worried well.

Background

Self presenters cannot be permitted to enter a hospital until they have been decontaminated. Hospitals must have the capacity to safely decontaminate all self presenters.

The protective dress to be worn by Hospital staff conducting decontamination of self presented is the LED 500 CBR.

Objective

To safely operate the supplied CBR suit

Before you get started

Change into scrubs Drink some water Know your designated role in the

decontamination team Go to the toilet Have your vital signs taken by the Safety Officer

Hazards of operating in CBR suit

Reduced sensory input Work performance impacts Physical effects on operator Communication Psychological factors

Reduced sensory input

Touch Reduced sensitivity Reduced manual dexterity

Mobility Impaired balance, reaction time and agility

Physical effects to operator

Body temperature and heart rate may increase Endurance times are reduced Warning signs will include

Changes in gait (staggering) Changes in speech (slurring) Changes in behaviour (erratic)

Many of these are difficult to monitor in CBR suit – this makes observation by ‘buddy’, communications and use of a safety officer essential.

Your equipment

In the bag Suit with camatril gloves attached Butyl outer gloves (optional) Blower – Gait C420 Belt assembly 2 filter cartridges Air pipe Contents list

Your equipment

Bag presentation (closed)

Your equipment

Bag presentation (open)

Your equipment

External

Lithium battery Boots Radio

GAIT Positive Air Pressure Blower

Lithium battery

Minimum 8 hours endurance Do not break or burn

Rechargeable battery

Minimum 8 hours use Recharge time varies Should be used for

training only

Filters

Training Operations

C420 PARP Blower

Fan speed control Pipe intake

Filter portsBattery Compartment

Donning of CBR suit

Always use a buddy!

Remove jewellery that might puncture the suit!

Step 1: Prepare blower

Belt through top loops

Attach Belt to the PAPR

Step 1: Prepare blower

Ensure belt has buckle facing out

Remove the covers from the PAPR and the filters

(place plastic covers from blower in bag)

Attach the filters to the PAPR

Then remove any remaining plastic covers

(place plastic covers in bag)

Unscrew the battery compartment and insert battery

Step 2: Don suit

Lay suit out flat and

inspect for damage

(both sides)

Open zip

Check glove size - change if necessary

To change gloves:

Turn sleeve inside out

O ring

Changing gloves

Remove rubber O ring

Remove glove.

Changing gloves (cont)

Ensure suit material covers plastic cuff with a 5 mm overhang

Place new glove on (remember to check glove is orientated correctly onto sleeve)

Plastic cuff covered by suit material

Changing gloves (cont)

Ensure glove overhangs plastic cuff by approx 5 mm.

Place on O ring (over glove onto first indentation then roll onto middle indentation).

Pull glove back through sleeve.

Feed the blower pipe through the pocket on the back of the suit. Attach pipe to the rear of the suit at back of head.

Ensure O ring is in

Attach pipe to blower

Turn on to highest setting: ensure air is being blown into suit.

Put your right leg into suit first then left leg

(Buddy to hold blower)

Put on boots

Ensure the outer covering sleeve is rolled back

Roll down outer covering sleeve

Head into hood first. If air is missing and you begin to fog do not proceed

Then arms into the suit and adjust gloves.

Buddy to do up zip.

Raise right arm to allow zip to go all the way to top.

Then close velcro

Buddy to secure PAPR around your waist. PAPR to sit on left hip.

You are now ready to go!

Step 3: Doffing

Always decontaminate first (use showers) Operator hold PAPR steady whilst buddy undoes belt Buddy unzips suits (do not turn off or disconnect blower) Buddy holds blower steady Operator removes arms from the sleeves and then lift

hood off Blower may now be turned off Sit down, place blower on table or on seat, remove boots Pull on toes end to remove suit legs

Doffing

Step out of suit Hand radio to supervisor, recharge batteries Replace plastic caps on blower and hose pipe,

ensure the O ring is in the end of the hose pipe

Cleaning

Wipe the inside and outside of the suit with a damp cloth

Do not use detergents Hang to dry naturally Inspect suit for damage

Step 4: Packing of suit

Remove battery from blower, hand to supervisor Remove operational filters, hand to supervisor or

remove training filters and place in bag Place blower, pipe, butyl gloves (if not used) and

belt in bag Blower to be places in mesh pocket bag

Step 4: Packing of suit

Place suit down on a soft surface

Pull up top suit and push in material that is behind the head to form a cavity

Fold arms to back of suit. Side of suit not to wider than width of visor

Fold legs up over arms

Fold up to base of hood (two folds required)

Fold into back of visor

Pack into bag with visor facing up