Oil and Gas Personal Protective Equipment
Frontline professionals in the oil and gas industry face a vast number of life-threatening chemical hazards on a daily basis.
Danger lurks in every activity, from building well foundations and erecting lease tanks, to chemically treating or hydraulically fracturing wells.
In off-shore drilling, the dangers range from blow-outs, hydrogen sulphide gas during drilling, heavy metals and benzene present in crude, to asbestos, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid and normally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs).
Even in normally safe refineries, certain activities – process sampling, inspection, handling or recharging catalyst – pose chemical risks as high as anywhere else on the planet. Risk is also higher during regularly scheduled maintenance and repair shutdowns.
Workers are also potentially exposed to flames and fires and other consequences of explosions.
Workers need strong protection against all of these potential perils, and to be able to comfortably work in their protective garments for their entire shift.
DuPont seeks to provide durable solutions that help resist and repel lethal exposure.
DuPont™ Tyvek® and DuPont™ Tychem®
As well as being antistatically treated, Tyvek® and Tychem® coveralls can help offer much needed protection against chemicals and particulates.
The Tyvek® Classic Xpert and Tyvek® Classic Plus single-use coveralls help offer inherent protection against fine particles and low pressurised inorganic water-based chemicals of low concentration, while being robust, breathable and comfortable. They are well-suited for a broad range of tasks.
The range of single-use chemical protective coveralls made of Tychem® help offer lightweight yet tough protection starting at low toxic chemicals up to biological hazards. Garments made of Tychem® are typically used in areas as diverse as petroleum refining, natural gas supply, factory decommissioning, land decontamination, industrial tank cleaning and spill clean-up. They are particularly suitable for jobs with frequent exposure to dangerous chemicals, such as maintenance and repair – particularly Tychem® F, for its excellent barrier to a broad range of organic chemicals, and Tychem® F2, for its reinforced strength.
DuPont™ Nomex®
The flame-resistant properties of Nomex® fibre are inherent in the molecular structure of the fibre and not chemically added, which means they cannot be washed or worn away.
Garments made of Nomex® are comfortable, breathable, and resistant to tears and abrasion. They also offer an excellent return on investment, since the thermal protection is built right in, and will not wear off or wash out over time.
Not only does Nomex® fibre offer inherent flame-resistant properties but most Nomex® solutions also include a permanent antistatic fibre. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can generate sparks with energy levels sufficient to ignite surrounding vapours, aerosols of flammable liquids or dust particles, leading to an explosion. The fibre’s antistatic property is therefore fundamental to helping protect workers in such hazardous environments.
Moreover, limited-flame spread coveralls made of DuPont™ ProShield® FR can easily be worn over flame-resistant garments made of Nomex® fibre, thus helping to protect the workers from contamination, and also the primary flame-resistant reuseable garments.
For more detailed information on the use of DuPont products in downstream and upstream activities, please click here.
DUPONT PRODUCTS & SERVICES
Tyvek® Classic Xpert Coveralls
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Arc-Guide
The DuPont™ Arc-Guide helps companies understand and manage an electrical hazard that is deadly, yet gets frequently overlooked.
Arc-Man® Test
Tyvek® Classic Plus Coveralls
Tychem® F2 Coveralls
Tychem® C Coveralls
DUPONT BRAND OFFERINGS
INFORMATION & IDEAS
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Nomex® & the Thermo-Man® Test
DuPont™ Thermo-Man® is a life-size mannequin equipped with 122 heat sensors dressed in test garments and exposed to a flash fire with temperatures rising up to 1,000°C.
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Gloves made of Kevlar® Q&A
View answers to some of the most frequently asked questions DuPont receives about industrial gloves made of Kevlar® fibre.
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Nomex® & Thermal Protection Performance Test
The Thermal Protection Performance Test measures the thermal protection level of a fabric.
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Nomex® Garment Weight Benefits
Typical protective fabrics made of Nomex® fibres can be up to 40% lighter than cotton and cotton-blended fabrics which were treated with flame-retardant chemicals.
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Protecting Nomex® Production
The DuPont™ Nomex® Partner Program is a carefully-selected network of customer-oriented and progressive weavers and garment manufacturers in Europe who adhere to the rigorous quality controls of DuPont for their fabrics and garments. A unique label on the garment aids identification and provides customers in Europe with a quality mark from reputable suppliers who offer genuine products with Nomex®.
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Nomex® for Extra Seconds of Safety
Extensive testing shows that Nomex® fibre has remarkably low heat transfer. Under flash fire conditions, it helps provide firefighters valuable extra seconds of safety when they’re needed most.
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Nomex® for Heat Stress Protection
Heat stress is a dangerous condition in any situation, but for firefighters it can be especially life threatening. In fact, heat stress is the number-one cause of casualties among firefighters. Nomex® fibre helps reduce heat stress due to its higher air permeability.
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Cost Effectiveness of Nomex®
DuPont™ Nomex® fibre is a highly cost-effective solution in terms of cost per wear thanks to its exceptional durability.
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Nomex® Moisture Management Benefits
Fabrics and garments made of DuPont™ Nomex® help enable light-weight solutions with excellent moisture management.
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Nomex® for Lower Wear-Life Cost
Today’s firefighters need to be able to optimise budget vs. performance, without compromising on safety. For decades DuPont™ Nomex® fibre has demonstrated lasting protective performance, while helping to minimise repair and maintenance costs.
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Electric Static Discharge Protection Nomex®
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can lead to the generation of sparks with energy levels sufficient to ignite possible surrounding vapours, aerosols of flammable liquids or dust particles, leading to an explosion.
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Electric Arc Protection - Nomex®
In order to choose adequate protective clothing, the potential incident heat energy (in units of energy per surface area) caused by an electric arc and to which a worker may be exposed, needs to be calculated in a thorough risk assessment.