Chemical protective clothing standard test method development: Part II. Degradation test method.

A "round-robin" interlaboratory evaluation of a proposed American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard test method was conducted for measuring the resistance of chemical protective clothing materials to degradation by liquid chemicals. The objective of this project was to determine the relative precision of the method and, where appropriate, recommend modifications that would improve reliability. In the round-robin format, eight laboratories used the proposed method to test each of five protective clothing materials against five liquid chemicals that are widely used commercially. The resulting data revealed that the proposed test method was not stringent enough to generate acceptable levels of accuracy and precision. Both intra- and interlaboratory standard deviations showed a high degree of variability in changes for the three physical properties evaluated. Changes in the method were identified which, if implemented, should improve accuracy and precision considerably.

Resurrecting the art of risk control.

The author defines risk control as the process of minimizing accidental and other extraordinary losses by anticipating and preventing unplanned events. Loss control, on the other hand, is defined as the process of minimizing accidental and other extraordinary losses by containing unplanned events after they occur. By these definitions, many people who think they practice risk control are actually practicing loss control. A few people who practice loss control are actually practicing risk control.

Removal of cyanoacrylate vapor from work spaces by activated carbon.

The purpose of this research program was to evaluate several gas sorbents for methyl-2-cyanoacrylate vapor collection efficiency and service life in portable, recirculating room air filters. Two acid carbons were found to be effective and are recommended for further evaluation under actual field conditions.