Respirex Frontair 2 Suit User manual

BS\076\C\2019
Instructions for use of
Frontair 2 Suit
EN
EN1073-1:1998

Contents
General Information .....................................................................................1
Limitations & Warnings ...............................................................................2
Pre-Checks .......................................................................................................3
Maximum and Minimum Air ow ............................................................4
Donning Procedure ......................................................................................5
Doffi ng Procedure .........................................................................................6
Tear-Off Doffi ng/Evacuation Strip (optional) ......................................7
Inspection Of Component Parts ..............................................................7
Instructions For Use Of Fall Arrest Harness ..........................................8
Use Of Optional Welding Face Screen ...................................................9
Fitting Face screen ........................................................................................9
Care & Maintenance of Visors/Face Screens ......................................10
Storage ............................................................................................................10
CHEMPROTEX™ 300 suit Type 3 and Type 4 .......................................11
Material Performance Data ......................................................................11
Protection against infective agents ......................................................11
Product Labelling ........................................................................................12
Sizing ...............................................................................................................13
EU Declaration of Conformity .................................................................14

General Information
The Respirex Frontair 2 suit is designed for use within certain contaminated environments only.
You must carefully read and follow these operating instructions closely.
The suit is designed as a single use garment and should not be re-used.
The suit must be supplied with breathable air from an external compressed air source providing
positive pressure. The quality of breathing air  owing into the suit unit must comply with EN12021.
All Respiratory Protective Clothing is CE marked to indicate compliance with the European
Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment (PPE). The Frontair 2 suit complies
with EN 1073-1:1998 (ventilated protective clothing against particulate radioactive contamination);
this speci es the performance requirements for the suit and its materials of construction. Physical
performance results for the main material of construction are detailed on page 11 of these User
Instructions.
In addition the Frontair 2 suit in the Chemprotex™ 300 fabric, complies with the requirements of
EN 14605: 2005 +A1: 2009 for protective clothing against liquid chemicals with liquid-tight (Type
3) or spray-tight (Type 4) connections.
Air  owing into the suit is divided into two streams, 50%  ows to the hood for breathing purposes
and 50% is fed to the arms and legs via a network of internal tubes to provide ventilation. The
internal air system is permanently  tted and cannot be removed from the suit.
The suit provides a class 5 (50,000) nominal protection factor according to EN 1073-1:1998.
1

Limitations & Warnings
• The garment must only be used in the hazardous area for which it is intended. Always follow
the instructions carefully otherwise the protection off ered by the garment may be drastically
aff ected.
• The user shall be the sole judge for the correct combination of full body protective coverall
and ancillary equipment (gloves, boots, respiratory equipment etc) and how long the suit can
be worn on a speci c application with respect to its protective performance, wearer comfort
or heat stress.
• Suit designed for single use only. Do NOT re-use
• At high work rates the pressure in the suit may become negative at peak inhalation  ow or
during bending or squatting.
• Adequate protection may not be provided by the suit in atmospheres that are immediately
dangerous to life or health (IDLH).
• The suit must NOT be used with oxygen only or oxygen enriched air.
• The internal air system features a silencer which cannot be removed. If the silencer becomes
blocked there will be a reduced air  ow to the suit. To prevent the possibility of the silencer
becoming blocked, breathing air must be adequately  ltered at all times.
• Care must be taken to ensure that the suit is being used from the correct length and bore of
air supply hose as a low air ow may cause a less effi cient protection.
• In order to achieve the claimed protection of TYPE 3 (liquid-tight) and TYPE 4 (spray-tight)
chemical protective clothing it is necessary to externally “tape-seal” the zipper  aps of suits
manufactured from laminate materials using a suitable liquid impermeable tape.
• Wearers of Frontair 2 suits should be physically  t and capable of wearing the garments under
the anticipated conditions of work. If in doubt please seek medical guidance before wearing.
• The suit is manufactured from non-breathable materials. Persons who show any signs
of excessive stress such as fever, nausea, dizziness, eye irritation, diffi culty in breathing,
becoming fatigued or any unusual order or taste should leave the work area immediately and
remove themselves from the suit.
• Materials used in the construction of Frontair 2 suits are not known to cause allergic reactions
to the majority of individuals. Frontair 2 suits contain no components made from natural
rubber latex.
• Stored in its normal packaging Frontair 2 suits have a maximum shelf-life of 10 years.
• Always use compatible PPE, e.g. gloves and safety boots advised by Respirex.
For any enquiries please contact the Respirex customer services department on
Tel : [phone], Fax : [phone] or Email : [e-mail]
2

3
Pre-Checks
Under the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations 2002 and the European
Regulation (EU) 2016/425, a thorough examination of respiratory protection equipment (RPE) is
required to be undertaken in a clean area at least once per month if the garment has not been
used. When in use Respirex recommend that the RPE is always checked before the start of each
shift cycle. These inspections are required to ensure that the RPE will perform as intended and is
free from defects.
Each inspection must be recorded and the following noted : date, serial number, name of examiner,
condition of the equipment and details of any defect found. The inspection records will be kept by
relevant Health & Safety departments for a period of at least  ve years.
1. Visually inspect the suit for any damage that may impair correct operation.
2. Ensure that the breathing air pack is securely attached and is not damaged.
3. The suit is free from contamination both internally and externally.
4. The suit is free from tears and holes; paying particular attention to the seam areas.
5. Vision through the visor is not obscured by large scratches or scuff marks.
6. Respirex recommend that the exhalation valves are part of the visual pre-check. If the valve
diaphragm is distorted or damaged in any way it must be replaced.
Inspection of the compressed air supply tube (medium pressure connecting hose) which supplies
breathing quality air to the operator must be carried out at least once per month and before each
shift cycle and the results recorded.
During the inspection the following should be checked:
1. Lines are clean externally.
2. Lines are free from damage (holes, splits, etc).
3. Air line coupling connections are in good working order.
Submerge in water to locate any leaks if any sign of external damage is evident.
Report any defects to the supervisor and record them. The compressed air supply tube must NOT
be used until the defect has been recti ed.

Maximum and Minimum Air ow
The air ow to the suit must be within the range.
Maximum 600 litres/min (21.2 CFM).
Minimum 265 litres/min (9.4 CFM).
The suit is approved for use with the following combinations of hose length and pressure range to
achieve the  ow rates above:
Pressure range of 3.2 bar - 4.6 bar at supply (46 psi - 67 psi).
The suit must be connected with a minimum hose length of 10m and a maximum hose length of
60m. A maximum of one joint is permissible in any intermediate hose length between 10m and
60m, e.g 2 x 15m, 2 x 20m or 2 x 30m.
Notes:
• Bore size of hose must be 9.5mm.
• Hose lengths of 10m must have no joints.
If the end-user’s pressure range falls outside that detailed above, or hose lengths/bore sizes are
diff erent to those speci ed, contact Respirex International Ltd for further information.
High/Low  ow control valve
A control valve is  tted which can vary the air ow into the suit. By turning the valve between
maximum (+) and minimum (-) the air ow will be vary by approximately one third. Note: the suit
must be connected with the hose lengths speci ed to achieve this range.
4
Air In Air In
To suit To suit
Increase
flow
decrease
flow

5
Donning Procedure
It is strongly recommended that before anybody attempts to wear or use a Frontair 2 suit, full
training is given on wearing and decontamination by a competent person and the details of the
training recorded. For safety purposes it is best to have an assistant to help you don and doff the
suit. This makes the process easier and quicker and you will avoid stumbling or tripping which may
result in personal injury or damage to the suit.
Note: The suit is designed to have footwear worn internally.
Follow these steps in putting on the suit:
1. With suits manufactured from PVC fully open the outer and inner zippers. These can be
 tted either vertically or horizontally at the rear of the suit or horizontally across the chest.
Fig. 1 shows a suit with a vertically  tted rear zipper arrangement. Suits manufactured from
laminate material have a single zipper  tted either vertically or horizontally at the rear of the
suit or horizontally across the chest.
2. With the aid of an assistant step into the lower half of the suit and slide your feet down the
legs into the integral feet (Fig. 1). Fasten the ankle ties securely in a bow (Fig. 2).
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
3. Raise the suit to waist level, arrange the waist
belt comfortably and fasten  rmly.
4. Connect the suit to an air source supplying air
compliant with EN12021 (Fig. 3). Ensure that
the air supply hose is fed through the support
attached to the suit.
5. With the help of the dressing assistant lift the
suit up onto the shoulders and place your
arms into the sleeves.

6. Pull the hood of the suit over your head (air supply MUST be connected).
7. With PVC suits the dressing assistant should close the inner and outer zippers, (Fig. 4).
or
For suits manufactured from laminate materials, peel off the backing paper from the self-
adhesive strips attached to the outer zip  ap and seal down securely against the suit. The
outer zip  ap should then be taped externally using a suitable liquid impermeable tape. It is
important that the outer  ap is evenly sealed down to ensure that the suit in ates correctly
and to provide the necessary degree of protection against inward leakage. Do not attempt to
enter the working environment before sealing down the outer zip  ap.
8. The suit will now in ate fully, (Fig. 5).
On completion of the donning procedure the wearer is now ready to enter the work environment.
Doffi ng Procedure
Note: The person assisting in the doffi ng procedure should be wearing appropriate PPE selected
by quali ed safety personnel.
1. The assistant should unfasten the outer and inner zipper (remove taping where appicable).
2. With the aid of the assistant pull the hood of the suit forwards over the head and remove arms
from the sleeves
3. Lower the suit to the waist and disconnect from the compressed air supply.
4. Lower the suit to ground level, unfasten ankle ties and step out suit.
5. After use decontaminate or dispose according to your company procedures.
6
Fig. 4 Fig. 5

Tear-Off Doffi ng/Evacuation Strip (optional)
Suits manufactured from PVC and PU materials can be supplied with a ‘tear-off ’ strip  tted
horizontally across the chest. Under normal conditions this can be used as means of rapidly
doffi ng the suit. Alternatively the strip can be used in emergencies to enable rapid doffi ng of the
suit for evacuation purposes.
Simply grasp one end of the strip from an outstretched arm (Fig. 7) and tear across the chest.
Remove arms from sleeves, withdraw head from hood, lower suit to ground level and unfasten
ankle ties. Step out of the suit (Fig. 7).
Note: Once the evacuation strip has been utilised the suit is no longer operational.
This feature is not available on suits manufactured from laminate materials.
Inspection Of Component Parts
A regular inspection program should be conducted by employees.
The Frontair suit and all component parts and assemblies should be inspected for damage before
each use to ensure proper functioning. Immediately remove the suit from service and replace parts
or assemblies that show any sign of failure that might reduce the degree of protection originally
provided.
Use only Respirex components and replacement parts.
7
Fig. 7
Fig. 6

Instructions For Use Of Fall Arrest Harness
Note: Option only available on suits manufactured from 300 micron PVC with horizontally  tted
zippers.
8
Fig. 10
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
WARNING : This facility must only be used in conjunction with
a fall arrest harness approved to EN 361:2002 with a back ‘D’
ring  xing and a portable Respirex retractable airline hose reel.
Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for use,
inspection and cleaning of safety belts and harnesses.
1. Don the fall arrest harness according to manufacturer’s
instructions ensuring that the back ‘D’ ring  xing point is
between the wearer’s shoulder blades. See Fig. 8.
2. Don the suit as outlined on page 5 as far as stage 5.
3. Pull the harness trunk on the suit inside out and down
towards the ‘D’ ring  xing point of the fall arrest harness.
Connect the ‘D’ ring on the fall arrest harness to the internal
harness link using a connector approved to EN 362:2004.
See Fig. 9.
4. Complete the donning procedure for the suit as described
on page 6.
5. Attach the exterior harness link on the suit to an inertia
block fall arrest device approved to EN 360:2002
NOTE: When an suit is being worn in conjunction with a fall
arrest harness the trunk at the rear of the hood must concertina
 at towards the wearer’s neck. This is to ensure that in the event
of a fall the movement of the harness is taken up by the trunk.
This prevents damage occurring to the suit. See Fig. 10.
At no time must the operator work at greater than 1m horizontal
distance from the attachment point on the inertia block fall
arrest device.
At all times the operator must maintain a quantity of slack
airline at their working location, thus avoiding any potential for
the airline hose to become stress loaded in the event of a fall. At
least 5m of coiled hose must remain wound onto the portable
Respirex retractable hose reel, which will then be carried by the
operator and attached to a point immediately adjacent to the
working location.