Demilitarization Protective Ensemble closeup

Performing maintenance work in DPE suits at NECDF

The Demilitarization Protective Ensemble (DPE) is a heat-sealed, one-time-use

positive pressure personnel suit Positive pressure personnel suits (PPPS)—or positive pressure protective suits, informally known as "space suits", "moon suits", "blue suits", etc.—are highly specialized, totally encapsulating, industrial protection inflatable garments wo ...

. These airtight suits are used by the

U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency The United States Army Chemical Materials Activity (CMA) is a separate reporting activity of the United States Army Materiel Command (AMC). Its role is to enhance national security by securely storing the remaining U.S. chemical warfare materie ...

to provide the highest level of protection against chemical agent exposure for workers accessing areas of

chemical weapon A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as ...

disposal plants where chemical weapons are disassembled and the agent destroyed. Workers at Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility and other disposal sites have successfully completed tens of thousands of entries into these areas wearing DPE suits. With supporting equipment, the suit weighs about 50 pounds. Donning the suit takes between 30 and 45 minutes, with the assistance of a team of dressers. The suit's primary air supply comes through a hose connection to purified air; a

self-contained breathing apparatus A self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is a respirator worn to provide an autonomous supply of breathable gas in an atmosphere that is immediately dangerous to life or health from a gas cylinder. They are typically used in firefighting a ...

provides 8 to 10 minutes of escape air in case the primary supply is disrupted. A

heart monitor A heart rate monitor (HRM) is a personal monitoring device that allows one to measure/display heart rate in real time or record the heart rate for later study. It is largely used to gather heart rate data while performing various types of ph ...

around the wearer's chest checks for signs of distress. The suit's gloves have three layers, with thick

butyl rubber Butyl rubber, sometimes just called butyl, is a synthetic rubber, a copolymer of isobutylene with isoprene. The abbreviation IIR stands for isobutylene isoprene rubber. Polyisobutylene, also known as "PIB" or polyisobutene, (C4H8)n, is the homop ...

gloves as the top layer, and the feet of the one-piece suit slip into butyl rubber boots that are then sealed to the suit. A radio transmitter provides contact with emergency backup personnel, the control room and other support staff.

References

{{U.S. Army Safety clothing Protective gear Environmental suits One-piece suits