Safety - Field Sampling: Principles and Practices in Environmental Analysis - page 92

TABLE 4.4 Sources of Personnel Contamination

Gases Permanent gases—may be toxic, flammable,
explosive, or all three.
Compressed gas Gas can escape, sometimes with autoignition,
slowly or explosively from compressed gas
containers. Gases may be toxic, explosive,
flammable, or all three.
Organic liquids May be toxic or produce flammable gas or
explosive situations. All three can be produced at
the same time, especially when the liquid is heated.
Hot metal can cause ignition. Some organic
compounds can be absorbed through the skin.

Inorganic
liquids

The most common inorganic liquid is mercury,
which is toxic. It and its compounds may be
absorbed through the skin. Mercury fumes are also
toxic.

Inorganic
liquids and
solutions

Containers of concentrated solutions may release
gas when opened. Contact of solutions with other
chemicals may release toxic, explosive, or
flammable gases or all three. Contact with skin can
cause burns.

Organic and
inorganic solids

Can sublimate, releasing flammable, toxic,
explosive gases. May be absorbed through the skin.

Unknown
gases, liquids,
and solids

Unless otherwise known, all unknown materials
encountered are considered to fall into one of the
above categories and may be a mixture of two or
more of them.

4.6. PERSONNEL PROTECTION

Sampling a field involves entering it with personnel and equipment, and both need to be
protected from contamination while the sampling is being done. Once sampling is
completed personnel and equipment exiting the site need to be decontaminated [9]. This
means washing, and thus an appropriate area needs to be constructed for cleaning both
personnel and contaminated clothing and safety equipment. Washwater and other
contaminated materials need to be cleaned or disposed of in an appropriate manner to
prevent the spread of contamination outside the field. This is especially true for shoes or
shoe coverings.
Appropriate safety equipment must be available at both the field office and in the field.
Table 4.5 provides a list of common safety equipment that should be available. In
addition to these items there may be specialized safety equipment needed for unique
sampling situations. Careful thought about the sampling situation and the types of