English

 

ProtecPo is software for the pre-selection of polymeric materials used to make protective gloves, clothing and boots for use with chemical substances.

This software was designed to help users to choose the most appropriate skin protection material, in particular for protection against substances and mixtures of substances. 

 

Three types of search are possible with ProtecPo:

- A search by substance or mixture of substances, based on a list of over 10,250 entries. The results of this type of search are presented as a list of recommended materials.

- A search by substance family (alcohols, hydrocarbons, etc.). The result is presented as a table indicating the level of compatibility between the different substances in the family and the materials using three categories: "resistant", "partially resistant" or "non resistant".

- A search by polymeric material based on the 5 materials listed (butyl, fluoroelastomere [Viton ®], latex, polychloroprene [Neoprene®] and nitrile). The results are presented as a list of substances compatible with the selected protective material.

These results are predictive. They are based on modelling of interactions between chemical substances and polymeric materials using Charles M. Hansen's three-dimensional theory of solubility. Ideally, the materials recommended by ProtecPo should be validated in practical tests.

General recommendations for the choice of protective gloves, clothing and boots for protection against a chemical risk.

Individual protective equipment (IPE) constitutes the final barrier protecting against chemical risks. They should only be used as a last resort, in complement to collective protective measures (work in a closed system, automisation, manipulation using tools, etc.). IPE must be appropriate to the risk to be prevented, adapted to the worker and compatible with the work to be performed. Their selection will therefore be guided by an analysis of the workstation. Links to INRS practical data sheets:

ED 112 Gloves for chemical risks

ED 127 Choosing protective clothing for chemical risks

Cautionary note for the use of ProtecPo software

ProtecPo is a tool helping users to select polymer materials for skin protection when working with substances. ProtecPo's selection algorithm is based on robust modelling of the interactions between substances and polymers, it has been enriched and validated by the addition of physico-chemical and empirical data from several sources. Nevertheless, it remains possible that the algorithm may make a selection error. ProtecPo's recommendations should be considered as a first step in the selection of polymers, helping to orient your choice towards appropriate skin protection. However, they are in no way a substitute for experience with or performance tests of your protective materials. ProtecPo does not take the actual conditions where substances and protective materials are used into account. In all cases, you should change your protection immediately upon contact with a chemical product, in particular when fine disposable protections are used.

I accept the conditions of use for access to the ProtecPo search module
  INRS web site IRSST website Contact us Online assistance About Copyright © INRS 2024