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A support worker positions suit material in the Demilitarization Protective Ensemble suit sealer at the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant.

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Support workers assist in positioning a Toxic Area entry trainee on a suit sealing machine to safely seal him into his Demilitarization Protective Ensemble, an outfit used for entries into contaminated areas of the Blue Grass Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant during operations. This specialized machine is designed to create a complete seal using radio frequencies.

Machines used to seal chemical demilitarization workers into their protective suits were tested and turned over to operations this month.

“The suit sealers are an essential part of keeping our workers protected while they work in contaminated areas,” said Carl Reagan, toxic entry supervisor, Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass. “We tested them thoroughly and they are now ready for operations.”

The sealers have been in use for more than 30 years as part of a system that has kept technicians safe in chemical-agent contaminated areas, Reagan said. The machines use a radio frequency to meld the material of the protective suit into a seal that is more complete than a glue or heat seal.

“The seal has to keep the entrant’s air supply inside the suit and chemical agent outside the suit,” Reagan said. “We have a team of people operating the sealer to ensure the suit seal is as perfect as we can make it.”

Suit sealer training and use is an essential part of the plant’s new Toxic Area Training course, where workers learn about the gear and procedures involved in entry into areas of the plant that will be contaminated during operations, said Stephanie Hout, training developer, BPBG.