Bioenvironmental Engineering Guide for Composite Materials

Abstract : This guide will provide base-level Bioenvironmental Engineering (BE) personnel a comprehensive baseline for identifying, evaluating, and controlling occupational and environmental hazards associated with composite fibers and materials. The expectation of this guide (in conjunction with other technical order driven directives) is to assist commanders with operational risk management procedures when responding to composite materials in aircraft repair and maintenance and crash and recovery operations. The BE should be able to identify potential inhalation and dermal hazards, recommend personnel protection options and decontamination procedures, recommend environmental controls and cordons, and select the appropriate sampling strategies and methodologies for the most suitable scenario. Specific recommendations are made to provide guidelines in the absence of established exposure standards and choosing the appropriate personal protective equipment in both the industrial and crash response and recovery settings based on the recommendations of the following technical reports: Assessing Worker Exposures During Composite Material Repair, Industrial Hygiene Technical Report for Bioenvironmental Engineers and Assessment of Composite Material Hazards At Crash Sites: Industrial Hygiene Technical Report for Bioenvironmental Engineers.