Are you maintaining your LEVEL A suits “by the book”?

I will encourage each of you to go pull the “owners manual” for your LEVEL A suits and spend 30 minutes reading this critical document. My days in Level A’s are nearly behind me at this stage of my career, but I just can’t let it go fully, so recently I received my new LEVEL A from my favorite provider (who will remain nameless). I thought I had this all figured out over the past 20 years of using and caring for my LEVEL A suits until I read my new “owner’s manual”!  There are some very significant needs that may be a surprise to some; however, the biggest issue I have is that now I am forced to spend an additional $37 to purchase ASTM F1052, “Standard Test Method for Pressure Testing Vapor Protective Ensembles” as the manufacturer no longer provides annual pressure testing procedures and merely REQUIRES their suit be tested to this RAGAGEP.  And I might add, the manufacturer does NOT mention 1910.120 Appendix A as an alternative – which is a FREE alternative! I know it is chump change for such a critical function, but that is not the ONLY change that will INCREASE your costs of utilizing LEVEL A suits. Here are some more “maintenance” items that may need to be incorporated into your PPE program…