ProQares, a partner of the First Dutch family of companies, tests materials, such as clothing and respiratory protection, to ensure reliable protection against chemical hazards. This helps to enable military personnel and personnel in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, among others, to work safely.
ProQares tests the protective properties of clothing and respiratory protection against chemical attacks in its advanced laboratories. They conduct their tests with real-life chemicals while also examining the exposure effects to heat, flames and the effectiveness of decontamination in their testing.
ProQares is the first laboratory outside the US to be able to perform the Smartman test, a widely demanded test procedure for gas masks. In this test, an anatomically shaped dummy head simulates breathing and sensors at the eyes, nose and mouth are used to check whether a mask provides proper protection against mustard gas and sarin.
Some chemicals are lethal for people, while others can be lifesaving. Therefore, the tests of ProQares additionally ensure that ‘good’ chemicals are not absorbed in specific equipment. An example is cytostatics – these are used in cancer treatment to stop accelerated cell division. During the treatment, doctors are obliged to wear special gloves, but it is required that the material of these gloves does not allow cytostatics to pass through, something that the tests conducted by ProQares could ensure.
