An exposure suit, or anti-exposure suit, is clothing intended to protect the wearer from an extreme environment. Depending on the environment and specific use the suit may be required to provide thermal insulation, buoyancy, and or complete isolation from the environment. The exposure suit may be a stand-alone unit, or may require undergarments to function correctly. The choice of undergarments may depend on the specific environment. A common use of the term refers to protection from cold and wet environments at sea. Depending on type, they may be worn during normal work, in emergencies, or when exposed to unusual conditions.^[1][2][3]

Examples of exposure suits as a class include diving suits,^[4] space suits, offshore survival suits, immersion suits,^[1] and foul weather gear. Snowsuits, firefighting apparel, hazmat suits and other body-covering personal protective equipment may also be considered forms of exposure suit.

Types

• Survival suit – Waterproof suit that protects the wearer from hypothermia from immersion in cold water
  • SOLAS offshore anti-exposure suit.^[5]
  • Immersion suit – Waterproof suit that protects the wearer from hypothermia from immersion in cold waterPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets^[6]
• Diving suits
  • Standard diving dress – Copper helmet with rubberised canvas diving suit and weighted boots
  • Diving skin^[4]
  • Wetsuit – Garment for thermal insulation from water^[4]
  • Dry suit – Watertight clothing that seals the wearer from cold and hazardous liquids^[4]
  • Hot water suit – A wetsuit with a supply of heated water to keep a diver warm
• Foul weather gear
  • Oilskins – Waterproof garment made from treated sailcloth or canvasPages displaying short descriptions of redirect targets
  • Dry suit – Watertight clothing that seals the wearer from cold and hazardous liquids

References