text: Chapter 5
  Protective Mask or Dust Goggles with Respirator
  5-70. In high dust or debris environments, each crewmember wears a mask or goggles. This protects the
  crewmembers' faces, eyes, and respiratory systems from the airborne particles stirred up by the rotor wash.
  The mask protects better than the goggles but can cause problems with depth perception (important for
  signalmen).
  Earplugs or Suitable Substitute
  5-71. These protect against the excessive noise associated with hovering aircraft. They also prevent
  debris from entering the ear canal.
  Hand Protection
  5-72. Marine Corps and Navy personnel must wear gloves designed to protect electrical workers against
  burns due to static discharges. Everyone else (US Army, USAF, and USCG) should wear leather gloves to
  help protect the hands and fingers. Whoever must use the static wand to discharge static electricity should
  wear gloves designed for adequate protection from static discharge burns.
  y Inspect shockproof gloves before and after each operation. Check for excessive wear, fraying,
  holes, and tears. Do not use a torn glove. Even a small hole leaves a person unprotected from
  static electric shock.
  y Check each glove for holes by filling it with water and squeezing it while holding the open end
  closed. Or, blow air into it like a balloon and submerge it in water. Any holes will cause air
  bubbles.
  Static Discharge Wand
  5-73. The static discharge wand protects the hookup man from electrical shock by grounding the cargo
  hook. In flight, the helicopter stores static electricity. This electrical charge increases with the weight of the
  helicopter, with low humidity, and with the amount of debris blown around by the rotor system (dust, sand,
  or snow). Thunderstorms can cause huge discharges of static electricity. When the helicopter lands and
  touches the ground, this charge grounds. However, while the helicopter remains airborne, such as when it
  hovers to make a slingload drop, the charge stays in the aircraft. As soon as the ground-crew member
  connects the apex fitting to the cargo hook, he becomes a path for an electrical charge to follow into the
  ground. This charge can cause severe electrical burn or injury.
  y To avoid the possibility of a static electric shock, ground the cargo hook (connect the helicopter
  to the ground) using grounding stakes and static discharge wands. (The stakes and wands may
  be field-expedient or manufactured.) Because these wands connect the helicopter to the ground,
  the electric charge dissipates. This protects the hookup man from receiving a shock when he
  connects the apex fitting to the cargo hook.
  y Inspect the static discharge wand to make sure it is in serviceable condition. Drive the
  grounding stake opposite the ground crew's exit direction. This keeps them from tripping on the
  cable as they leave.
  y Drive the stake into the ground until it seats firmly—at least 6 to 8 inches in firm ground and
  24 inches in sandy or loose soil. Drive the stake in at a 45-degree angle away from the side of
  the load, in case someone falls on it. Connect the cable clamp to the vertical shaft of the stake.
  y When operating on concrete or asphalt surfaces, position the loads as close to the edge of the
  surface as you can. This allows you to drive the grounding stake into the ground.
  y Do not hold the static discharge wand within 14 to 16 inches of the metal hook end—a strong
  static charge can jump as far as 12 inches. During the hookup operation, the static discharge
  wand must stay in contact with the cargo hook. If contact fails, all ground-crew members must
  pull back from the hook until someone can reestablish contact between the wand and the
  aircraft's cargo hook.