November/December 2007
We’ve Got You Covered
by Will Grilliott
PPE Manufacturers Develop New Technical Rescue Gear
In recent months manufacturers of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been developing products designed to meet new requirements set by the National Fire Protection Association for rescue gear. One of those products is called the utility ensemble, the focus of this column.
Three Ensembles
The 2007 edition of the NFPA 1951 Standard On Protective Ensembles For Technical Operations took effect Sept. 1. It supersedes the 2001 edition of NFPA 1951, which governed protective ensembles for urban search and rescue (USAR) operations.
There are a lot of changes in the new edition of NFPA 1951, the most obvious of which is the name. In changing the name, the NFPA 1951 committee intended to clarify that the standard applies to all emergency incident operations, not just to USAR teams of state or federal governments.
The most significant change in the standard is the introduction of three types of technical rescue ensembles providing increasing levels of protection. The previous edition addressed just one ensemble. The three new ensembles are:
• A utility ensemble, which provides protection from physical hazards, basic flame resistance and heat resistance and a relatively high level of breathability to reduce heat stress during long wearing periods.
• A rescue and recovery ensemble, which provides the same physical protection of the utility ensemble plus a liquid chemical and blood-borne-pathogen barrier that further protect wearers from body fluid exposure from injured or deceased victims as well as many hazardous liquids.
• A CBRN ensemble, which has all the protective attributes of the rescue and recovery ensemble and also provides limited protection from chemicals, biological agents, and radiological particulates during terrorism incidents.
While the three ensembles offer increasing levels of protection, breathability is best at the lowest level of protection (utility) and least at the highest level (CBRN).
Unique Requirements
Each of the three ensembles has a set of elements and unique testing requirements and methods. The elements for the utility ensemble include garments, helmets, boots, gloves and goggles. It is important to remember that all design elements and testing requirements are the minimum needed to meet NFPA certification and can be exceeded.
The requirements for the utility level of certification center on flash protection, durability and comfort. Garments manufactured for this level can be either a two-piece design, such as battle dress uniforms (BDUs), or one-piece, such as coveralls and jumpsuits.
The standard allows single or multiple layer garments, as long as the total heat loss (THL) requirement is met. This requirement results in a garment that is highly breathable and less stressful for the wearer in extended operations.
Thermal Protection
The 2007 edition of 1951 changed both the test method and performance requirements associated with thermal protection for all 3 levels of garments. This change results in garments that are more thermally protective than previous standards, yet significantly lower than garments meeting the minimum requirements in the 2007 edition of NFPA 1971, the standard for structural fire fighting protective clothing.
Some of the more important design requirements for the utility garments include:
• No metal components or metallic closure systems can be in contact with the wearer’s body.
• All garment collars must be a mini mum height of 2 inches and must remain upright when extended in a vertical position.
• Garments cannot have turned-up cuffs and must have a wrist closure system to provide a snug fit when tech rescue gloves are worn.
• All top entry pockets must have closure systems.
• All cargo pockets must have drainage and means of being fastened in a closed position.
• Inherently flame resistant thread must be used in the construction of the garment.
Additional testing requirements in place for the utility garments include abrasion resistance, fabric breaking strength, cleaning shrinkage, seam strength, corrosion resistance (of metal hardware), heat resistance, water absorption resistance (for shell fabrics) and flame resistance.
Upper torso utility garments are required to be offered in sizes that accommodate chest dimensions ranging from 30 to 50 inches in 2-inch increments and sleeve lengths of 30 to 36 inches in 1-inch increments.
Custom-Sized Garments
Lower torso utility garments must be offered with waists from 26 to 50 inches and pant inseam dimensions of 26 to 35 inches, both in 2-inch increments. Alternatively, garments can be cut to order. It is recommended that end users insist on a totally custom-sized garment, as it will fit the best, wear the best, and be the least stressful while working.
While the 2007 edition design requirements for utility gloves are minimally restrictive and allow for a wide variety of design options, the testing requirements insure that the final product will be rugged and highly protective without sacrificing dexterity.
Utility gloves must have a wristlet that fits closely to minimize entry of foreign substances. The body of the utility glove must extend a minimum of 1 inch beyond the wrist crease. Utility gloves must be sewn with flame resistant thread and the gloves must be manufactured in a minimum of five separate and distinct sizes.
There are a number of tests applied to these gloves that include cut resistance, puncture resistance, abrasion resistance, dexterity, grip, ease of donning, burst strength, metal part corrosion resistance, heat resistance, and flame resistance.
Like the utility garment, the utility gloves must meet a minimum thermal protective performance (TPP) rating. As with garments, this insures, as it does with the utility garments, that the utility gloves provide increased thermal protection over the minimum standard in the previous edition.
Utility Boots
The testing requirements and design elements for boots that conform to the utility and rescue and recovery levels of protection under the 2007 edition of NFPA 1951 are identical.
The leading change for utility boots from the 2001 edition is the addition of a metatarsal guard, which should overlap the toe cap and extend over the metatarsal bones of the foot. While this is an increased safeguard against objects that fall on the top of the foot, the metatarsal guard is not designed or required to meet the same compression resistance standards at 75 foot-pounds as the toe cap is at 2,500 foot-pounds.
Other design features of this boot include an 8-inch minimum height requirement, a puncture resistant device to cover the insole, a shank, a toe cap that extends 2 inches back from the front edge of the boot, the use of a liquid chemical and blood-borne pathogen moisture barrier and inherently flame resistant thread.
Utility boots must be offered in sizes 6 through 15, including half sizes, in three widths for men and sizes 5 through 10, including half sizes, in three widths for women.
The 2007 requirements for helmets for the utility and rescue and recovery levels of protection are the same.
Helmets And Goggles
The committee made a couple of changes to the helmet performance requirements from the 2001 edition. Thread heat resistance and label durability and legibility performance requirements have been added. In addition, the retention system and chinstrap efficiency performance requirement has been changed from “No Failure,” meaning the chinstrap would not break, to specifying that the retention system could not break or show any slip or stretch longer than 1.5 inches.
As is the case with helmets and boots, the 2007 goggle requirements for the utility and rescue and recovery levels of protection are the same. Rather than setting its own requirements, NFPA adopted the existing ANSI standard Z87.1 that defines requirements of occupational and safety eyewear, including goggles.
Over the next few months, the industry should see the launch of a number of new products designed to all three levels of the 2007 edition of NFPA 1951.
Gary McEvoy is vice president of marketing for Total Fire Group/Morning Pride, a position he has held since 2002. In that role he directs Total Fire Group’s regional directors and inside marketing associates and is responsible for trade show coordination, field administration, bidding and contract administration.