Gore Issues Firefighter Product Safety Alert for Fire-Related Seam Tape

ELKTON, MD—W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. has issued an important firefighter product safety alert, along with information about enrollment in a product remediation program. The alert is in response to isolated incidents of seam-tape separation observed in turnout gear in North America—utilizing both Gore and non-Gore moisture barriers—that has been stored in its original packaging for three or more years before being issued and worn. Gore’s alert identifies the affected GORE® products and a course of action for proper product remediation. No seam tape separation was observed for turnout gear using GORE® moisture barriers that had been removed from its packaging before being stored.

Once aware of the incidents, Gore investigated the issue and determined that the GORE-SEAM® tape affected has been used with CROSSTECH® moisture barriers (Type 2C), CROSSTECH® black moisture barriers (Type 2F), and GORE® RT7100 moisture barriers (Type 3B and Type 3D). The GORE-SEAM® tape used with CROSSTECH® three-layer moisture barriers (Type 4A) is unaffected.

Gore has not received any reports of adverse effects from this issue. However, Gore has implemented a remediation program. For turnout gear using GORE® moisture barriers stored for more than three years and affected by this situation, Gore will remediate the gear. This North American program involves a newly developed GORE-SEAM® tape that is markedly unaffected by the storage interactions causing this issue. Evaluation of this issue outside North America is underway.

For more detailed information about this alert and Gore’s remediation program, as well as the enrollment contact phone number, visit www.GoreProtectiveFabrics.com/FirefighterProductSafetyAlert