Fire Academic

Fire Standards on FireAcademic

NFPA 1952 Surface Water Operations Protective Clothing and Equipment

IMPORTANT NOTE: This NFPA document is made available for use subject to important notices and legal disclaimers. These notices and disclaimers appear in all publications containing this document and may be found under the heading “Important Notices and Disclaimers Concerning NFPA Standards. ” They can also be viewed at ivivw.nfpa.org/disclaimers or obtained on request from NFPA.

UPDATES, ALERTS, AND FUTURE EDITIONS: New editions of NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (i.e., NFPA Standards) are released on scheduled revision cycles. This edition may be superseded by a later one, or it may be amended outside of its scheduled revision cycle through the issuance of Tenta­tive Interim Amendments (TIAs). An official NFPA Standard at any point in time consists of the current edition of the document, together with all TIAs and Errata in effect. To verify that this document is the current edition or to determine if it has been amended by TIAs or Errata, please consult the National Fire Codes® Subscription Service or the “List of NFPA Codes & Standards” at ivww.nfpa.org/docinfo. In addition to TIAs and Errata, the document information pages also include the option to sign up for alerts for individual documen ts and to be involved in the development of the next edition.

NOTICE: An asterisk (*) following the number or letter designating a paragraph indicates that explanatory material on the paragraph can be found in Annex A.

A reference in brackets f 1 following a section or paragraph indicates material that has been extracted from another NFPA document. Extracted text may be edited for consistency and style and may include the revision of internal paragraph refer­ences and other references as appropriate. Requests for inter­pretations or revisions of extracted text shall be sent to the technical committee responsible for the source document.

Information on referenced and extracted publications can be found in Chapter 2 and Annex D.

Chapter 1 Administration

1.1* Scope.

1.1.1* This standard shall specify the minimum design, performance, testing, and certification requirements for protective clothing and equipment items, including full body suits, helmets, gloves, footwear, and personal flotation devices designed to provide limited protection from physical, environ­mental, thermal, and certain common chemical and biological hazards for emergency services personnel during surface water operations.

1.1.2* This standard shall specify requirements for protective clothing and protective equipment used during operations in surface water, swift water, tidal water, surf, and ice.

1.1.3 This standard shall not specify requirements for protec­tive clothing and protective equipment for any offshore water operations or any dive operations.

1.1.4* This standard shall not specify requirements for protec­tive clothing and protective equipment for any other technical rescue operation, any fire-fighting operations, or any hazardous materials emergencies.

1.1.5* This standard shall specify requirements for any acces­sories or enhancements built into, attached to, or sold with surface water operations protective clothing and equipment by the protective clothing and equipment manufacturer for later attachment, and shall be tested with the protective clothing and equipment with the accessories and enhancements in­stalled or attached to assure the performance and functions of the surface water operations protective clothing and equip­ment.

  • This standard shall not be construed as addressing all of the safety concerns associated with the use of compliant surface water operations protective clothing and equipment. It shall be the responsibility of the persons and organizations that use compliant surface water operations protective clothing and equipment to establish safety and health practices and to deter­mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
  • This standard shall not be construed as addressing all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with the use of this stand­ard by testing facilities. It shall be the responsibility of the persons and organizations that use this standard to establish safety and health practices and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use of this standard for designing, manufacturing, and testing.
  • Certification of surface water operations protective clothing and equipment to the requirements of this standard shall not preclude certification to additional appropriate stand­ards where the protective clothing or equipment meets all the applicable requirements of each standard.
  • Nothing herein shall restrict any jurisdiction or manu­facturer from exceeding these minimum requirements.

1.2.1* The purpose of this standard shall be to establish mini­mum levels of protection for emergency services personnel assigned to or involved in surface water search and rescue oper­ations or other surface water incident operations.

1.2.2* Controlled laboratory tests used to determine compli­ance with the performance requirements of this standard shall not be deemed as establishing performance levels for all situa­tions to which emergency services personnel might be exposed.

1.2.3* This standard is not intended as a detailed manufactur­ing or purchase specification, but shall be permitted to be referenced in purchase specifications as minimum require­ments.

  • This standard shall apply to the design, manufacture, and certification of new surface water operations protective clothing and equipment.
  • This standard shall not apply to any surface water opera­tions protective clothing and equipment manufactured to the requirements of any other organization’s standards.
  • This standard shall not apply to the use of any surface water operations protective clothing and equipment, as such use requirements for fire departments are specified in

NFPA 1500 and the use requirements specified by other emer­gency services organizations.

  • This standard shall apply to protective clothing and protective equipment used during operations in surface water, swift water, tidal water, surf, and ice.
  • This standard shall not apply to protective clothing and protective equipment for any offshore water operations or any dive operations.
  • This standard shall not apply to protective clothing and protective equipment for any other technical rescue operation, any fire-fighting operations, or any hazardous materials emer­gencies.
  • This standard shall not apply to protection from all biological agents or to protection from all hazardous chemi­cals.

1.3.8* This standard shall apply to any accessories or enhance­ments built into, attached to, or sold with the surface water operations protective clothing and equipment by the protective clothing and equipment manufacturer for later attachment, and shall be tested with the protective clothing and equipment with the accessories and enhancements installed or attached to assure the performance and functions of the surface water operations protective clothing and equipment.

1.4* Units.

  • In this standard, values for measurement are followed by an equivalent in parentheses, but only the first stated value shall be regarded as the requirement.
  • Equivalent values in parentheses shall not be considered as the requirement, as these values might be approximate.

Chapter 2 Referenced Publications

  • The documents or portions thereof listed in this chapter are referenced within this standard and shall be considered part of the requirements of this document.
  • NFPA Publications. National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471.

NFPA 1500™, Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety, Health, and Wellness Program, 2020 edition.

NFPA 1670, Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents, 2017 edition.

  • Other Publications.

2.3.1 AATCC Publications. American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, P.O. Box 12215, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.

AATCC 42, Water Resistance: Impact Penetration Test, 2017.

AATCC 70, Water Repellency — Tumble Jar Dynamic Absorption Test, 2015.

AATCC 135, Dimensional Changes of Fabrics After Home Laun­dering, 2004.

2.3.2 ASTM Publications. ASTM International, 100 Ban- Harbor Drive, P.O. Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959.

ASTM B117, Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus, 2018.

ASTM D471, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property — Effects of Liquids, 2016a.

ASTM D751, Standard Test Methods far Coated Fabrics, 2019.

ASTM D2061, Standard Test Methods for Strength Tests for Zippers, 2013.

ASTM D2062, Standard Test Methods for Operability of Tippers, 2014.

ASTM D2582, Standard Test Method for Puncture-Propagation Tear Resistance of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting, 2016.

ASTM D3884, Standard Cuide for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Rotary Platform, Double-Head Method), 2017.

ASTM D4157, Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Oscillatory Cylinder Method), 2017.

ASTM D4966, Standard Test Method for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Martindale Abrasion Tester Method), 2016.

ASTM D5034, Standard Test Method for Breaking Strength and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Crab Test), 2017.

ASTM E810, Standard Test Method for Coefficient of Retroreflection of Retroreflective Sheeting Utilizing the Coplanar Geometry, 2013.

ASTM F392/F392M, Standard Practice for Conditioning Flexible Barrier Materials for Flex Durability, 2015.

ASTM F739, Standard Test Method for Permeation of Liquids and Cases Through Protective Clothing Materials Under Conditions of Continuous Contact, 2012e 1.

ASTM F903, Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Liquids, 2018.

ASTM F1001, Standard Cuide for Selection of Chemicals to Evalu­ate Protective Clothing Materials, 2017.

ASTM F1342/F1342M, Standard Test Method for Protective Clothing Material Resistance to Puncture, 2013.

ASTM F1359/F1359M, Standard Test Method for Liquid- Penetration Resistance of Protective Clothing or Protective Ensembles Under a Shower Spray While on a Manikin, 2016a.

ASTM F1446, Standard Test Methods for Equipment and Proce­dures Used in Evaluating the Performance Characteristics of Protective Headgear, 2015b.

ASTM F1671/F1671M, Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Blood-Borne Pathogens Using Phi-Xl 74 Bacteriophage Penetration as a Test System, 2013.

ASTM F1790/F1790M, Standard Test Method for Measuring Cut Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing with CPP Test Equipynent, 2015.

ASTM F1868, Standard Test Method for Thermal and Evaporative Resistance of Clothing Materials Using a Sweating Hot Plate, 2017.

ASTM F2010/F2010M, Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Glove Effects on Wearer Finger Dexterity Using a Modified Pegboard Teat, 2018.

ASTM F2913, Standard Test Method for Measuring the Coefficient of Friction for Evaluation of Slip Performance of Footwear and Test Surfaces/Flooring Using a Whole Shoe Tester, 2019.

  • CAN/CGSB Publications. Canadian General Standards Board, Public Works and Government Services Canada, 11 Laurier Street, Phase III, Place du Portage, Gatineau, QC K1A0S5, Canada.

CAN/CGSB 65.16, Immersion Suit Systems, 2005.

  • ISO Publications. International Organization for Stand­ardization, ISO Central Secretariat, BIBC II, Chemin de Blan- donnet 8, CP 401, 1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland.

ISO Guide 27, Guidelines for corrective action to be taken by a certification body in the event of misuse of its mark of conformity, 1983.

ISO 1817, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Determination of the effect of liquids, 2015.

ISO 9001, Quality management systems — Requirements, 2015.

ISO 17011, Conformity assessment — Requirements for accredita­tion bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies, 2017.

ISO 17021, Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 1: Requirements, 2015.

ISO/1 F.C 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, 2017.

ISO/IEC 17065, Confonnity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services, 2012.

  • SAE Publications. SAE International, Society of Auto­motive Engineers, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096.

SAEJ211, Instrumentation for Impact Test — Part 1 —Electronic Instrumentation, 2014.

  • UL Publications. Underwriters Laboratories Inc., 333 Pfingsten Road, Northbrook, IL 60062-2096.

UL 1123, Standard for Marine Buoyant Devices, 2017.

UL 1197, Standard for Immersion Suits, 2013.

  • US Government Publications. US Government Publish­ing Office, 732 North Capitol Street, NW, Washington, DC 20401-0001.

Title 46, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 164.018, “Retro- reflective Material for Lifesaving Equipment.”

  • Other Publications.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, Merriam- Webster, Inc., Springfield, MA, 2003.

2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sec dons.

NFPA 1951, Stan dard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Incidents, 2020 edition.

Chapter 3 Definitions

  • The definitions contained in this chapter shall apply to the terms used in this standard. Where terms are not defined in this chapter or within another chapter, they shall be defined using their ordinarily accepted meanings within the context in which they are used. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition, shall be the source for the ordinarily accepted meaning.
  • NFPA Official Definitions.

3.2.1* Approved. Acceptable to the authority having jurisdic­tion.

3.2.2* Authority Having Jurisdiction. An organization, office, or individual responsible for enforcing the requirements of a code or standard, or for approving equipment, materials, an installation, or a procedure.

3.2.3 Labeled. Equipment or materials to which has been attached a label, symbol, or other identifying mark of an organ­ization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with product evaluation, that maintains peri­odic inspection of production of labeled equipment or materi­als, and by whose labeling the manufacturer indicates compliance with appropriate standards or performance in a specified manner.

3.2.4* Listed. Equipment, materials, or services included in a list published by an organization that is acceptable to the authority having jurisdiction and concerned with evaluation of products or services, that maintains periodic inspection of production of listed equipment or materials or periodic evalua­tion of services, and whose listing states that either the equip­ment, material, or service meets appropriate designated standards or has been tested and found suitable for a specified purpose.

  • Indicates a mandatory requirement.
  • Indicates a recommendation or that which is advised but not required.
  • An NFPA Standard, the main text of which contains only mandatory provisions using the word “shall” to indicate requirements and that is in a form generally suitable for mandatory reference by another standard or code or for adoption into law. Nonmandatory provisions are not to be considered a part of the requirements of a standard and shall be located in an appendix, annex, footnote, informational note, or other means as permitted in the NFPA Manuals of Style. When used in a generic sense, such as in the phrase “standards development process” or “standards development activities,” the term “standards” includes all NFPA Standards, including Codes, Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guides.
  • General Definitions.

3.3.1* Basic Plane. The anatomical plane that includes the superior rim of the external auditory meatus, the upper edge of the external openings of the ear, and the interior margin of the orbit, which is the lowest point of the floor of the eye socket.

3.3.2 Body Borne Pathogen. An infectious bacteria or virus carried in human, animal, or clinical body fluids, organs, or tissues.

  • Body Fluids. Fluids that are produced by the body including, but not limited to, blood, semen, mucus, feces, urine, vaginal secretions, breast milk, amniotic fluid, cerebro­spinal fluid, synovial fluid, and pericardial fluid.
  • A sock-like extension of the garment or suit leg that covers the entire foot.
  • A part of the shell of the helmet extending around the entire circumference of the helmet.
  • Certification/Certified. A system whereby a certification organization determines that a manufacturer has demonstrated the ability to produce a product that complies with the require­ments of this standard, authorizes the manufacturer to use a label on listed products that comply with the requirements of this standard, and establishes a follow-up program conducted by the certification organization as a check on the methods the manufacturer uses to determine continued compliance of labeled and listed products with the requirements of this stand­ard.
  • Chin Strap. An adjustable strap for the helmet that fits under or around the chin to secure the helmet to the head.
  • Compliance/Compliant. Meeting or exceeding all appli­cable requirements of this standard.
  • Compliant Product. Product that is covered by this standard and has been certified as meeting all applicable requirements of this standard that pertain to the product.
  • Component(s). Any material, part, or subassembly used in the construction of the compliant product.
  • The layer or layers of materials or compo­nents.
  • The portion of the helmet that covers the head above the reference plane.
  • Crown Straps. The part of the helmet suspension that passes over the head.
  • Dry Suit. See 3.3.47, Surface Water Operations Protec­tive Dry Suit.
  • Energy Absorbing System. A material or system used to attenuate impact energy.
  • Flotation Device. See 3.3.54, Surface Water Operations Protective Personal Flotation Device.
  • The process by which radiant flux of certain wavelengths is absorbed and reradiated nonthermally in other, usually longer, wavelengths.
  • Follow-Up Program. The sampling, inspections, tests, or other measures conducted by the certification organization on a periodic basis to determine the continued compliance of labeled and listed products that are being produced by the manufacturer to the requirements of this standard.
  • See 3.3.48, Surface Water Operations Protec­tive Dry Suit Footwear; 3.3.52, Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit Footwear; and 3.3.56, Surface Water Opera­tions Protective Wet Suit Footwear.
  • Garment Closure. The garment component designed and configured to allow the wearer to don (put on) and doff (take off) the garment. [1951, 20201
  • Garment Closure Assembly. The combination of the garment closure and the seam attaching the garment closure to the garment, including any protective flap or cover. [1951, 2020]
  • See 3.3.49, Surface Water Operations Protective Dry Suit (Moves; 3.3.53, Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit Gloves; and 3.3.57, Surface Water Operations Protec­tive Wet Suit Gloves.
  • Glove Body. The part of the glove that extends from the tip of the fingers to the wrist crease or a specified distance beyond the wrist crease.
  • Glove liner. The innermost component of the glove body composite that comes into contact with the wearer’s skin.
  • Non-fabric components of the protective clothing and equipment including, but not limited to, those made of metal or plastic.
  • A device that simulates the configuration of the human head.
  • See 3.3.50, Surface Water Operations Protec­tive Helmet.
  • Horizontal Center Plane. Any plane passing through the helmet whose intersection with the helmet surface is equi­distant from the top of the helmet at all points.
  • Ice Suit. See 3.3.51, Surface Water Operations Protec­tive Ice Suit.
  • The inner component of the footwear upon which the foot rests.
  • Liquidborne Pathogen. See 3.3.3, Body Fluids.
  • The entity that directs or controls any of the following: compliant product design, compliant product manufacturing, or compliant product quality assurance; or the entity that assumes the liability for the compliant product or provides the warranty for the compliant product.
  • Manufacturing Facility. A facility that is involved in the production, assembly, final inspection, or labeling of the compliant end product.

3.3.34* Model. The collective term used to identify a group of individual items, elements, or items of the same basic design and components from a single manufacturer produced by the same manufacturing and quality assurance procedures that are covered by the same certification.

  • See 3.3.9, Compliant Product.
  • Product Label. A marking provided by the manufac­turer for each compliant product, containing compliance state­ments, certification statements, manufacturer and model information, or similar data.
  • Reference Plane. A dimensionally defined plane, parallel to the basic plane, that is measured from the top of the applicable headform or the basic plane.
  • Rescue Operations. Those activities operations direc­ted at locating and removing endangered persons, and remov­ing endangered persons from danger, treating the injured at an emergency incident, and providing transport to an appro­priate health care facility.
  • Retention System. The complete assembly by which the helmet is retained in position on the head.
  • Retroreflection/Retroreflective. The reflection of light in which the reflected rays are preferentially returned in the direction close to the opposite of the direction of the incident rays, with this property being maintained over wide variations of the direction of the incident rays.
  • The equipment, equipment component, ensemble, element, item, component, or composite that is conditioned for testing. (See also 3.3.43, Specimen.)
  • Any permanent attachment of two or more materials, in a line formed by joining the separate material pieces.
  • The conditioned equipment, equipment component, ensemble, element, product, item, composite, or component, or opposite that is tested. Specimens are taken from samples. (See also 3.3.41, Sample.)
  • See 3.3.47, Surface Water Operations Protective Diy Suit; 3.3.51, Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit; and 3.3.55, Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit.
  • Suit Material. The primary protective principal mate­rials) used in the construction of surface water operations protective suits.
  • Surface Water Operations. Technical rescue activities requiring water functional capabilities involving surface water, swift water, tidal water, surf, and ice that do not require under­water respiratory equipment.

3.3.47* Surface Water Operations Protective Dry Suit. A suit that provides exposure protection for water operations.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Dry Suit Footwear.

An item of protective clothing used with surface water protec­tive dry suits that are designed to provide minimum protection to the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Dry Suit Gloves.

An item of protective clothing used with surface water protec­tive dry suits that are designed to provide minimum protection to fingers, thumb, hand, and wrist.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Helmet. An item of protective equipment designed to provide minimum protec­tion to the head.

3.3.51* Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit. A suit that provides thermal and flotation protection for extreme cold water conditions.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit Footwear.

An item of protective clothing used with surface water protec­tive ice suits that are designed to provide minimum protection to the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit Gloves.

An item of protective clothing used with surface water protec­tive ice suits that are designed to provide minimum protection to fingers, thumb, hand, and wrist.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Personal Flotation Device. An item of protective equipment designed to provide flotation assistance to the wearer.

3.3.55* Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit. A

permeable suit that preserves body heat by trapping water in between the suit and the body.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit Footwear.

An item of protective clothing used with surface water protec­tive wet suits that are designed to provide minimum protection to the foot, ankle, and lower leg.

  • Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit Gloves.

An item of protective clothing used with surface water protec­tive wet suits that are designed to provide minimum protection to fingers, thumb, hand, and wrist.

  • Surface Water Rescue. Rescue of a victim who is acces­sible from the surface of a body of water.
  • An energy attenuating system of the helmet that is made up of the headband and crown strap.
  • Water moving at a rate of greater than 1 knot (1.85 km/hr).

3.3.61* Tidal Water. Ocean water or bodies of water that are connected to oceans that either experience a twice daily rise and fall of their surface caused by the gravitational pull of the moon or experience a corresponding ebb and flow of water in response to the tides.

  • See 3.3.63, Visibility Markings.
  • Visibility Markings. Retroreflective and fluorescent conspicuity enhancements. Retroreflective enhancements improve nighttime conspicuity, and fluorescent enhancements improve daytime conspicuity.
  • Wet Suit. See 3.3.55, Surface Water Operations Protec­tive Wet Suit.

Chapter 4 Certification

4.1 General.

  • The process of certification for surface water operations protective clothing and equipment as being compliant with NFPA 1952 shall meet the requirements of Section 4.1, General; Section 4.2, Certification Program; Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing; Section 4.4, Annual Verification of Product Compliance; Section 4.5, Manufacturers’ Quality Assurance Program; Section 4.6, Hazards Involving Compliant Product; Section 4.7, Manufacturers’ Investigation of Complaints and Returns; and Section 4.8, Manufacturers’ Safety Alert and Product Recall Systems.
  • All compliant surface water operations protective cloth­ing and equipment that is labeled as being compliant with this standard shall meet or exceed all applicable requirements specified in this standard and shall be certified.
  • All certification shall be performed by a certification organization that meets at least the requirements specified in Section 4.2, Certification Program, and that is accredited for personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with ISO/IEC 17065, Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services. The accreditation shall be issued by an accreditation body operating in accordance with ISO 17011, Conformity assessment — Requiremen ts for accredi­tation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.
  • Manufacturers shall not claim compliance with portions or segments of the requirements of this standard and shall not use the NFPA name or the name or identification of this stand­ard, NFPA 1952, in any statements about their respective item(s) unless the item(s) is certified as compliant to this stand­ard.
  • All compliant protective clothing and equipment shall be labeled.
  • All compliant surface water protective clothing and equipment items shall be listed by the certification organiza­tion. This listing shall uniquely identify the certified product, for example, by style, model number, or part number.
  • All compliant surface water protective clothing and equipment items shall also have a product label that meets the requirements specified in Section 5.1, Product Label Require­ments.

4.1.8* The certification organization’s label, symbol, or identi­fying mark shall be attached to the product label, shall be part of the product label, or shall be immediately adjacent to the product label.

  • The certification organization shall not issue any new certifications to the 2015 edition of NFPA 1952 on or after the NFPA effective date of the 2021 edition.
  • The certification organization shall not permit any manufacturer to continue to label any protective ensembles or ensemble elements that are certified as compliant with the 2015 edition of NFPA 1952 after the effective date of this edition plus 12 months.
  • The certification organization shall require manufac­turers to remove all certification labels and product labels indi­cating compliance with the 2015 edition of NFPA 1952 from all protective ensembles and ensemble elements that are under the control of the manufacturer after the effective date of this edition plus 12 months, and the certification organization shall verify this action is taken.

4.2 Certification Program.

4.2.1* The certification organization shall not be owned or controlled by manufacturers or vendors of the items being certified.

  • The certification organization shall be primarily engaged in certification work and shall not have a monetary interest in the product’s ultimate profitability.
  • The certification organization shall be accredited for personal protective equipment (PPE) in accordance with ISO/IEC 17065, Conformity assessment — Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes and services. The accreditation shall be issued by an accreditation body operating in accordance with ISO 17011, Conformity assessment — Requirements for accredi­tation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.
  • The certification organization shall refuse to certify products to this standard that do not comply with all applicable requirements of this standard.

4.2.5* The contractual provisions between the certification organization and the manufacturer shall specify that certifica­tion is contingent on compliance with all applicable require­ments of this standard.

  • The certification organization shall not offer or confer any conditional, temporary, or partial certifications.
  • Manufacturers shall not be authorized to use any label or reference to the certification organization on products that are not compliant with all applicable requirements of this standard.

4.2.6* The certification organization shall have laboratory facilities and equipment available for conducting proper tests to determine product compliance.

  • The certification organization laboratory facilities shall have a program in place and functioning for calibration of all instruments, and procedures shall be in use to ensure proper control of all testing.
  • The certification organization laboratory facilities shall follow good practice regarding the use of laboratory manuals, form data sheets, documented calibration and calibration routines, performance verification, proficiency testing, and staff qualification and training programs.
  • The certification organization shall require the manufac­turer to establish and maintain a quality assurance program that meets the requirements of Section 4.5, Manufacturers’ Quality Assurance Program.

4.2.7.1* The certification organization shall require the manufacturer to have a product recall system as specified in Section 4.8, Manufacturers’ Safety Alert and Product Recall Systems, as part of the manufacturer’s quality assurance program.

4.2.7.2 The certification organization shall audit the manufac­turer’s quality assurance program to ensure that the quality assurance program provides continued product compliance with this standard.

  • The certification organization and the manufacturer shall evaluate any changes affecting the form, fit, or function of the compliant product to determine its continued certification to this standard.

4.2.9* The certification organization shall have a follow-up inspection program of the manufacturing facilities of the compliant product with at least two random and unannounced visits per 12-month period to verify the product’s continued compliance. Where portions of the production processes are carried out by multiple facilities, the certification organization shall determine the appropriate follow-up program according to the facility or facilities that most closely meet the definition of manufacturing facility (see 3.3.33).

  • As part of the follow-up inspection program, the certif­ication organization shall select sample compliant product at random from the manufacturing facility’s production line, from the manufacturer’s or manufacturing facility’s in-house stock, or from the open market.
  • Sample product shall be evaluated by the certification organization to verify the product’s continued compliance in order to assure that the materials, components, and manufac­turing quality assurance systems are consistent with the materi­als, components, and manufacturing quality assurance systems that were inspected and tested by the certification organization during initial certification and recertification.
  • The certification organization shall be permitted to conduct specific testing to verify the product’s continued compliance.
  • For products, components, and materials where prior testing, judgment, and experience of the certification organiza­tion have shown results to be in jeopardy of not complying with this standard, the certification organization shall conduct more frequent testing of sample product, components, and materials acquired in accordance with 4.2.9.1 against the applicable requirements of this standard.
  • The certification organization shall have in place a series of procedures, as specified in Section 4.6, Hazards Involv­ing Compliant Product, that address report(s) of situation (s) in which a compliant product is subsequently found to be hazard­ous.
  • The certification organization’s operating procedures shall provide a mechanism for the manufacturer to appeal deci­sions. The procedures shall include the presentation of infor­mation from both sides of a controversy to a designated appeals panel.
  • The certification organization shall be in a position to use legal means to protect the integrity of its name and label. The name and label shall be registered and legally defended.

4.3 Inspection and Testing.

  • For both initial certification and recertification of items, the certification organization shall conduct both inspection and testing as specified in this section.
  • All inspections, evaluations, conditioning, and testing for certification or for recertification shall be conducted by a certification organization’s testing laboratory that is accredited in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025,

General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration labo­ratories.

  • The certification organization’s testing laboratory’s scope of accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, shall encom­pass testing of PPE.
  • The accreditation of a certification organization’s test­ing laboratory shall be issued by an accreditation body operat­ing in accordance with ISO 17011, Conformity assessment — Requirements for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.
  • A certification organization shall be permitted to utilize conditioning and testing results conducted by a product or component manufacturer for certification or recertification provided the manufacturer’s testing laboratory meets the requirements specified in 4.3.3.1 through 4.3.3.5.
  • The manufacturer’s testing laboratory shall be accredi­ted in accordance with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025,

General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration labo­ratories.

  • The manufacturer’s testing laboratory’s scope of accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025, General requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories, shall encompass testing of PPE.
  • The accreditation of a manufacturer’s testing labora­tory shall be issued by an accreditation body operating in accordance with ISO 17011, Conformity assessment — Require­ments for accreditation bodies accrediting conformity assessment bodies.
  • The certification organization shall approve the manu­facturer’s testing laboratory.
  • The certification organization shall determine the level of supervision and witnessing of the conditioning and test­ing for certification or recertification conducted at the manu­facturer’s testing laboratory.
  • Sampling levels for testing and inspection shall be estab­lished by the certification organization and the manufacturer to ensure a reasonable and acceptable reliability at a reasona­ble and acceptable confidence level that products certified to this standard are compliant, unless such sampling levels are specified herein.
  • Inspection and evaluation by the certification organiza­tion shall include a review of all product labels to ensure that all required label attachments, compliance statements, certifi­cation statements, and other product information are at least as specified for the product in Section 5.1, Product Label Requirements.
  • Inspection and evaluation by the certification organiza­tion shall include an evaluation of any symbols and pictorial graphic representations used on product labels or in user infor­mation, as permitted by 5.1.5, to ensure that the symbols are clearly explained in the product’s user information package.
  • Inspection and evaluation by the certification organiza­tion shall include a review of the user information required by Section 5.2, User Information, to ensure that the information has been developed and is available.
  • Inspection and evaluation by the certification organiza­tion for determining compliance with the design requirements specified in Chapter 6 shall be performed on whole or complete products.
  • Testing to determine product compliance with the performance requirements specified in Chapter 7 shall be conducted by the certification organization in accordance with the specified testing requirements of Chapter 8.
  • Testing shall be performed on specimens representa­tive of materials and components used in the actual construc­tion of the compliant product.
  • The certification organization also shall be permitted to use sample materials cut from a representative product.
  • The certification organization shall accept from the manufacturer, for evaluation and testing for certification, only product or product components that are the same in every respect to the actual final product or product component.
  • The certification organization shall not allow any modi­fications, pretreatment, conditioning, or other such special processes of the product or any product component prior to the product’s submission for evaluation and testing by the certification organization.
  • The certification organization shall not allow the substi­tution, repair, or modification, other than as specifically permitted herein, of any product or any product component during testing.
  • The certification organization shall not allow test speci­mens that have been conditioned and tested by one method to be reconditioned and tested by another test method unless specifically permitted in the test method.
  • The certification organization shall test an ensemble element with the specific ensemble(s) with which it is to be certified.
  • Any change in the design, construction, or materials of a compliant product shall necessitate new inspection and test­ing to verify compliance to all applicable requirements of this standard that the certification organization determines can be affected by such change. This recertification shall be conduc­ted before labeling the modified product as being compliant with this standard.
  • The manufacturer shall maintain all design and performance inspection and test data from the certification organization used in the certification of the manufacturer’s compliant product. The manufacturer shall provide such data, upon request, to the purchaser or authority having jurisdiction.

4.4 Annual Verification of Product Compliance.

4.4.1 All products that are labeled as being compliant with this standard shall undergo recertification on an annual basis. This recertification shall include the following:

  • Inspection and evaluation to all design requirements as required by the standard on all manufacturer models and components
  • Testing to all performance requirements as specified in Table 4.4.1 on all manufacturer models and components within the following protocol:
    • Where a test method incorporates testing both before and after the laundering preconditioning specified in 8.1.3 and the test generates quantitative results, recertification testing shall be limited to the conditioning that yielded the worst-case test result during the initial certification for the model or component.
    • Where a test method incorporates testing both before and after the laundering preconditioning specified in 8.1.3 and the test generates nonquanti- tative results, recertifications shall be limited to a single conditioning procedure in any given year. Subsequent annual recertification shall cycle through the remaining conditioning procedure to ensure that all required conditionings are included over time.
    • Where a test method requires the testing of three specimens, a minimum of one specimen shall be tested for annual certification.
    • Where a test method requires the testing of five or more specimens, a minimum of two specimens shall be tested for annual certification.
  • This recertification shall include inspection and evalu­ation to all design requirements and testing to all performance requirements as required by this standard on all manufactur­er’s models and components as required by 4.4.3.
  • Any change that affects the product’s performance under design or performance requirements of this standard shall constitute a different model.

4.4.1.3 For the purpose of this standard, models shall include each unique pattern, style, or design of the product.

  • Any change that affects the element’s performance under the design or performance requirements of this stand­ard shall constitute a different model.
  • For the purpose of this standard, models shall include each unique pattern, style, or design of the individual element.
  • Samples of manufacturer models and components for recertification shall be acquired as part of the follow-up program in accordance with 4.2.7 and shall be permitted to be used toward annual recertification.
  • The manufacturer shall maintain all design, inspection, performance, and test data from the certification organization used in the recertification of manufacturer models and compo­nents. The manufacturer shall provide such data, upon request, to the purchaser or authority having jurisdiction.

4.5 Manufacturers’ Quality Assurance Program.

  • The manufacturer shall provide and operate a quality assurance program that meets the requirements of this section and that includes a product recall system as specified in 4.2.7.1, and Section 4.8, Manufacturers’ Safety Alert and Product Recall Systems.
  • The operation of the quality assurance program shall evaluate and test compliant product production to the require­ments of this standard to assure production remains in compli­ance.
  • The manufacturer shall be registered to ISO 9001, Qual­ity management systems — Requirements.
  • Registration to the requirements of ISO 9001, Quality management systems — Requirements, shall be conducted by a registrar that is accredited for personal protective equipment in accordance with ISO 17021, Conformity assessment — Require­ments for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems — Part 1: Requirements.
  • The scope of the ISO registration shall include at least the design and manufacturing systems management for the PPE being certified.
  • The registrar shall affix the accreditation mark on the ISO registration certificate.

4.5.4* Any entity that meets the definition of manufacturer specified in Section 3.3, General Definitions, and therefore is considered to be the “manufacturer,” but does not manufac­ture or assemble the compliant product, shall meet the require­ments specified in this Section 4.5.

4.5.5* Where the manufacturer uses subcontractors in the construction or assembly of the compliant product, the loca­tions and names of all subcontractor facilities shall be docu­mented and the documentation shall be provided to the manufacturer’s ISO registrar and the certification organization.

4.6 Hazards Involving Compliant Product.

4.6.1 The certification organization shall establish procedures to be followed where situation (s) are reported in which a compliant product is subsequently found to be hazardous. These procedures shall comply with the provisions of ISO Guide 27, Guidelines for corrective action to be taken by a certification body in the euent of misuse of its mark of conformity, and as modified herein.

4.6.2* Where a report of a hazard involved with a compliant product is received by the certification organization, the valid­ity of the report shall be investigated.

  • With respect to a compliant product, a hazard shall be a condition, or create a situation, that results in exposing life, limb, or property to an imminently dangerous or dangerous condition.
  • Where a specific hazard is identified, the determination of the appropriate action for the certification organization and the manufacturer to undertake shall take into consideration the severity of the hazard and its consequences to the safety and health of users.
  • Where it is established that a hazard is involved with a compliant product, the certification organization shall deter­mine the scope of the hazard including products, model numbers, serial numbers, factory production facilities, produc­tion runs, and quantities involved.
  • The certification organization’s investigation shall include, but not be limited to, the extent and scope of the problem as it might apply to other compliant product or compliant product components manufactured by other manu­facturers or certified by other certification organizations.
  • The certification organization shall also investigate reports of a hazard where compliant product is gaining wide­spread use in applications not foreseen when the standard was written, such applications in turn being ones for which the product was not certified, and no specific scope of application has been provided in the standard, and no limiting scope of application was provided by the manufacturer in written mate­rial accompanying the compliant product at the point of sale.
  • The certification organization shall require the manufac­turer of the compliant product, or, if applicable, the manufac­turer of the compliant product component, to assist the certification organization in the investigation and to conduct its own investigation as specified in Section 4.7, Manufacturers’ Investigation of Complaints and Returns.
  • Where the facts indicating a need for corrective action are conclusive and the certification organization’s appeal procedures referenced in 4.2.11 have been followed, the certifi­cation organization shall initiate corrective action immediately, provided there is a manufacturer to be held responsible for such action.
  • Where the facts are conclusive and corrective action is indicated but there is no manufacturer to be held responsible, such as when the manufacturer is out of business or the manu­facturer is bankrupt, the certification organization shall imme­diately notify relevant governmental and regulatory agencies and issue a notice to the user community about the hazard.

4.6.11* Where the facts are conclusive and corrective action is indicated, the certification organization shall take one or more of the following corrective actions:

  • Notifying parties authorized and responsible for issuing a safety alert when, in the opinion of the certification organization, such a notification is necessary to inform the users
  • Notifying parties authorized and responsible for issuing a product recall when, in the opinion of the certification organization, such a recall is necessary to protect the users
  • Removing the mark of certification from the product
  • Where a hazardous condition exists and it is not practi­cal to implement 4.6.11(1), 4.6.11(2), or 4.6.11(3); or the responsible parties refuse to take corrective action, the certifi­cation organization shall notify relevant governmental and regulatory agencies and issue a notice to the user community about the hazard.
  • The certification organization shall provide a report to the organization or individual identifying the reported hazard­ous condition and notify them of the corrective action indica­ted or that no corrective action is indicated.

4.6.14* Where a change to an NFPA standard(s) is felt to be necessary, the certification organization shall also provide a copy of the report and corrective actions indicated to the National Fire Protection Association and shall also submit either a Public Input for a proposed change to the next revi­sion of the applicable standard or a proposed Temporary Interim Amendment (TIA) to the current edition of the appli­cable standard.

  • Manufacturers’ Investigation of Complaints and Returns.
  • Manufacturers shall provide corrective action in accord­ance with ISO 9001, Quality management systems — Requirements, for investigating written complaints and returned products.
  • Manufacturers’ records of returns and complaints rela­ted to safety issues shall be retained for at least 5 years.
  • Where the manufacturer discovers, during the review of specific returns or complaints, that a compliant product or compliant product component can constitute a potential safety risk to end users that is possibly subject to a safety alert or prod­uct recall, the manufacturer shall immediately contact the certification organization and provide all information about the review to assist the certification organization with its investi­gation.
  • Manufacturers’ Safety Alert and Product Recall Systems.

4.8.1 Manufacturers shall establish a written safety alert system and a written product recall system that describes the proce­dures to be used in the event that it decides, or is directed by the certification organization, to either issue a safety alert or conduct a product recall.

4.8.2 The manufacturers’ safety alert and product recall system shall provide the following:

  • The establishment of a coordinator and responsibilities by the manufacturer for the handling of safety alerts and product recalls
  • A method of notifying all dealers, distributors, purchas­ers, users, and the NFPA about the safety alert or product recall that can be initiated within a one-week period following the manufacturer’s decision to issue a safety alert or to conduct a product recall, or after the manufac­turer has been directed by the certification organization to issue a safety alert or conduct a product recall
  • Techniques for communicating accurately and under­standably the nature of the safety alert or product recall and, in particular, the specific hazard or safety issue found to exist
  • Procedures for removing product that is recalled and for documenting the effectiveness of the product recall
  • A plan for either repairing or replacing, or compensating purchasers for, returned product

Chapter 5 Labeling and Information 5.1 Product Label Requirements.

5.1.1* Each item of protective clothing and equipment shall have a product label or labels permanently and conspicuously located inside each product when the product is properly assembled with all layers and components in place.

5.1.2 Multiple label pieces shall be permitted in order to carry all statements and information required to be on the product label. However, all label pieces comprising the product label shall be located adjacent to each other.

5.1.3* The certification organization’s label, symbol, or identi­fying mark shall be permanently attached to the product label or shall be part of the product label. All letters shall be at least 2.5 mm (%2 in.) high. The label, symbol, or identifying mark shall be at least 6 mm (‘4 in.) in height and shall be placed in a conspicuous location.

  • All worded portions of the required product label shall be printed at least in English.
  • Symbols and other pictorial graphic representations shall be permitted to be used to supplement worded statements on the product label(s). Such graphic representations shall be consistent and clearly communicate the intended message.
  • The following statement shall be printed legibly on the product label. The appropriate term for the item type (suit type, helmet, glove type, footwear type, personal flotation device) shall be inserted in this compliance statement text where indicated. All letters shall be at least 2.5 mm (%2 in.) in height.

“THIS SURFACE WATER OPERATIONS [insert appropriate item term here] MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF NFPA 1952, STANDARD ON SURFACE WATER OPERATIONS PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT, 2021 EDITION.

DO NOT REMOVE THIS LABEL!”

  • Where dry suits are certified as compliant with the nonoptional requirements of this standard and also certified as compliant with the optional protection against chemical hazards specified in 7.2.19, the following statement shall be printed legibly 011 the product label. All letters shall be at least 2.5 mm (%•> in.) high.

“THIS SURFACE WATER OPERATIONS [insert appropriate item term here] MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF NFPA 1952, STANDARD ON SURFACE WATER OPERATIONS PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT, 2021 EDITION, AND THE OPTIONAL PROTECTION AGAINST CHEMICAL HAZARDS REQUIREMENTS OF NFPA 1952.

DO NOT REMOVE THIS LABEL!”

  • The following information shall also be printed legibly on the product label. All letters shall be at least 1.6 mm (‘/[r, in.) high.
    • Manufacturer’s name, identification, or designation
    • Manufacturer’s address
    • Country of manufacture
    • Manufacturer’s identification number, lot number, or serial number
    • Month and year of manufacture (not coded)
    • Model name, number, or design
    • Size
    • Materials of construction of the composite
    • Cleaning precautions
    • For suits, the clo value specified in 7.1.2 or 7.3.5
    • Total heat loss (THL) as required by 6.2.11
  • Supplementary Product Labels.
  • Where the protective clothing items consist of items or layers that can be separated from each other, each separable layer shall have a supplementary product label permanently attached.
  • Supplementary product labels shall also meet the requirements of 5.1.4 and 5.1.5.

5.2 User Information.

  • The manufacturer shall provide user information includ­ing, but not limited to, warnings, information, and instructions with each item.
  • The manufacturer shall attach the required user infor­mation, or packaging containing the user information, to the item in such a manner that it is not possible to use the item without being aware of the availability of the information.
  • The required user information, or packaging containing the user information, shall be attached to the item so that a deliberate action is necessary to remove it. The product manu­facturer shall provide notice that the user information is to be removed ONLY by the end user.

5.2.4* The item manufacturer shall provide instructions and information regarding at least the following with each item:

  • Pre-use information, including the following:
    • Safety considerations
    • Limitations of use
    • Marking recommendations and restrictions
    • A statement that most performance properties of the item cannot be tested by the user in the field
    • Warranty information
  • Preparation for use, including the following:

(a) Sizing/adjustment

(b) Recommended storage practices

  • Inspection, including inspection frequency and details
  • Don/doff, including the following:
    • Donning and doffing procedures
    • Sizing and adjustment procedures
    • Interface issues
  • Use, including proper use consistent with national/ federal, state/provincial, and local jurisdiction laws/ordi­nances.
  • For surface water operations, use consistent with NFPA 1670.
  • For fire departments, use consistent with NFPA 1500.
  • Maintenance and cleaning, including the following:
    • Cleaning instructions and precautions with a state­ment advising users not to use suits that are not thoroughly cleaned and dried
    • Inspection details
    • Maintenance criteria and methods of repair where applicable
    • Decontamination procedures for both chemical and biological contamination
  • Retirement and disposal, including criteria and consider­ations

Chapter 6 Design Requirements

6.1* Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit Design Requirements.

  • Protective wet suits shall have at least the applicable design requirements specified in this section where inspected by the certification organization as specified in Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing.
  • Protective wet suits shall be permitted to be single-layer or multiple-layer suits.
  • Where multiple layers are necessary to meet the require­ments of this standard, the protective wet suit shall have a means for securing the layers together.
  • The protective wet suit shall cover the wearer’s upper torso and arms to the neck and wrist, and lower torso and legs to the ankle.
  • All protective wet suit hardware finish shall be free of rough spots, burrs, or sharp edges.
  • Protective wet suit metal components and closure systems shall not come in direct contact with the body.
  • Visibility Markings. Where visibility markings are provi­ded for protective wet suits, the markings shall meet the follow­ing criteria:
    • They shall be Type 1 retroreflective material approved by the USCG in accordance with 46 CFR 164.018.
    • They shall provide visibility of the wearer to include arms, and front and back of the upper torso.
    • They shall have a minimum area of 0.04 m2 (62 in.2).
    • They shall have a retroreflective surface not less than 25 mm (1 in.) wide.
    • They shall appear to be continuous for the length of the markings, with gaps between areas of retroreflectivity of not more than 6 mm (‘/[in.).

6.1.8* Protective Wet Suit Sizing.

  • Protective wet suit chest circumferences shall be provi­ded in circumferences from 760 mm to 1475 mm (30 in. to 58 in.) in 50 mm (2 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective wet suit sleeve lengths shall be provided in lengths from 760 mm to 915 mm (30 in. to 36 in.) in 25 mm (1 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective wet suit waist circumferences shall be provi­ded in circumferences from 660 mm to 1270 mm (26 in. to 50 in.) in 50 mm (2 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective wet suit inseam lengths shall be provided in lengths from 660 mm to 915 mm (26 in. to 36 in.) in 25 mm (1 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Men’s and women’s sizing shall be accomplished by the use of individual patterns for men’s and women’s wet suits.

6.2* Surface Water Operations Protective Dry Suit Design Requirements.

  • Protective dry suits shall have at least the applicable design requirements specified in this section where inspected by the certification organization as specified in Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing.
  • Protective dry suits shall be permitted to be single-layer or multiple-layer suits.
  • Where multiple layers are necessary to meet the require­ments of this standard, the protective dry suit shall have a means for securing the layers together.
  • Protective dry suits shall be designed to cover the wear­er’s upper torso to the neck and the arms to the wrist; shall cover the wearer’s lower torso, legs, and feet; and shall be designed with size-adjustable seals at the neck or face and at the wrists.
  • Protective dry suits shall be designed with an integrated bootie that shall cover the entire foot.
  • Protective dry suits shall be designed to accommodate gloves, which shall be permitted to be a separate item or a detachable item of the dry suit.
  • Where dry suits are designed to accommodate a hood, the hood shall be permitted to be a separate item or a detacha­ble item of the dry suit. Where hoods are provided, the hood shall provide protection to at least the head and neck.
  • All protective dry suit hardware finish shall be free of rough spots, burrs, or sharp edges.
  • Protective dry suit metal components and closure systems shall not come in direct contact with the body.
  • Protective dry suits shall be reinforced at buttocks, fore­arms, elbow, and knees.

6.2.11* When the manufacturer designates a dry suit as “breathable,” the total heat loss shall be measured as specified in Section 8.42, Total Heat Loss Test, and the result shall be printed on the product label as required by 5.1.8(11).

6.2.12 Visibility Markings. Where visibility markings are provi­ded for protective dry suits, the markings shall meet the follow­ing criteria:

  • They shall he Type 1 retroreflective material approved by the USCG in accordance with 46 CFR 164.018.
  • They shall provide visibility of the wearer to include arms, and front and back of the upper torso.
  • They shall have a minimum area of 0.04 m2 (62 in.2).
  • They shall have a retroreflective surface not less than 25 mm (1 in.) wide.
  • They shall appear to be continuous for the length of the markings, with gaps between areas of retroreflectivity of not more than 6 mm (‘/[in.).

6.2.13* Protective Dry Suit Sizing.

  • Protective dry suit chest circumferences shall be provided in circumferences from 760 mm to 1475 mm (30 in. to 58 in.) in 100 mm (4 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective dry suit sleeve lengths shall be provided in lengths from 760 mm to 915 mm (30 in. to 36 in.) in 50 mm (2 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective dry suit waist circumferences shall be provi­ded in circumferences from 660 mm to 1270 mm (26 in. to 50 in.) in 100 mm (4 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective dry suit inseam lengths shall be provided in lengths from 660 mm to 915 mm (26 in. to 36 in.) in 50 mm (2 in.) increments or shall be cut to order.
  • Men’s and women’s sizing shall be accomplished by the use of individual patterns for men’s and women’s dry suits.

6.3* Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit Design Requirements.

  • Protective ice suits shall have at least the applicable design requirements specified in this section where inspected by the certification organization as specified in Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing.
  • Protective ice suits shall be designed to cover the wear­er’s entire body. The suit shall be permitted to cover the wear­er’s nose. The suit shall not cover the wearer’s eyes.
  • Protective ice suits shall incorporate a hood, either detachable or integrated, that covers the wearer’s neck and head, excluding the face.
  • Protective ice suits shall be permitted to be single-layer or multiple-layer suits.
  • Where multiple layers are provided to meet the require­ments of this standard, the protective ice suit shall have a means for securing the layers together.
  • Protective ice suits shall incorporate integrated gloves and footwear of a compatible material that meets the perform­ance requirements for protective ice suits in Chapter 7.
  • All protective ice suit hardware finish shall be free of rough spots, burrs, or sharp edges.
  • Protective ice suit metal components and closure systems shall not come in direct contact with the body.
  • Protective ice suits shall be reinforced at buttocks, fore­arms, elbow, and knees.
  • Protective ice suits shall have a means to automatically exhaust air from the lower extremities of the suit.

6.3.11 Visibility Markings. Visibility markings on protective ice suits shall meet the following criteria:

  • They shall be Type 1 retroreflective material that is USCG approved in accordance with 46 CFR 164.018, “Retrore­flective Material for Lifesaving Equipment.”
  • They shall provide visibility of the wearer to include arms, front and back of the upper torso, and head.
  • They shall have a minimum area of 0.04 m2 (62 in.2).
  • They shall have a retroreflective surface not less than 25 mm (1 in.) wide.
  • They shall appear to be continuous for the length of the markings, with gaps between areas of retroreflectivity of not more than 6 mm (‘4 in.).

6.3.12* Protective Ice Suit Sizing.

  • Protective ice suit chest circumferences shall be provi­ded in circumferences from 760 mm to 1475 mm (30 in. to 58 in.) in 100 mm (4 in.) increments, shall be adjustable from 760 mm to 1475 mm (30 in. to 58 in.), or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective ice suit sleeve lengths shall be provided in lengths from 760 mm to 915 mm (30 in. to 36 in.) in 50 mm (2) increments, shall be adjustable from 760 mm to 915 mm (30 in. to 36 in.), or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective ice suit waist circumferences shall be provi­ded in circumferences from 660 mm to 1270 mm (26 in. to 50 in.) in 100 mm (4 in.) increments, shall be adjustable from 660 mm to 1270 mm (26 in. to 50 in.), or shall be cut to order.
  • Protective ice suit inseam lengths shall be provided in lengths from 660 mm to 915 mm (26 in. to 36 in.) in 50 mm (2 in.) increments, shall be adjustable from 660 mm to 915 mm (26 in. to 36 in.), or shall be cut to order.
  • Men’s and women’s sizing shall be accomplished by the use of individual patterns for men’s and women’s ice suits.

6.4 Surface Water Operations Protective Helmet Design Requirements.

  • Surface water protective helmets shall have at least the applicable design requirements specified in this section where inspected by the certification organization as specified in Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing.
  • Surface water protective helmets shall be designed to consist of at least a means of absorbing energy and a chinstrap.
  • The back and sides of the surface water helmet shall extend a minimum of 50 mm (2 in.) downward from the refer­ence plane when measured on an ISO J headform at any point behind the coronal plane.
  • Surface water protective helmets shall be permitted to have ventilation holes or shall be permitted to be continuous and tight fitting so that they do not collect water.
  • All materials used in the construction of the surface water protective helmet that are designed to come in contact with the wearer’s head or skin shall be known to be nonirritat- ing to normal skin.
  • The complete surface water protective helmet shall not weigh more than 710 g (25 oz) when dry.
    • Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit Footwear Design Requirements.
      • Protective wet suit footwear shall have at least the appli­cable design requirements specified in this section where inspected by the certification organization as specified in Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing.
      • Protective wet suit footwear shall consist of a composite that shall be permitted to be configured as a continuous or joined single layer or continuous or joined multiple layers.
      • Where the protective wet suit footwear is made up of multiple layers, all layers of the footwear shall be individually graded per size.
      • Protective wet suit footwear height shall be determined by measuring inside the footwear from the center of the insole at the heel up to a perpendicular reference line extending across the width of the footwear up to the highest point where the footwear composite completely and continuously encircles the leg. Removable insole inserts shall be removed prior to measurement.
      • All protective wet suit footwear hardware finishes shall be free of rough spots, burrs, or sharp edges.
    • Surface Water Operations Protecdve Dry Suit Footwear Design Requirements.
      • Protective dry suit footwear shall have at least the appli­cable design requirements specified in this section where inspected by the certification organization as specified in Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing.
      • Protective dry suit footwear shall consist of a composite that shall be permitted to be configured as a continuous or joined single layer or continuous or joined multiple layers.
      • Where the protective dry suit footwear is made up of multiple layers, all layers of the footwear shall be individually graded per size.
      • Protective dry suit footwear height shall be determined by measuring inside the footwear from the center of the insole at the heel up to a perpendicular reference line extending across the width of the footwear up to the highest point where the footwear composite completely and continuously encircles the leg. Removable insole inserts shall be removed prior to measurement.
      • All protective dry suit footwear hardware finishes shall be free of rough spots, burrs, or sharp edges.
    • Surface Water Operations Protecdve Ice Suit Footwear Design Requirements.
      • Protective ice suit footwear shall have at least the appli­cable design requirements specified in this section where inspected by the certification organization as specified in Section 4.3, Inspection and Testing.
      • Protective ice suit footwear shall consist of a composite that shall be permitted to be configured as a continuous or joined single layer or continuous or joined multiple layers.
      • Where the protective ice suit footwear is made up of multiple layers, all layers of the footwear shall be individually graded per size.
      • Protective ice suit footwear height shall be determined by measuring inside the footwear from the center of the insole at the heel up to a perpendicular reference line extending across the width of the footwear up to the highest point where the footwear composite completely and continuously encircles the leg. Removable insole inserts shall be removed prior to measurement.
      • All protective ice suit footwear hardware finishes shall be free of rough spots, burrs, or sharp edges.

6.11 Surface Water Operadons Protective Personal Flotation Device Design Requirements.

  • Protective personal flotation devices shall be certified to UL 1123, Standard for Marine Buoyant Devices, as defined in Supplement SO, Type V Rescuer’s Harness PFD’s, excluding Markings-SG 11.
  • Protective personal flotation devices shall be available in a range of chest sizes from 760 mm to 1475 mm (30 in. to 58 in.).
  • Personal flotation devices (PFDs) shall have visibility markings on the exterior of the shell. A minimum of 200 cm2 (31 in.2) of retroreflective visibility markings shall be visible when the PFD is viewed from the front, and a minimum of 200 cm2 (31 in.2) retroreflective visibility markings shall be visi­ble when the PFD is viewed from the rear.
  • All protective personal flotation device hardware finishes shall be free of rough spots, burrs, or sharp edges.

Chapter 7 Performance Requirements

7.1 Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit Performance Requirements.

  • Protective wet suits shall be tested for donning efficiency as specified in Section 8.4, Overall Donning Efficiency Test, and shall be donned in 3 minutes or less.
  • Protective wet suit materials shall be tested for snag resistance strength as specified in Section 8.8, Puncture Propa­gation Tear Resistance Test, and shall have a puncture resist­ance of not less than 25 N (5.5 lbf).
  • All protective wet suit seam assemblies shall be tested for seam strength as specified in Section 8.11, Seam/Closure Breaking Strength Test, and shall demonstrate a breaking strength of 158 N (35 lbf) or greater for each seam type.
  • Protective wet suit materials shall be tested for water absorption resistance as specified in Section 8.12, Liquid Absorption Resistance Test, and shall not have a water absorp­tion greater than 10 percent.
  • Where protective wet suit visibility markings are speci­fied, the visibility markings shall be tested for retroreflectivity as specified in Section15, Retroreflectivity Test, and shall have a total coefficient of retroreflection {R„) of not less than 100 cd/lux/m2 (cd/fc/ft2).
  • Protective wet suit zippers shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.31, Zipper Strength Test, and shall have a minimum strength of 222 N (50 lbf).
  • Protective wet suit zippers shall be tested for resistance to twist as specified in Section 8.32, Resistance to Twist of Pull and Slider Test, and shall have a minimum force of 0.79 N-m (7 lbf-in.).
  • Protective wet suit zippers shall be tested for operability as specified in Section 8.33, Opening and Closing of Zippers Test, and shall have a minimum force of 67 N (15 lbf).
  • All protective wet suit metal hardware and hardware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain functional.
  • Protective wet suit product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section 8.17, Label Durability and Legi­bility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.
  • Protective wet suit closures other than zippers shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.11, Seam/Closure Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a breaking strength of not less than 158 N (35 lbf).

7.2 Surface Water Operations Protective Dry Suit Perform­ance Requirements.

  • Protective dry suits shall be tested for air penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.2, Air Retention Test, and shall not show any sign ofleakage.
  • Protective dry suits shall be tested for liquid penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.3, Overall Liquid Integrity Test One, and shall not allow liquid penetration.
  • Protective dry suits shall be tested for donning efficiency as specified in Section 8.4, Overall Donning Efficiency Test, and shall be donned in 3 minutes or less.
  • Protective dry suits shall be tested for water penetration and air evacuation as specified in Section 8.34, Water Penetra­tion and Air Evacuation Test, and shall not allow water ingress while allowing for evacuation of air from the suit.
  • Protective dry suit materials, dry suit bootie materials, and dry suit hood materials shall be tested for strength as speci­fied in Section 8.7, Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a breaking strength of not less than 445 N (100 lbf).
  • Protective dry suit materials, dry suit bootie materials, and dry suit hood materials shall be tested for snag resistance as specified in Section 8.8, Puncture Propagation Tear Resist­ance Test, and shall have a puncture resistance of not less than 25 N (5.5 lbf).
  • Protective dry suit materials shall be individually tested for cleaning shrinkage resistance as specified in Section 8.10, Cleaning Shrinkage Resistance Test, and shall not shrink more than 5.0 percent in either direction.
  • Protective dry suit seam assemblies, dry suit bootie seam assemblies, and dry suit hood seam assemblies shall be tested for seam strength as specified in Section 8.11, Seam/Closure Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a seam breaking strength of not less than 158 N (35 lbf) for each seam type.
  • Protective dry suit materials, dry suit bootie materials, and dry suit hood materials shall be tested for water absorption resistance as specified in Section 8.12, Liquid Absorption

Resistance Test, and shall not have a water absorption greater than 10 percent.

  • Protective dry suit materials and seams, dry suit bootie materials and seams, and dry suit hood materials and seams shall be tested for liquid penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.13, Liquid Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any chemical penetration.
  • Protective dry suit materials and seams, dry suit bootie materials and seams, and dry suit hood materials and seams shall be tested for biopenetration resistance as specified in Section 8.14, Viral Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any viral penetration.
  • Protective dry suit zippers shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.31, Zipper Strength Test, and shall have a minimum strength of 222 N (50 lbf).
  • Protective dry suit zippers shall be tested for resistance to twist as specified in Section 8.32, Resistance to Twist of Pull and Slider Test, and shall have a minimum force of 0.79 N-m (7 lbf-in.).
  • Protective dry suit zippers shall be tested for operability as specified in Section 8.33, Opening and Closing of Zippers Test, and shall have a minimum force of 67 N (15 lbf).
  • Protective dry suit zippers shall be tested for point breaking strength as specified in Section 8.40, Zipper Point Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a minimum strength of 440 N (90 lbf).
  • Protective dry suit zippers shall be tested for resistance to leakage as specified in Section 8.41, Zipper Leak Resistance Test, and shall not allow any water ingress.
  • Protective dry suit zippers shall be tested for opening and closing force as specified in Section 8.37, Zipper Opening and Closing Force Test, and shall have a minimum strength as defined in Table 7.2.17.
  • Where protective dry suit visibility markings are speci­fied, the visibility markings shall be tested for retroreflectivity as specified in Section 8.15, Retroreflectivity Test, and shall have a total coefficient of retroreflection (Ra) of not less than 100 cd/lux/m2 (cd/fc/ft2).
  • Dry suits and dry suit booties that are intended to provide protection against chemical hazards shall have materi­als and seams tested for permeation resistance after flexing and abrading as specified in Section 8.44, Chemical Permeation Resistance Test, and the average cumulative permeation mass shall not exceed 6.0 |xg/cm2.
  • Dry suits and dry suit booties that are intended to provide protection against chemical hazards shall have materi­als and seams tested for penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.43, Closure Penetration Resistance Test, and shall show no penetration.
  • All metal hardware and hardware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain functional.

Table 7.2.17 Zipper Force Test Strengths

24 hours under 4 in. (100 mm) head of No. 2 marine diesel oil at 64°F-68°F (18°C-20°C)

8 hours at room temperature3,1‘; 149°F (65°C) for 8 hours3,1‘; 8 hours at room temperature3,1‘; and -22°F (-30°C) for 8 hoursa‘b‘c “The exposure sequence shall be performed five times. ”Prior to exposures, the sample shall be folded in halt lengthwise to form a radius of not more than 0.9 in. (25 mm). ‘The test shall be performed no less than 10 minutes after being removed from exposure.

  • Closures used in dry suits that are intended to provide protection against chemical hazards shall be tested for chemi­cal penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.43, Closure Penetration Resistance Test, and shall exhibit no penetration.
  • Protective dry suit product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section17, Label Durability and Legi­bility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.
  • Protective dry suit closures other than zippers shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.11, Seam/Closure Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a breaking strength of not less than 158 N (35 lbf).

7.3 Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit Performance Requirements.

  • Protective ice suits shall be tested for liquid penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.3, Overall Liquid Integrity Test One, and shall not allow liquid penetration.
  • Protective ice suits shall be tested for air penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.2, Air Retention Test, and shall not show any sign of leakage.
  • Protective ice suit materials and seams and ice suit hood materials and seams shall be tested for biopenetration resist­ance as specified in Section 8.14, Viral Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any viral penetration.
  • Protective ice suits shall be tested for donning efficiency as specified in Section 8.4, Overall Donning Efficiency Test, and shall be donned in 3 minutes or less.

The opening and closing force shall not exceed 13 (60).

7.3.5* Protective ice suit and protective ice suit hood materials shall be tested for thermal insulation as specified in

Section 8.5, Thermal Insulation Test, and shall have a clo value of at least 2.

  • Protective ice suit and protective ice suit hood materials shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.7, Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a breaking strength of not less than 445 N (100 lbf).
  • Protective ice suit and protective ice suit hood materials shall be tested for snag resistance strength as specified in Section 8.8, Puncture Propagation Tear Resistance Test, and shall have a puncture resistance of not less than 25 N (5.5 lbf).
  • Protective ice suit and protective ice suit hood seam assemblies shall be tested for seam strength as specified in Section 8.11, Seam/Closure Breaking Strength Test, and shall demonstrate a breaking strength of 158 N (35 lbf) or greater for each seam type.
  • Protective ice suit and protective ice suit hood materials shall be tested for water absorption resistance as specified in Section 8.12, Liquid Absorption Resistance Test, and shall not have a water absorption greater than 10 percent.
  • Protective ice suit materials and seams and ice suit hood materials and seams shall be tested for liquid penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.13, Liquid Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any chemical penetration.
  • Protective ice suit visibility markings shall be tested for retroreflectivity as specified in Section 8.15, Retroreflectivity Test, and shall have a total coefficient of retroreflection (A’J of not less than 100 cd/lux/m2 (cd/fc/ft2).
  • Protective ice suits shall be tested for water penetration and air evacuation as specified in Section 8.34, Water Penetra­tion and Air Evacuation Test, and shall not allow water ingress while allowing for evacuation of air from the suit.
  • Protective ice suits shall be tested for buoyancy as speci­fied in Section 8.36, Buoyancy Test, and the adjusted buoyancy shall be at least 100 N (22 lb) and the measured buoyancy shall not be reduced by more than 5 percent after 24 hours submer­sion in fresh water.
  • All protective ice suit metal hardware and hardware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain functional.
  • All protective ice suit product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section 8.17, Label Durability and Legi­bility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.
  • Protective ice suit zippers shall be tested for point breaking strength as specified in Section 8.40, Zipper Point Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a minimum strength of 440 N (90 lbf).
  • Protective ice suit zippers shall be tested for resistance to leakage as specified in Section 8.41, Zipper Leak Resistance Test, and shall not allow any water ingress.
  • Protective ice suit zippers shall be tested for operability as specified in Section 8.33, Opening and Closing of Zippers Test, and shall have a minimum force of 67 N (15 lbf).
  • Protective ice suit zippers shall be tested for opening and closing force as specified in Section 8.37, Zipper Opening and Closing Force Test and shall have a minimum strength as defined in Table 7.2.17.
  • Protective dry suit zippers shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.31, Zipper Strength Test, and shall have a minimum strength of 222 N (50 lbf).
  • Protective ice suit zippers shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.32, Resistance to Twist of Pull and Slider Test, and shall have a minimum force of 0.79 N-m (7 lbf-in.).
  • Protective ice suit closures other than zippers shall be tested for strength as specified in Section 8.11, Seam/Closure Breaking Strength Test, and shall have a breaking strength of not less than 158 N (35 lbf).

7.4 Surface Water Operations Protective Helmet Performance Requirements.

  • Protective helmets shall be tested for bucketing as speci­fied in Section 8.18, Helmet Bucketing Test, and shall not produce a force greater than 55 N (12.4 lbf).
  • Protective helmets shall be tested for top impact resist­ance as specified by Section 8.19, Top Impact Resistance Test (Force), and shall not transmit an average force of more than 3780 N (850 lbf). No individual specimen shall transmit a force of more than 4450 N (1000 lbf).
  • Protective helmets shall be tested for physical penetra­tion resistance as specified in Section 8.20, Physical Penetration Resistance Test, and shall exhibit no electrical or physical contact between the penetration striker and the headform.
  • Where a protective helmet includes a suspension system, it shall be tested for suspension system separation as specified in Section 8.21, Suspension System Retention Test, and shall not have the minimum force required to separate any individ­ual attachment point of the suspension assembly from the helmet be less than 22 N (5 lbf).
  • Protective helmets shall be tested for retention system and chin strap efficiency as specified in Section 8.22, Retention System Test, and the retention system shall not break or show any slip or stretch greater than 20 mm (‘Ms in.).
  • All protective helmet metal hardware and hardware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain functional.
  • Where helmet visibility markings are specified, the visi­bility markings shall be tested for retroreflectivity as specified in Section 8.15, Retroreflectivity Test, and shall have a total coefficient of retroreflection (Ra) of not less than 100 cd/lux/m2 (cd/fc/ft2), and shall be designated as fluorescent.
  • Specimens of all protective helmet product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section17, Label Dura­bility and Legibility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.
  • Protective helmets shall be tested for floatability as speci­fied in Section 8.39, Floatability Test, and shall float.
  • Protective helmets shall be tested for impact accelera­tion as specified in Section 8.38, Impact Resistance Test — Acceleration, and shall not transmit a force of more than 200 Gn (1961 m/s2, 6435 ft/s2).
  • Protective helmets shall be tested for stability as speci­fied in Section 8.6, Helmet Roll Off Test, and the retention system shall remain intact and the helmet shall not rotate more than 20 mm from its original position.
  • Protective helmets shall be tested for water absorption as specified in Section 8.9, Helmet Water Absorption Test, and shall not weigh more than 110 percent of the original dry weight.

7.5 Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit Glove Performance Requirements.

  • Protective wet suit glove palm composite materials and palmside finger composite materials shall be tested for resist­ance to cut as specified in Section 8.24, Cut Resistance Test, and shall have a distance of blade travel not less than 20 mm (% in.).
  • Protective wet suit glove palm composite materials and palmside finger composite materials shall be tested for punc­ture resistance as specified in Section 8.25, Puncture Resistance Test, and shall not puncture under an applied force of 12 N (2.7 lbf).
  • Protective wet suit glove palm composite materials, palm­side finger composite materials, and back-of-hand composite materials shall be tested for abrasion resistance as specified in Section 8.26, Abrasion Resistance Test Two, and shall not wear through.
  • Wet suit protective gloves shall be tested for hand func­tion as specified in Section 8.27, Glove Hand Function Test, and shall not have an average percent of barehand control exceeding 150 percent.
  • Wet suit protective gloves shall be tested for grip as speci­fied in Section 8.28, Grip Test, and shall have a weight-pulling capacity not less than 120 percent of the barehand control values.
  • Wet suit protective gloves shall be tested for ease of donning as specified in Section 8.29, Glove Donning Test, and shall have a final donning time less than 20.0 seconds, shall have no detachment of the glove liner, and shall allow full insertion of all digits.
  • All wet suit protective glove metal hardware and hard­ware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain func­tional.
  • Wet suit protective glove product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section17, Label Durability and Legibility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.
  • Surface Water Operations Protective Dry Suit Glove Performance Requirements.
  • Protective dry suit glove palm composite materials and palmside finger composite materials shall be tested for resist­ance to cut as specified in Section 8.24, Cut Resistance Test, and shall have a distance of blade travel not less than 20 mm

(W).

  • Protective dry suit glove palm composite materials and palmside finger composite materials shall be tested for punc­ture resistance as specified in Section 8.25, Puncture Resistance Test, and shall not puncture under an applied force of 12 N (2.7 lbf).
  • Protective dry suit glove palm composite materials, palm­side finger composite materials, and back-of-hand composite materials shall be tested for abrasion resistance as specified in Section 8.26, Abrasion Resistance Test Two, and shall not weal­th rough.
  • Dry suit protective gloves shall be tested for hand func­tion as specified in Section 8.27, Glove Hand Function Test, and shall not have an average percent of barehand control exceeding 150 percent.
  • Dry suit protective gloves shall be tested for grip as speci­fied in Section 8.28, Grip Test, and shall have a weight-pulling capacity not less than 120 percent of the barehand control values.
  • Dry suit protective gloves shall be tested for ease of donning as specified in Section 8.29, Glove Donning Test, and shall have a final donning time less than 20 seconds, shall have no detachment of the glove liner, and shall allow full insertion of all digits.
  • All dry suit protective glove metal hardware and hard­ware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain func­tional.
  • Protective dry suit glove composite materials and seams shall be tested for liquid penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.13, Liquid Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any chemical penetration.
  • Protective dry suit glove composite materials and seams shall be tested for biopenetration resistance as specified in Section 8.14, Viral Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any viral penetration.
  • Dry suit protective gloves shall be tested for overall watertight integrity as specified in Section 8.23, Overall Liquid Integrity Test Two, and shall show no water penetration.
  • Dry suit protective glove product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section 8.17, Label Durability and Legibility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.
  • Surface Water Operations Protective Ice Suit Glove Performance Requirements.

7.7.1 Protective ice suit glove palm composite materials and palmside finger composite materials shall be tested for resist­ance to cut as specified in Section 8.24, Cut Resistance Test, and shall have a distance of blade travel not less than 20 mm (5* in.).

  • Protective ice suit glove palm composite materials and palmside finger composite materials shall be tested for punc­ture resistance as specified in Section 8.25, Puncture Resistance Test, and shall not puncture under an applied force of 12 N (2.7 lbf).
  • Protective ice suit glove palm composite materials, palm­side finger composite materials, and back-of-hand composite materials shall be tested for abrasion resistance as specified in Section 8.26, Abrasion Resistance Test Two, and shall not wear through.
  • Ice suit protective gloves shall be tested for hand func­tion as specified in Section 8.27, Glove Hand Function Test, and shall not have an average percent of barehand control exceeding 150 percent.
  • Ice suit protective gloves shall be tested for grip as speci­fied in Section 8.28, Grip Test, and shall have a weight-pulling capacity not less than 120 percent of the barehand control values.
  • Ice suit protective gloves shall be tested for ease of donning as specified in Section 8.29, Glove Donning Test, and shall have a final donning time less than 20 seconds, shall have no detachment of the glove liner, and shall allow full insertion of all digits.
  • All ice suit protective glove metal hardware and hard­ware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion zinc show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain func­tional.
  • Protective ice suit glove composite materials and seams shall be tested for liquid penetration resistance as specified in Section13, Liquid Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any chemical penetration.
  • Protective ice suit glove composite materials and seams shall be tested for biopenetration resistance as specified in Section 8.14, Viral Penetration Resistance Test, and shall not show any viral penetration.
  • Ice suit protective glove product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section 8.17, Label Durability and Legibility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.

7.7.11* Ice suit protective glove materials shall be tested for thermal insulation as specified in Section 8.5, Thermal Insula­tion Test, and shall have a clo value of at least 2.

7.8 Surface Water Operations Protective Wet Suit and Protec­tive Dry Suit Footwear Performance Requirements.

  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear shall be tested for drainage as specified in Section 8.35, Footwear Drainage Test, and shall retain less than 100 g (0.22 lb) of water.
  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear uppers shall be tested for abrasion resistance as specified in Section 8.26, Abra­sion Resistance Test Two, and shall not wear through.
  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear uppers shall be tested for cut resistance as specified in Section 8.24, Cut Resist­ance Test, and shall have a distance of blade travel not less than 20 mm (% in.).
  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear uppers shall be tested for puncture resistance as specified in Section 8.25, Puncture Resistance Test, and shall not puncture under an applied force of 45 N (10 lbf).
  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear soles shall be tested for abrasion resistance as specified in Section 8.26, Abra­sion Resistance Test Two, and shall not wear through.
  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear soles shall be tested for penetration (physical) resistance as specified in Section 8.25, Puncture Resistance Test, and shall not have a puncture force ofless than 90 N (20 lbf).
  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear shall be tested for slip resistance as specified in Section 8.30, Slip Resistance Test, and shall have a static coefficient friction of 0.45 or greater under wet conditions.
  • All wet suit and dry suit protective footwear metal hard­ware and hardware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corro­sion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain functional.
  • Wet suit and dry suit protective footwear product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section 8.17, Label Durability and Legibility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.

7.9 Surface Water Operations Protecdve Ice Suit Footwear Performance Requirements.

  • Ice suit protective footwear uppers shall be tested for abrasion resistance as specified in Section 8.26, Abrasion Resist­ance Test Two, and shall not wear through.
  • Ice suit protective footwear uppers shall be tested for cut resistance as specified in Section 8.24, Cut Resistance Test, and shall have a distance of blade travel not less than 20 mm (% in.).
  • Ice suit protective footwear uppers shall be tested for puncture resistance as specified in Section 8.25, Puncture Resistance Test, and shall not puncture under an applied force of 45 N (10 lbf).
  • Ice suit protective footwear soles shall be tested for abra­sion resistance as specified in Section 8.26, Abrasion Resistance Test Two, and shall not wear through.
  • Ice suit protective footwear soles shall be tested for pene­tration (physical) resistance as specified in Section 8.25, Punc­ture Resistance Test, and shall not have a puncture force of less than 90 N (20 lbf).
  • Ice suit protective footwear shall be tested for slip resist­ance as specified in Section 8.30, Slip Resistance Test, and shall have a static coefficient friction of 0.45 or greater under wet conditions.
  • Ice suit protective footwear materials and seams shall be tested for liquid penetration resistance as specified in Section 8.13, Liquid Penetration Resistance Test, and shall show no chemical penetration.
  • Ice suit protective footwear materials and seams shall be tested for biopenetration resistance as specified in Section14, Viral Penetration Resistance Test, and shall show no viral pene­tration.
  • All ice suit protective footwear metal hardware and hard­ware that includes metal parts shall be tested for corrosion resistance as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain func­tional.
  • Ice suit protective footwear product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section17, Label Durability and Legibility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.

7.9.11* Ice suit protective footwear materials shall be tested for thermal insulation as specified in Section 8.5, Thermal Insulation Test, and shall have a clo value of at least 2.

7.10 Surface Water Operadons Protective Personal Flotation Device Performance Requirements.

  • Protective personal flotation devices shall be tested for buoyancy as specified in Section 8.36, Buoyancy Test, and shall have a buoyancy of at least 100 N (22 lb).
  • Protective personal flotation device product labels shall be tested for legibility as specified in Section17, Label Dura­bility and Legibility Test, and shall not be torn, shall remain in place, and shall be legible to the unaided eye.
  • Protective personal flotation devices shall be tested for corrosion as specified in Section 8.16, Corrosion Resistance Test, and shall not have metals that are inherently resistant to corrosion show more than light surface-type corrosion or oxidation, shall not have ferrous metals show corrosion of the base metal, and shall have all hardware items remain func­tional.

Chapter 8 Test Methods

8.1 Sample Preparation Procedures. 8.1.1 Application.

  • The sample preparation procedures contained in this section shall apply to each test method in this chapter, as specif­ically referenced in the sample preparation section of each test method.
  • Only the specific sample preparation procedure or procedures referenced in the sample preparation section of each test method shall be applied to that test method.
  •  
  • Samples shall be complete protective ice suits assem­bled with all layers that are required for the suit to be compli­ant.
  • Samples shall be preconditioned as specified in 8.1.3 followed by 8.1.2.
  •  
  • A minimum of three specimens shall be tested.
  • The size of the ice suits comprising the specimens shall be chosen to conform with the dimensions of the mannequin for proper fit of the specimen on the mannequin in accord­ance with the manufacturer’s sizing system.
  • The size of the ice suits comprising the specimens shall be the same size as the mannequin in terms of chest circumfer­ence, waist circumference, and inseam height.
  • The apparatus and supplies for testing shall be those specified in ASTM F1359/F1359M, Standard Test Method for Liquid-Penetration Resistance of Protective Clothing or Protective Ensembles Under a Shower Spray While on a Manikin, with the following modifications:
    • The surface tension of the water used in testing shall be 34 dynes/cm, ±5 dynes/cm.
    • The mannequin used in testing shall have straight arms and legs, with the arms positioned at the mannequin’s side.
  • Liquidtight integrity testing of suits shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM F1359/F1359M, Standard Test Method for Liquid-Penetration Resistance of Protective Clothing or Protective Ensembles Under a Shower Spray While on a Manikin, with the following modifications:
    • The method used for mounting of the mannequin in the spray chamber shall not interfere with the water spray.
    • The suited mannequin shall be exposed to the liquid spray for a total of 20 minutes — 5 minutes in each of the four specified mannequin orientations.
    • At the end of the liquid spray exposure period, excess liquid shall be removed from the surface of the specimen.
    • The specimen shall be inspected within 5 minutes of the end of the liquid spray exposure period for evidence of liquid penetration.
  • A diagram shall be prepared for each test that identified the locations of any liquid leakage as detected on the liquid-absorptive suit.
  • Any evidence of liquid on the liquid- absorptive suit as determined by visual, tactile, or absorbent toweling, shall constitute failure of the specimen.

8.4 Overall Donning Efficiency Test.

  • This test method shall apply to complete protective wet suits, complete protective dry suits, and complete protective ice suits.
  • Samples shall be complete protective suits assembled with all layers that are required for the suit to be compliant.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.3 followed by 8.1.2.
  • A minimum of three specimens shall be tested.
  • The size of the suits comprising the specimens shall be chosen for proper fit of the specimen on the test subject in accordance with the manufacturer’s sizing system.
  • The size of the suits comprising the specimens shall be the same size as the test subject in terms of chest circumfer­ence, waist circumference, and inseam height.
  • A different test subject shall be used for evaluating the donning efficiency of each specimen.
  • The test subject will be provided instructions in the proper donning of the suit and shall practice donning and doffing the suit prior to testing.
  • To begin the test, the test subject shall be standing with the suit draped over a chair next to the test subject.
  • A timer shall be started when the test subject is instruc­ted to begin donning the suit.
  • The timer shall be stopped when the test subject has completely donned the suit, ensuring that all closures are secured.
  • The donning time for each test subject shall be reported.
  • Any donning time greater than 3.0 minutes shall constitute failure of the specimen.

8.5 Thermal Insulation Test.

  • This test method shall apply to protective ice suit materials, ice suit hood materials, ice suit glove materi­als, and ice suit footwear materials.
  • Samples shall be at least a 1 m (1 yd) square of each material.
  • Samples shall be preconditioned as specified in1.2.
  • A minimum of three specimens shall be tested.
  • Specimens shall consist of all layers used in the construction of the suit, excluding any areas of reinforcement, arranged in the order and orientation as worn.
  • The test apparatus shall be as specified in ASTM F1868, Standard Test Method for Thermal and Evaporative Resistance of Clothing Materials Using a Sweating Hot Plate.
  • Testing shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM F1868, Standard Test Method for Thermal and Evapora­tive Resistance of Clothing Materials Using a Siueating Hot Plate, using Part D.
  • The average intrinsic thermal resistance (Rrf) of the sample shall be recorded and reported.
  • Pass or fail determination shall be based on the average reported intrinsic thermal resistance measure­ment of all specimens tested.
  • Helmet Roll Off Test.
  • This test shall be applied to complete helmets.
  • Samples shall be complete helmets.
  • A minimum of three specimens shall be tested.
  • Specimens shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.2, and 8.1.6 prior to each test.
  • Specimens shall be tested as specified in Section 12.7.2, Roll Off Test, of ASTM F1446, Standard lest Methods for Equipment and Procedures Used in Evaluating the Performance Characteristics of Protective Headgear.
  • A drop weight of 4 kg (8.8 lb), and a drop height of 0.6 m (24 in.) shall be used.
  • The rotation of the helmet from the original position shall be measured, recorded, and reported for each helmet.
  • Damage to the retention system resulting in the reten­tion system not remaining intact shall be recorded and repor­ted.
  • Pass or fail performance shall be determined for each specimen.
  • One or more helmet specimens failing this test shall constitute failing performance.
  • Breaking Strength Test.
  • This test method shall apply to protective wet suit materials; protective dry suit materials, dry suit hood materials, and dry suit bootie materials; and protective ice suit materials and ice suit hood materials.
  • Where the suit or hood is constructed of several sepa­rable layers, then all layers shall be individually tested.
  • Samples shall be at least 1 m (1 yd) square of material.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.2.
  • Specimens shall be the size specified in ASTM D5034, Standard Test Method for Breaking Strength and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Grab Test).
  • A minimum of five specimens in each of the warp direction, machine or course, and the filling direction, cross machine or wales, shall be tested.
  • WTiere the material is isotropic, 10 specimens shall be tested.
  • Specimens shall be tested for breaking strength in accordance with ASTM D5034, Standard Test Method for Breaking Strength and Elongation of Textile Fabrics (Grab Test).
  • The breaking strength of each specimen shall be recorded and reported to the nearest2 N (0.1 lb) of force.
  • An average breaking strength shall be individually calculated, recorded, and reported for the warp and filling directions.
  • For isotropic materials, a single average breaking strength shall be calculated, recorded, and reported.
  • Pass or fail performance shall be based on the average breaking strength in the warp and filling directions.
  • Failure in any one direction shall constitute failure for the material.

8.8 Puncture Propagation Tear Resistance Test.

  • This test method shall apply to protective wet suit materials; protective dry suit materials, dry suit hood materials, and dry suit bootie materials; and protective ice suit materials and ice suit hood materials.
  •  
  • Samples shall be at least 0.5 m (0.5 yd) squares of material.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.3 followed by the conditioning specified in 8.1.2.
  •  
  • Specimens shall be the size specified in ASTM D2582, Standard Test Method for Puncture-Propagation Tear Resistance of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting.
  • A minimum of five specimens in each of the warp direction, machine or course, and the filling direction, cross machine or wales, shall be tested.
  • Where the material is isotropic, 10 specimens shall be tested.
  • Specimens shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D2582, Standard Test Method for Puncture-Propagation Tear Resistance of Plastic Film and Thin Sheeting.
  • The puncture propagation tear resistance for each specimen shall be recorded and reported to the nearest 1 N (0.1 lb) of force.
  • An average puncture propagation tear resistance shall be calculated for warp and filling directions. The average punc­ture propagation tear resistance calculations shall be recorded and reported.
  • Pass or fail performance shall be based on the average puncture propagation tear resistance in the warp and filling directions.
  • Failure in any one direction constitutes failure for the material.
  • Helmet Water Absorption Test.
  • This test shall apply to complete helmets.
  • Specimens shall be complete helmets.
  • A minimum of three specimens shall be tested.
  • Specimens shall be weighed to the nearest gram.
  • Specimens shall be completely immersed in a suffi­ciently sized vessel of fresh water at a temperature of 21°C, ±3°C (70°F, ±5°F) for a period of 24 hours, +1/-0 hour.
  • Specimens shall be removed from the water and allowed to drain for 5 minutes, +1/-0 minutes.
  • Specimens shall be weighed to the nearest gram.
  • The percent difference in weight shall be determined using the following equation:
  • The dry weight, wet weight, and percent differ­ence shall be calculated, recorded, and reported for each speci­men.
  • Pass or fail performance shall be determined for each specimen.
  • Any individual specimen failing this test shall consti­tute failing performance.
  • Cleaning Shrinkage Resistance Test.
  • This test method shall apply to dry suit materials.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.2.
  • Cleaning shrinkage resistance testing shall be conducted on three specimens of each material, and each material shall be tested separately.
  • Specimens shall be tested using five cycles of Machine Cycle 3, Wash Temperature II, and Drying Procedure Aiii, of AATCC 135, Dimensional Changes of Fabrics After Home Launder­ing.
  • A 1.8 kg, ±0.1 kg (4.0 lb, ±0.2 lb) load shall be used. A laundry bag shall not be used.
  • Specimen marking and measurements shall be conducted in accordance with the procedure specified in AATCC 135, Dimensional Changes of Fabrics After Home Launder­ing.
  • The percent change in the width and length dimen­sions of each specimen shall be calculated and reported.
  • Results shall be reported as the average of all three specimens in each direction.
  • The average percent change in both directions shall be used to determine pass or fail performance.
  • Failure in any one dimension constitutes failure for the entire sample.

8.11 Seam/Closure Breaking Strength Test.

  • This test method shall apply to protective wet suit seam and closure assemblies; protective dry suit seam assemblies, dry suit hood seam assemblies, and dry suit bootie seam assemblies; and protective ice suit seam assemblies and ice suit hood seam assemblies.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing seams shall be as specified in 8.11.7.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing closure assemblies shall be as specified in 8.11.8.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.2.
  • Specimens shall be the size specified in ASTM D751,

Standard Test Methods for Coated Fabrics.

  • At least five specimens shall be tested for each seam/ closure type.
  • All seam/closure assemblies shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D751, Standard Test Methods for Coated Fabrics. The test machine shall be operated at a rate of 305 mm/min (12 in./min).
  • The breaking strength for each specimen shall be recorded and reported.
  • The average breaking strength for each seam type shall also be calculated, recorded, and reported.
  • The type of seams tested shall be reported as to whether the specimens were cut from the finished suit or prepared from fabric samples.
  • The average seam/closure breaking strength for each seam/closure type shall be used to determine pass or fail performance.
  • Specific Procedures for Testing Seams.
  • Samples shall be full suits or 305 mm (12 in.) or greater lengths of seam with at least 150 mm (6 in.) of material on either side of the seam centerline.
  • Specimens shall be cut from the finished suit or shall be permitted to be prepared by joining two pieces of the suit fabric using the same thread, seam type, and stitch type as used in the finished garment.
  • Specimens shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.2.

8.13.3.3 Where the same materials are used as the barrier layer throughout the product, testing of seams only in lieu of testing both material and seams shall be permitted.

  • Liquid penetration resistance testing shall be conduc­ted in accordance with ASTM F903, Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Liquids, using exposure procedure C, with the following modifi­cations:
    • All tests shall be conducted at 25°C, ±3°C (77°F, ±5°F) and 65 percent, ±5 percent relative humidity.
    • The plexiglass shield shall be omitted from the test cell.
    • Use of blotting paper at the end of the test shall be permitted to assist in the visual observation of liquid penetration.
    • An observation to determine specimen penetration shall be made at the end of the chemical contact period.
  • Each of the following liquids shall be tested separately against each specimen:
    • Fire-resistant hydraulic fluid, phosphate ester-based
    • Surrogate gasoline fuel C as defined in ASTM D471, Standard Test Method for Rubber Property — Effect of Liquids, a 50/50 percent volume of toluene and isooctane
    • Swimming pool chlorinating chemical containing at least 65 percent free chlorine (saturated solution)
    • Diesel fuel
  • The normal outer surface of the material shall be exposed to the liquid as oriented in the clothing item.
  • The pass or fail result for each specimen shall be recorded and reported.
  • Where applicable, identification of the location where penetration occurs, if discernible, shall be recorded and reported.
  • Visually observed chemical on the blotting paper shall constitute failure of this test.
  • One or more failures of any specimen against any liquid shall constitute failure of the material.
  • Specific Requirements for Tesdng Protecdve Suits, Suit Hood Materials, and Booties.
  • Samples shall be 200 mm x 280 mm (8 in. x 11 in.) rectangles and shall consist of all layers as configured in the dry suit, ice suit, dry suit bootie, dry suit hood, and ice suit hood.
  • Samples shall first be conditioned by flexing as speci­fied in 8.1.5.
  • Following abrasion, one specimen for penetration resistance testing shall be taken from each sample subjected to abrasion.
  • The penetration test specimen shall be taken from the exact center of the abraded sample so that the center of the penetration test and the center of the abraded sample coin­cide.

8.13.7.5 Where suit materials, suit hood materials, or bootie materials are the same, only one material shall be tested.

  • Specific Requirements for Tesdng Protecdve Suit Seams, Boode Seams, and Hood Seams.
  • Protective dry suit seams, dry suit hood seams, dry suit bootie seams, protective ice suit seams, and ice suit hood seams shall consist of seams from the separable layer that is intended to prevent the penetration of liquids.
  • A minimum of three 75 mm (3 in.) squares for each material type shall be tested.
  • Where suit materials and seams, bootie materials and seams, or suit hood materials and seams are the same, only one seam-material configuration shall be tested.
  • Specific Requirements for Tesdng Glove Materials.
  • Specimens shall be taken from dry suit and ice suit glove specimens at the palm, back, and seam areas.
  • Only the separable layer of the specimen that is inten­ded to prevent the penetration of liquids shall be tested.
  • Where the layer used for the prevention of liquid penetration is the same in palm and back areas, testing of the seams only shall be permitted.
  • A minimum of three 75 mm (3 in.) squares for each material type shall be tested.
  • Specific Requirements for Testing Footwear Materials.
  • Specimens shall be taken from the footwear upper and any upper seam areas. The footwear upper shall include the toe, vamp, quarter, shaft, collar, and throat, but shall not include the sole.
  • Only that separable layer of the footwear item inten­ded to prevent the penetration of liquids shall be tested.
  • Where the layer used for the prevention of liquid penetration is the same throughout the footwear item, testing of the seams only shall be permitted.
  • A minimum of three 75 mm (3 in.) squares for each material type shall be tested.

8.14 Viral Penetration Resistance Test.

8.14.1 Application.

  • This test method shall apply to protective dry suit materials and seams, dry suit hood materials and seams, dry suit glove materials and seams, and dry suit bootie materials and seams, and also to protective ice suit materials and seams, ice suit hood materials and seams, ice suit glove materials and seams, and ice suit footwear materials and seams.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing suit and suit hood materials and booties shall be as specified in 8.14.7.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing suits, suit hood materials, and bootie seams shall be as specified in 8.14.8.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing glove materials shall be as specified in 8.14.9.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing footwear materials shall be as specified in 8.14.10.
  • Samples shall be the chemical protection layer of the size specified in the modifications.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in1.2 after the conditioning specified in the modifications.
  • A minimum of three specimens shall be tested.
  • Specimens shall consist of three 75 mm (3 in.) squares for each material type unless otherwise specified.
  • Biopenetration resistance testing shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM F1671/F1671M, Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Blood-Bome Pathogens Using Phi-X174 Bacteriophage Penetration as a Test System.
  • The normal outer surface of the material as oriented in the clothing item shall be exposed to the liquid.
  • The pass or fail result for each specimen shall be recorded and reported.
  • One or more failures of any specimen against any liquid shall constitute failure of the material.
  • Specific Requirements for Testing Suits, Suit Hood Materials, and Booties.
  • Samples shall be 200 mm x 280 mm (8 in. x 11) rectangles and shall consist of all layers as configured in the suit, suit hood, or bootie.
  • Two samples shall first be conditioned by flexing as specified in 8.1.4.
  • One sample shall be flexed with the longitudinal axis parallel to the machine direction of the material, and the second sample shall be flexed with the longitudinal axis paral­lel to the cross machine direction of the material.
  • Following flexing, two samples for abrasion condi­tioning, each measuring 45 mm x 230 mm (1% in. x 9 in.), shall be cut from the center of the flexed samples.
  • At least one specimen for abrasion conditioning shall be taken from a sample flexed in the machine direction, and at least one specimen for abrasion conditioning shall be taken from a sample flexed in the cross machine direction for each chemical tested.
  • These new samples shall then be conditioned by abrading as specified in 8.1.5.
  • Following abrasion, only one specimen for penetra­tion resistance testing shall be taken from each sample subjec­ted to abrasion.
  • The penetration test specimen shall be taken from the exact center of the abraded sample so that the center of the penetration test specimen and the center of the abraded sample coincide.
  • WTiere suit materials, suit hood materials, or bootie materials are the same, only one material shall be tested.
  • Specific Requirements for Testing Suit, Suit Hood, and Bootie Seams.
  • Protective dry suit seams, dry suit hood seams, and dry suit bootie seams, as well as protective ice suit seams and ice suit hood seams shall consist of seams from the separable layer that is intended to prevent the penetration of liquids.
  • A minimum of three 75 mm (3 in.) squares for each material type shall be tested.
  • Where suit materials and seams, bootie materials and seams, or suit hood materials and seams are the same, only one seam-material configuration shall be tested.
  • Specific Requirements for Testing Glove Materials.
  • Specimens shall be taken from sample gloves at the palm, back, and seam areas.
  • Only that separable layer of the glove that is intended to prevent the penetration of liquids shall be tested.
  • Where the layer used for the prevention of liquid penetration is the same in palm and back areas, testing of the seams only shall be permitted.
  • A minimum of three 75 mm (3 in.) squares for each material type shall be tested.
  • Specific Requirements for Testing Footwear Materials.
  • Specimens shall be taken from the footwear upper and any upper seam areas. The footwear upper shall include the toe, vamp, quarter, shaft, collar, and throat, but shall not include the sole.
  • Only that separable layer of the footwear item inten­ded to prevent the penetration of liquids shall be tested.
  • Where the layer used for the prevention of liquid penetration is the same throughout the footwear item, testing of the seams only shall be permitted.
  • A minimum of three 75 mm (3 in.) squares for each material type shall be tested.

8.15 Retroreflectivity Test.

  • This test method shall apply to visibility markings used on suits, PFDs, and helmets.
  • Visibility markings shall be tested for each procedure specified in 8.15.4.
  • Samples for the conditioning shall include 305 mm (12 in.) long sections of visibility markings.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in1.2.
  • A minimum of three of each visibility marking speci­mens shall be tested.
  • Each visibility marking test specimen shall be 100 mm x 100 mm (4 in. x 4 in.) of the finished visibility marking prod­uct.

8.26 Abrasion Resistance Test Two.

  • This test method shall apply to protective dry suit gloves, dry suit footwear uppers, and dry suit footwear soles; protective wet suit gloves, wet suit footwear uppers, and wet suit footwear soles; and protective ice suit gloves, ice suit footwear uppers, and ice suit footwear soles.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing protec­tive glove composite shall be as specified in 8.26.7.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing protec­tive footwear upper materials shall be as specified in 8.26.8.
  • Modifications to this test method for testing protec­tive footwear soles shall be as specified in 8.26.9.
  • Samples shall be as specified in 8.26.7, 8.26.8, or 8.26.9.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.2.
  • Specimens shall be as specified in 8.26.7, 8.26.8, or 8.26.9.
  • Specimens shall be the size specified in ASTM D3884, Standard Guide for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Rotary Pfat- form, Double-Head Method).
  • At least five specimens of each different dry suit gloves, dry suit footwear uppers, and dry suit footwear soles shall be tested.
  • Specimens shall be tested in accordance with ASTM D3884, Standard Guide for Abrasion Resistance of Textile Fabrics (Rotary Platform, Double-Head Method), using a Calibrase H-18 wheel using a total of 2500 cycles.
  • At the end of each abrasion exposure, the specimen shall be examined for wear-through of the outermost separable layer.
  • The wear-through determination shall be recorded and reported for each specimen tested.
  • Any specimen showing wear-through shall constitute failure of this test.
  • Requirements for Testing Protective Glove Composites.
  • Samples shall be full gloves.
  • Samples and specimens shall be permitted to be materials representative of those used in the construction of the glove.
  • Specimens shall not include seams and shall be taken from the palm, palmside fingers, and back of the glove.
  • A load of 500 g (1.1 lb) on each wheel shall be used in abrasion testing of gloves.
  • Requirements for Testing Protective Footwear Upper Materials.

8.26.8.1 Samples shall be complete footwear items.

  • Samples and specimens shall be permitted to be materials representative of those used in the constriction of the footwear.
  • Specimens shall be taken from the footwear upper and shall not include seams. The footwear upper shall include the toe, vamp, quarter, shaft, collar, and throat, but shall not include the sole.
  • A load of 1000 g (2.2 lb) on each wheel shall be used in abrasion testing of footwear.

8.26.9 Requirements for Testing Protective Footwear Soles.

  • Samples shall be complete footwear items.
  • Samples and specimens shall be permitted to be materials representative of those used in the construction of the footwear.
  • Specimens shall consist of each composite of the foot­wear item sole, including the heel, used in the actual suit foot­wear configuration, with layers arranged in the proper order.
  • A load of 1000 g (2.2 lb) on each wheel shall be used in abrasion testing of footwear.
  • A total of 5000 cycles shall be used to evaluate abra­sion resistance.

8.27 Glove Hand Function Test.

  • This test shall apply to wet suit, dry suit, and ice suit protective gloves.
  •  
  • Samples shall be whole protective glove pairs, sizes small and large.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.3 followed by conditioning as specified in 8.1.2.
  • Specimens shall be whole glove pairs, sizes small and large, in new, as-distributed condition.
  • At least three glove pairs each for small and large sizes shall be tested.
  • Each glove pair shall be tested as a complete set of gloves in new, as-distributed condition.
  • Glove pair specimens shall not receive special soften­ing treatments prior to tests.
  • Testing shall be conducted in accordance with ASTM F2010/F2010M, Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Glove Effects on Wearer Finger Dexterity Using a Modified Pegboard lest, with the following modifications:
    • Each size of gloves shall be evaluated with at least one separate test subject with the same pair of gloves.
    • A minimum of three different glove pairs shall be evalu­ated for each size specified in 8.27.2.1.
  • The average percent of barehand control shall be recorded and reported for each test subject.
  • The average percent of barehand control for all test subjects shall be calculated, recorded, and reported.
  • Zippers shall be tested in accordance with Sections 14-17, Opening and Closing of Zippers Test, of ASTM D2062, Standard Test Methods for Operability of Zippers.
  • The operability force of each specimen shall be calcu­lated, recorded, and reported.
  • The average operability force of all specimens shall be calculated, recorded, and reported.
  • The average operability force shall be used to deter­mine pass or fail performance.
  • Where an individual result from any test set varies more than ±10 percent from the average result, the results from the test set shall be discarded and another set of speci­mens shall be tested.

8.34 Water Penetration and Air Evacuation Test.

  • This test method shall apply to protective dry suits and protective ice suits.
  • Samples shall be whole protective suits.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in1.2.
  • A minimum of three specimens of each type of suit shall be tested.
  • Specific Requirements for Testing Protective Dry Suits.
  • One subject shall be tested in each specimen as speci­fied in accordance with manufacturing sizing guidelines.
  • Each subject shall be dressed in underwear (short- sleeved, short-legged) beneath a liquid absorptive suit.
  • Each subject shall don the suit in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and step gently into the water.
  • After entering the water, the subject shall be instruc­ted to perform the following bobbing procedure three times:
    • The subject shall start bobbing action by extending the arms straight out from the sides of the body at the water’s surface with palms facing down.
    • While in this position, the subject shall push down on the water with both hands in an open, flat orientation to initiate upward motion of the body.
    • While pushing down on the water and bringing the hands down by the sides, the subject shall fully inhale.
    • After reaching the upward peak, the subject shall bring the hands together above the head and fully exhale while sinking into the water until the head is completely submerged.
  • At the conclusion of the last bobbing action, the subject shall exit the water.
  • The water on the outside of the suit shall be removed so that when the suit is removed, the water does not enter the device.
  • Specific Requirements for Testing Protective Ice Suits.

8.34.5.1 One subject shall be tested in each specimen as speci­fied in accordance with manufacturing sizing guidelines.

  • Each subject shall be dressed in underwear (short- sleeved, short-legged) beneath a liquid absorptive suit.
  • Each subject shall don the suit in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and slide gently into the water, feet first, on his/her stomach.
  • After the subject enters the water, the subject shall assume a vertical position and maintain that position for 1 minute.
  • The subject shall then exit the water and the water on the outside of the suit shall be removed so that when the suit is removed, the water does not enter the device.
  • Any evidence of liquid on the liquid absorptive suit from water ingress, as determined by visual or tactile evidence or absorbent toweling, shall constitute failure of the specimen. Also, any evidence of limited mobility of the subject due to entrapped air that is not expelled by the subject or by the design of the suit shall constitute failure of the specimen.
  • Water ingress and unintentional air entrapment in the suit shall be used to determine pass or fail performance.

8.35 Footwear Drainage Test.

  • This test method shall apply to protective dry suit footwear and protective wet suit footwear.
  •  
  • Samples shall be whole protective dry suit footwear and protective wet suit footwear.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in1.2.
  • At least three complete protective dry suit footwear specimens and three protective wet suit footwear specimens shall be tested.
  •  
  • Individual dry suit footwear specimens and individual wet suit footwear specimens shall be weighed to the nearest gram.
  • Specimens shall be fully submerged in an upright position in a tank of water for a period of 5
  • Water in tank shall be tap water maintained at 21°C, +/-3°C (70°F, +/-5°F).
  • Specimens shall be removed from the water completely and allowed to drain in the upright position for a period of 60 seconds.
  • Within 30 seconds following draining, the individual dry suit footwear specimens shall be weighed to the nearest gram. The weights of each specimen shall be recorded.
  • Within 30 seconds following draining, the individual wet suit footwear specimens shall be weighed to the nearest gram. The weights of each specimen shall be recorded.
  •  
  • The weights of the individual dry suit footwear speci­mens before submersion shall be recorded and reported.
  • The weights of the individual wet suit footwear speci­mens before submersion shall be recorded and reported.
  • The weights of the individual dry suit footwear speci­mens after submersion shall be recorded and reported.
  • The weights of the individual wet suit footwear speci­mens after submersion shall be recorded and reported.
  • The difference between the before-submersion weight and the after-submersion weight of the individual dry suit footwear specimens shall be recorded and reported.
  • The difference between the before-submersion weight and the after-submersion weight of the individual wet suit footwear specimens shall be recorded and reported.

8.35.6 Interpretation.

  • For the dry suit footwear specimens, the difference between dry and wet weights shall be used to determine pass or fail performance.
  • For the wet suit footwear specimens, the difference between dry and wet weights shall be used to determine pass or fail performance.
  • One or more footwear specimens failing this test shall constitute failing performance.
  • Buoyancy Test.
  • This test method shall apply to protective ice suits and protective personal flotation devices.
  • Samples shall be whole protective ice suits or protec­tive personal flotation devices.
  • Samples shall be conditioned as specified in 8.1.2.
  • A minimum of three specimens shall be tested.
  • Protective ice suit specimens shall be tested as speci­fied in Section 25, Buoyancy Test, of UL 1197, Standard for Immersion Suits.
  • Protective personal flotation device specimens shall be tested as specified in Section 20, Buoyancy Test, of UL 1123, Standard for Marine Buoyant Devices.
  • The measured buoyancy shall be calculated, recorded, and reported.
  • Pass or fail determinations shall be based on the aver­age reported buoyancy force of all specimens.
  • Where an individual result from any test set varies more than ±10 percent from the average result, the results from the test set shall be discarded and another set of speci­mens shall be tested.
  • Zipper Opening and Closing Force Test.
  • This test method shall apply to protective dry suit zippers and protective ice suit zippers.

8.37.2.1 Dry suit zipper samples shall be conditioned as speci­fied in Table 7.2.17.

  • Ice suit zipper samples shall be conditioned as speci­fied in Table 7.2.17.
  • The opening force samples shall be conditioned with the zippers closed, and the closing force samples shall be conditioned with the zippers opened (separated).
  • A minimum of two specimens (1 open/1 closed) for each condition shall be tested.
  • Zippers shall be tested as specified in Section 6.3.6.1, Opening and Closing Force Test, of CAN/ CGSB 65.16, Immersion Suit Systems.
  •  
  • The average opening and closing force of each speci­men shall be recorded and reported.
  • The average opening and closing force of all speci­mens shall be calculated, recorded, and reported.
  •  
  • The average opening and closing force shall be used to determine pass or fail performance.
  • Where an individual result from any test set varies more than ±10 percent from the average result, the results from the test set shall be discarded and another set of speci­mens shall be tested.

8.38 Impact Resistance Test — Acceleration.

  • This test shall be applied to complete protective helmets.
  • Samples shall be complete protective helmets.
  • Three helmet specimens shall be tested for each condition specified.
  • Specimens shall be conditioned for each environ­mental condition specified in 8.1.2 and 8.1.6 prior to each impact.
  • Where testing helmet specimens following the condi­tioning environment specified in 8.1.6, if the specimen is returned to the conditioning environment within 4 minutes, the specimen shall be kept in the conditioning environment for a minimum of 3 minutes before resumption of testing with that specimen.
  • When a specimen has been out of the conditioning environment more than 4 minutes, before resumption of test­ing with that specimen, the specimen shall be returned to the conditioning environment for a minimum of 3 minutes for each minute, or portion thereof, that the specimen remained out of the conditioning environment in excess of 4 minutes, or a maximum of 24 hours, whichever is less.
  • An ISO size J headform conforming to the nominal dimensions in Figure 8.38.4.1 shall be used.
  • The ISO size J test headform shall exhibit no reso­nant frequencies below 3000 Hz, and it shall be made of any low-resonance alloy, such as magnesium K-1A.

A preliminary review should be carried out 011 products submit­ted to the agency before any major testing is undertaken.

A.4.2.7.1 For further information and guidance 011 recall programs, see 21 CFR 7, Subpart C.

A.4.2.9 Such inspections should include, in most instances, witnessing of production tests. With certain products the certifi­cation organization inspectors should select samples from the production line and submit them to the main laboratory for countercheck testing. With other products, it can be desirable to purchase samples in the open market for test purposes.

A.4.5.4 For example, this situation exists when a product is wholly manufactured and assembled by another entity or enti­ties for a separate entity that puts its name and label 011 the product (frequently called “private labeling”) and markets and sells the product as its own product.

A.4.5.5 Subcontractors include, but are not limited to, a person or persons, company, firm, corporation, partnership, or other organization having an agreement with or under contract with the compliant product manufacturer to supply or assemble the compliant product or portions of the compliant product.

A.4.6.2 By definition, a hazard might involve a condition that can be imminently dangerous to the end user. For that reason, the investigation should be started immediately and completed in as timely a manner as is appropriate considering the particu­lars of the hazard being investigated.

A.4.6.11 The determination of the appropriate corrective action for the certification organization to initiate should take into consideration the severity of the product hazard and its potential consequences to the safety and health of end users. The scope of testing and evaluation should consider, among other things, testing to the requirements of the standard to which the product was listed as compliant, the age of the prod­uct, the type of use and conditions to which the compliant product has been exposed, care and maintenance that has been provided, the use of expertise on technical matters outside the certification organization’s area of competence, and product hazards caused by circumstances not anticipated by the requirements of the applicable standard. As a guideline for determining which is more appropriate, a safety alert or a product recall, the following product hazard characteristics, which are based 011 42 CFR 84, Subpart E, §84.41, are provided:

  • Critical: A product hazard that judgment and experience indicate is likely to result in a condition immediately hazardous to life or health (IHLH) for individuals using or depending on the compliant product. If an IHLH condition occurs, the user will sustain, or will be likely to sustain, an injury of a severity that could result in loss of life or in significant bodily injury or loss of bodily func­tion, either immediately or at some point in the future.
  • Major A: A product hazard other than Critical that is likely to result in failure to the degree that the compliant product does not provide any protection or reduces protection and is not detectable to the user. The phrase reduced protection means the failure of specific protective design (s) or feature (s) that results in degradation of protection in advance of reasonable life expectancy to the point that continued use of the product is likely to cause physical harm to the user or where continued degrada­tion could lead to IHLH conditions.
  • Major B: A product hazard other than Critical or Major A that is likely to result in reduced protection and is detect­able to the user. The phrase reduced protection means the failure of specific protective design (s) or feature (s) that results in degradation of protection in advance of reason­able life expectancy to the point that continued use of the product is likely to cause physical harm to the user or where continued degradation could lead to IHLH condi­tions.
  • Minor: A product hazard other than Critical, Major A, or Major B that is not likely to materially reduce the usability of the compliant product for its intended purpose or a product hazard that is a departure from the established applicable standard and has little bearing 011 the effective use or operation of the compliant product for its inten­ded purpose.

Where the facts are conclusive, based on characteristics of the hazard classified as indicated in the preceding list, the certification organization should consider initiating the follow­ing corrective actions with the authorized and responsible parties:

  • Critical product hazard characteristics: Product recall
  • Major A product hazard characteristics: Product recall or safety alert, depending 011 the nature of the specific prod­uct hazard
  • Major B product hazard characteristics: Safety alert or no action, depending on the nature of the specific product hazard
  • Minor product hazard characteristic: No action

A.4.6.14 Reports, inputs, and proposed TIAs should be addressed to the technical committee that is responsible for the applicable standard and sent to Standards Administration, NFPA, 1 Batterymarch Park, Quincy, MA 02169-7471.

A.5.1.1 Purchasers could wish to include a requirement in the purchase specifications for an additional label that includes certain information such as the date of manufacture, manufac­turer’s name, and suit identification number to be located in a protected location on the suit to reduce the chance of label degradation and as a backup source of information to aid in suit tracking or during an investigation.

A.5.1.3 The NFPA, from time to time, has received complaints that certain items of fire and emergency services protective clothing or protective equipment could be carrying labels falsely identifying those items as compliant with an NFPA stand­ard. The requirement for placing the certification organiza­tion’s mark on or next to the product label is to help ensure that the purchaser can readily determine compliance of the product through independent third-party certification.

A.5.2.4 A statement should be included in the user informa­tion specifying that, upon the purchaser’s request, the manu­facturer is to furnish all documentation required by this standard and the test data showing compliance with this stand­ard. A statement also should be included in the user informa­tion specifying that, upon the purchaser’s request, the manufacturer is to furnish a complete specification of all mate­rials and components comprising each certified helmet.

A.6.1 The surface water operations protective wet suit is a close-fitting permeable garment, commonly made of neoprene, that preserves body heat by trapping water in between the suit and the body. Suit design does not integrate gloves, booties, or hoods. A suit can be a one- or two-piece ensemble and range in

NFPA 1952 Surface Water Operations Protective Clothing and Equipment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to top