Revised NFPA 1975 eliminates flame-resistant tests for station uniforms
Station/work uniforms no longer will have to be subjected to flame-resistant testing. Amendments to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1975, Station/Work Uniforms for Fire Fighters, effective February 4, 1999, eliminated the flame resistance test and allows uniforms of “nominally 100 percent cotton or wool.”
During the “Public Proposals” cycle of the review of NFPA 1975 in 1997, it was proposed that the flame resistance requirement be deleted in favor of other thermal resistance testing, to eliminate fabrics that might melt or drip under high heat. Part of the rationale for the revision was (1) the fact that with the inclusion of a bunker pant requirement in NFPA 1500, Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program–1997, most departments respond in fully compliant turnout gear and (2) no current data suggest that the uniform of a fully protected firefighter is likely to catch fire while under today`s turnout gear. The underlying purpose of NFPA 1975, proponents of the amendments point out, is “to provide U uniforms that will not contribute to burn injury severity.” NFPA 1975 testing and certification requirements still focus on resistance to melting, molten dripping, and shrinkage under high heat exposures (for five minutes at 5007F).
NFPA 1975-compliant polyester flame-resistant uniforms will still be offered by manufacturers. Firefighters can maximize safety by wearing all NFPA 1971 gear with all closures securely fastened, wearing only certified NFPA 1975 station uniforms, and reviewing and commenting on proposed or pending NFPA standards at the Web site www.nfpa.org.
(Source: Nicholas J. Curtis, Lion Apparel, Inc. and member of various NFPA committees and projects.) n
