DHS Adopts NFPA Standards for Personal Protective Equipment
May 7, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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In a move to assist state and local procurement officials in selecting protective equipment for first responders, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) adopted several standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
Designed to safeguard responders in emergencies involving chemical, biological and other hazards, the standards articulate guidelines for designing, testing and certifying protective garments, ensembles and equipment.
Three of the eight documents were adopted by DHS for the first time; the remaining five represent re-adoptions of the latest editions of standards currently recognized by DHS.
The three newly adopted NFPA standards include:
- NFPA 1982 - Standard on Personal Alert Safety Systems
This American national standard was developed in response to fire service requests for a device that would sound a distress call if a firefighter became incapacitated while responding to an emergency. The standard specifies minimum requirements for the design, performance, testing and certification of all personal alert safety systems (PASS) for emergency services personnel.
- NFPA 2112 - Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire
Based on work begun in 1999, this standard provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, evaluation and certification of flame-resistant garments for use by industrial personnel, with the intent of reducing the severity of burn injuries resulting from accidental exposure to hydrocarbon flash fires.
- NFPA 2113 - Standard on Selection, Care, Use and Maintenance of Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire
This standard reduces the health and safety risks associated with the incorrect selection and use of flame-resistant garments, as well as risks associated with incorrectly maintained, contaminated or damaged flame-resistant garments.
The standards re-adopted by DHS include:
NFPA 1951 - Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Operations.
NFPA 1971 - Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Firefighting and Proximity Firefighting.
NFPA 1981 - Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services.
NFPA 1991 - Standard on Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials Emergencies.
NFPA 1994 - Standard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents.
"DHS is committed to ensuring that the equipment which is purchased to protect first responders is the very best available," said Bert Coursey, director of the DHS Office of Standards. "The adoption of these NFPA standards sets requirements that help those manufacturing and purchasing this necessary equipment, as well as those who depend on this equipment for their personal safety."
Source: American National Standards Institute (ANSI).