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NFPA - NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION 
What is NFPA?
NFPA standards currently are the only standards in the U.S. for chemical protective suits. The NFPA standards provide criteria to which manufacturers can certify their products through independent third party testing labs and organizations.
There are currently five standards that apply to DuPont Tyvek® & Tychem® garments. They are the NFPA 1991, NFPA 1992, NFPA 1993, NFPA 1994-2001 and NFPA 1999.
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NFPA 1991
This standard was designed to meet the needs of hazardous material responders who were using chemical protective clothing from a variety of sources without consistent protection, NFPA 1991:
- Corresponds to the Environmental Protection Agency ™s Level A designation.
- Defines an ensemble consisting of a suit with attached gloves that totally encapsulates the wearer and breathing apparatus. May also be worn with an over cover, outer gloves and outer boots.
- Specifies the following performance requirements -
- Inflation of ensembles to determine gas-tight integrity.
- "Shower" testing to demonstrate liquid-tight integrity.
- Permeation testing against a 21
- chemical battery to demonstrate resistance against a broad range of industrial chemicals.
- Burst strength, puncture resistance, cold temperature performance, abrasion resistance and flex fatigue testing of suit, glove and footwear materials.
- Breaking strength testing for seams and closures.
- Leakage and mounting strength testing of exhaust valves.
- Testing to evaluate the functional use of the ensembles and dexterity of the gloves.
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- Includes optional criteria for liquefied gas protection, flash fire escape protection and chemical/biological terrorism agent protection. Additional criteria are provided for each of these certification options.
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NFPA 1992
NFPA 1992 addresses liquid splash-protective suits designed to protect emergency response personnel against exposure to specified chemicals in liquid splash environments during hazardous chemical emergencies. Chemical penetration resistance documentation of the garment material against an NFPA battery of test chemicals and any additional chemicals or specific chemical mixtures for which the manufacturer is certifying the suit is required. The NFPA battery of chemicals was selected from ASTM F1001, "Standard Guide for Chemicals to Evaluate Protection Clothing Materials". These do not include liquid chemicals with known or suspected carcinogenicity or skin toxicity because these garments deal with skin exposure and not inhalation. This criterion produces a different subset of ASTM F1001 chemicals to be certified.
The standard includes performance requirements that were established to reflect simulated use conditions. The standard also provides optional minimum performance requirements for combined chemical flash fire protective and liquid splash protective suits. An overall suit water penetration test is included to ensure the suit provides full body splash protection. Materials testing includes burst strength, tear resistance, flammability resistance, abrasion resistance, cold temperature performance, seam strength and flexural fatigue testing. These tests are required so that garment materials will provide adequate protection in the environment in which they will be used. |
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NFPA 1993
The NFPA 1993 addresses protective clothing worn by personnel in support functions outside the hot zone. The hot zone is the area immediately surrounding a hazardous material zone where the adverse effects from the hazardous material can still reach. Chemical penetration resistance documentation of the garment material against an NFPA battery of test chemicals and any additional chemicals or specific chemical mixtures for which the manufacturer is certifying the suit is required. The NFPA battery of chemicals was selected from ASTM F1001, "Standard Guide for Chemicals to Evaluate Protection Clothing Materials". These do not include liquid chemicals with known or suspected carcinogenicity or skin toxicity because these garments deal with skin exposure and not inhalation.
The standard includes performance requirements that were established to reflect simulated use conditions. An overall suit water penetration test is included to ensure the suit provides full body splash protection. Materials testing includes burst strength, tear resistance, flammability resistance, abrasion resistance, cold temperature performance, seam strength and flexural fatigue testing. These tests are required so that garment materials will provide adequate protection in the environment in which they will be used. |
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NFPA 1994 - 2001 Edition
NFPA 1994 is a standard, released in August 2001, that sets performance requirements for protective clothing used at chemical/biological terrorism incidents. All NFPA 1994 ensembles, which must include garment, gloves and footwear, are intended for one-time use. NFPA 1994 defines three classes of ensembles to meet the perceived threat at the emergency scene:
Class 1 Ensembles Intended for use in the worst-case circumstances where the substance involved creates an immediate threat, is unidentified and of unknown concentration. These ensembles offer the highest level of protection by:
- Providing gas-tight integrity.
- Using materials (garment, visor, gloves, footwear and seams) that provide the highest level of permeation resistance against chemical and biological agents as well as high-threat industrial chemical liquids and gases.
- Showing very low levels for penetration of surrogate gas.
- Demonstrating relatively high levels of durability to abrasion, tearing, punctures and cuts.
- Including all the personal protective equipment (PPE) elements such as visors, gloves, footwear and seams.
Class 2 Ensembles Intended for circumstances where the agent or threat has generally been identified and the actual release has subsided. These ensembles offer an intermediate level of protection by:
- Showing no more than 2.0% leakage of surrogate gas.
- Passing a "shower" test that shows the suit will not allow penetration of liquid when sprayed from several directions.
- Using materials (garment, visor, gloves, footwear and seams) that demonstrate permeation resistance to chemical agents and liquid/gaseous industrial chemicals at lower concentrations than in Class 1.
- Demonstrating durability to abrasion, tearing, punctures and cuts.
Class 3 Ensembles Intended for use long after the release has occurred or in the peripheral zone of the release scene. These ensembles offer the lowest level of protection by:
- Passing a short-duration "shower" test to show they are liquid-tight (they are not gas-tight nor required to show resistance to leakage of vapor or gas from the outside environment).
- Providing permeation resistance to diluted liquids where the liquid is permitted to evaporate during the test.
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NFPA 1999
The NFPA 1999 addresses protective clothing for emergency medical operations. This includes garments, gloves, and face protection devices, designed to provide a minimum level of protection to emergency medical personnel, victims, and patients from contact with liquid-borne pathogens during emergency medical operations.
The standard includes performance requirements that were established to reflect simulated use conditions. A biopenetration test in accordance with ASTM F1671 (Standard Test Method for Resistance of Materials Used in Protective Clothing to Penetration by Blood-Borne Pathogens Using Phi-X-174 Bacteriophage Penetrationalso as a Test System) is required. An overall suit water penetration test is included to ensure the suit provides full body splash protection. Materials testing includes burst strength, tear resistance, abrasion resistance, seam strength, and flexural fatigue testing. These tests are required so that garment materials will provide adequate protection in the environment in which they will be used.
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Referenced Documentation:
NFPA 1991 Standard on Vapor-Protective Suits for Hazardous Chemical Emergencies
(1994 edition)
NFPA 1992 Standard on Liquid Splash-Protective Suits for Hazardous Chemical Emergencies (1994 edition)
NFPA 1993 Standard on Support Function Protective Clothing for Hazardous Chemical Operations (1994 edition)
NFPA 1999 Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations
(1997 edition)
CONTACTING NFPA:
NFPA
#1 Battery March Park
PO Box 9101
Quincy, MA 02269-9101
USA
Phone: 617 770 3000
Fax: 617 984 7056
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