The National Fire Protection Association has revised its hazmat protective clothing standards, and leading manufacturers of hazmat protective ensembles are re-certifying their products to these revised 2000 editions. Major changes in the new editions include the addition of an anti-terrorism option in nfpa 1991 (vapor protection) and a major revision to nfpa 1992 (liquid splash protection). In addition, the nfpa's hazmat protective clothing committee has a couple of other important projects in the works.

The 2000 edition of nfpa 1992 encompasses the scope and requirements of earlier editions of both nfpa 1992 and nfpa 1993. With this consolidation, nfpa 1993 has been abandoned.

NFPA 1991 The new edition, nfpa 1991, Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Material Emergencies (2000), contains a base set of performance requirements and three optional enhanced performance requirements. The base requirements are essentially unchanged from the previous edition, issued in 1995.

There are performance requirements for the entire ensemble, as well as performance requirements for individual components, including gloves, suit material, footwear, seams, closures and visors. For example, an ensemble's overall vapor-protective integrity is determined by an inflation test after the suit has been worn during a series of exercises.

The individual components are evaluated for barrier performance, durability, flammability and cold embrittlement using tests that reflect the unique functions of these components. Examples include closure and seam strength, glove-cut resistance and dexterity, visor visibility and embrittlement, toe-impact compression and boot sole slip-resistance. All suits certified as compliant with nfpa 1991 must meet these base requirements.

Two options were added to the base performance requirements in the 1995 edition of nfpa 1991:

1) protection from liquified gases and

2) flash fire escape protection.

These options extend the range of activities for which these suits are intended. End-users can select, at the time of purchase, which combination of enhancements they need. The 2000 edition adds a third option, protection from chemical and biological warfare agents. This new option includes permeation testing of suit, visor, glove and footwear material against chemical warfare agents and the following dual-use chemicals:

* cyanogen chloride,

* lewisite,

* sarin,

* V-agent and

* distilled mustard.

It also adds an inward leakage test intended to evaluate the potential for vapor and bacterial infiltration into the ensembles. With the new chemical/biological terrorism option, there are now eight possible combinations by which vapor-protective ensembles may be certified under nfpa 1991.

NFPA 1992 The new edition of nfpa 1992, Vapor-Protective Ensembles for Hazardous Materials Emergencies (2000) underwent significant changes in this revision cycle. nfpa 1992 now covers the scope and requirements contained in earlier editions of both nfpa 1992 and nfpa 1993. This consolidation is in response to the lack of interest in nfpa 1993 and the need to adopt more practical requirements for liquid splash-protective garments used in response and support activities. In this latest revision cycle, nfpa 1993 (support functions clothing) has been abandoned.

The 2000 edition of nfpa 1992 contains a base set of performance requirements and an enhanced performance option for chemical flash fire escape protection. The structure of nfpa 1992 is similar to nfpa 1991. Both have performance requirements that address the complete ensemble as well as requirements for individual components. For example, nfpa 1992 evaluates the integrity of liquid splash-protective ensembles with an hour-long shower test after the suit has been exercised.

The component tests for nfpa 1992 garments are similar to those employed in nfpa 1991. However, the performance levels were changed to reflect the broader range of activities in which nfpa 1992-compliant ensembles may be used. And in nfpa 1992, penetration testing, not permeation testing, is used to evaluate barrier performance.

As part of the consolidation with nfpa 1993, flammability requirements have been removed from the base requirements of the 2000 edition of nfpa 1992. Flammability, flash fire integrity and static requirements are now part of the nfpa 1992 enhanced option for flash fire escape protection. This is the only enhanced performance option available for 1992 ensembles.

All nfpa protective clothing and equipment standards contain design, certification and documentation requirements. The 2000 editions of 1991 and 1992 contain more rigorous requirements on certification and manufacturing than earlier editions. For example, manufacturers of nfpa 1991- and 1992-compliant ensembles must obtain iso 9001 certification by March 1, 2002. Plus, manufacturers must now re-certify each model annually in addition to maintaining a comprehensive quality-control program to ensure day-to-day compliance.

The certification process hasn't changed. nfpa doesn't perform the certification; the protective clothing and equipment standards call for independent third-party auditing, testing and certification. An independent certification organization visits the manufacturing facilities to audit manufacturing records and operating instructions and to select samples for testing. These selected ensembles and components are tested at an independent laboratory for compliance with the performance requirements. In the case of nfpa 1991 and 1992, the Safety Equipment Institute of McLean, Va., has announced its intention to certify ensembles using Intertek Testing Services of Cortland, N.Y., as the testing lab.

Other committee projects Beyond nfpa 1991 and 1992, the nfpa Technical Committee on Hazardous Materials Protective Clothing is working on two other important projects.

One of these projects is a new standard that addresses chemical and biological terrorism incidents. The technical committee chairman, District Chief Bryan Heirston of the Oklahoma City Fire Department, assigned a task group the responsibility of drafting a protective clothing standard focused on the protective clothing needs of fire service "first responders" at a potential chemical or biological terrorism incident. Activities envisioned under this standard include initial assessment, extrication, rescue, decontamination, triage and prehospital treatment. This task group was led by Jeff Borkowski, Fire Department of New York.

The task group and technical committee consulted with organizations that have already planned for and deployed against chemical and biological terrorism incidents, including the fbi's Hazardous Material Response Team, Marine Corps' Chemical Biological Incident Response Force and the U.S. Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command.

The technical committee determined that multiple levels of protection are needed by fire service personnel responding to chemical or biological terrorism incidents. The required level of protection will vary with the wearer's job function, the chemical or biological agent involved, the amount released, the method of release, the location of the incident and the number of victims involved.

While 1991-compliant vapor-protective and 1992-compliant liquid splash-protective ensembles provide the highest levels of protection, it isn't logistically feasible or operationally necessary that all personnel wear such ensembles when responding to a chemical or biological incident.

The current draft of nfpa 1994 encompasses three levels of protection:

1) vapor protection,

2) liquid splash protection with limited vapor protection and

3) liquid contact protection.

In drafting 1994, the committee also recognized that the threat is not limited to military chemical and biological agents. Non-military industrial chemical and biological agents are considered to be greater threats, so nfpa 1994 employs both military chemical agents and toxic industrial chemicals to evaluate the barrier performance of the ensembles and components.

The public proposals and comment phases of nfpa 1994 are complete. More than 300 public comments were submitted. The technical committee will resolve these comments in September and prepare a final draft for nfpa membership approval at the spring 2001 meeting.

The second major project under way is a guide to the selection, care and maintenance of hazmat protective clothing. This task group is led by Jan Dunbar, recently retired division chief of the Sacramento (Calif.) City Fire Department and one of the founding members of this technical committee. This guide will be a companion to the hazmat protective clothing standards, providing a framework from which a response organization can build its suit-management program.

There are separate chapters on suit selection, care and maintenance, service, decontamination, and removal from service. The selection chapter will include a decision tree to assist on-scene suit selection. The appendices will contain explanations, reference material and sample record-keeping charts for usage, inspection, decontamination and repairs.

Following the structured process for developing nfpa standards, an initial draft will be available for public proposals in spring 2001. A draft incorporating these proposals will be available for public comment in spring 2002, and the final draft will be submitted for nfpa membership approval in the fall of 2002.

The development of nfpa standards is open to public participation. Many nfpa standards, including those for protective clothing and equipment, are revised every five years. The revision and development process of nfpa standards consists of several rounds of public input, resolution and public review before submittal to the nfpa membership.

The nfpa Web site, , provides access to the schedules for committee review and public input. This site provides the public with a method of submitting input on new or existing standards and allows review of the actions taken during the development, resolution and review processes.

nfpa standards are developed and revised by technical committees comprised of subject experts and interested individuals, such as users, consultants, regulators, testing laboratories, certification agencies, labor unions and manufacturers. All technical committee members are appointed by the nfpa Standards Council. Committee memberships are balanced to prevent any single interest group from having more than a third of the voting membership so as not to dominate the standards development.

Each public proposal and comment received by the nfpa Technical Committees must be considered and the committee's response recorded and published. The actions of all technical committees are reviewed by the nfpa Standards Council and voted upon by the nfpa membership.

In addition, the Technical Correlating Committee for Fire and Emergency Services Protective Clothing and Equipment oversees the actions of all protective clothing and equipment technical committees to ensure proper processing of the documents and consistency among the various protective clothing and equipment standards. All these steps contribute to the utility and impartiality of the nfpa standards development process.

Individuals interested in serving on a nfpa technical committee should contact the nfpa Standards Administration at 617-984-7247.