Underwriters Laboratories has a new certificate program for firefighting garment repair organizations. The program allows groups that repair structural and proximity firefighting garments to NFPA 1851, Selection, Care and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, to obtain formal certification.

UL is one of the few certification organizations that comply with the recent NFPA 1851 mandate requiring verification only by those accredited in accordance with the international standard known as ISO Guide 65 to certify personal protective equipment.

UL's certification includes independent assessment of the organization's quality-management system and testing of repaired garment samples to validate the effectiveness of repair processes.

This certificate program applies to:

• Service organizations that repair garments for the fire service, and

• Fire departments that repair their own garments. This program also requires that the repair organization:

• Maintain an effective quality-management system;

• Repair specified firefighting garment samples such that the repairs meet NFPA 1971 performance requirements; and

• Undergo two random unannounced inspections per year to demonstrate continued compliance.

Once the repair organization or fire department meets the requirements, UL will issue a certificate effective for one year and list the certified entity in UL's Fire Protection Directory and its Web site. Certificated organizations also may state in their promotional materials that they are a “UL Certificated Firefighting Garment Repair Organization.”

For more information about the certificate program or to apply for certification, contact UL's customer service staff at 877-854-3577 or e-mail PPE@us.ul.com.