Guide to NFPA Standards

NFPA (National Fire Protection Association)
NFPA is a standards writing organization, founded in 1896 and dedicated to the concept of voluntary consensus standards writing. While it is not an enforcing agency, NFPA enjoys a unique reputation and its standards have been adopted by all levels of government, in many cases giving the standards the force of law. Each NFPA standard undergoes revision every 5 years to insure that it is kept current with new fire protection knowledge and technologies. The NFPA process is open and anyone can participate.

Third-Party Certification
In order for an element to be labeled compliant to a given NFPA Standard, it must be tested by an independent third party organization that is not owned or controlled by manufacturers or vendors of the product being certified. The third-party testing agency cannot have any monetary interest in the product to be certified. Additionally, the certification organization must be primarily engaged in certification work, such as Underwriters Laboratory.

This independent third-party company verifies that the design and construction is in accordance with design requirements, and that the element has successfully passed all performance requirements set forth in the Standard to which it is labeled. Any change in materials or design requires re-testing and random samples are also taken to insure that every requirement is tested annually. A third-party registrar is also required to validate the manufacturing quality process, in accordance with ISO 9001.

Federal and State OSHA Standards
Several states have their own OSHA Standards, however, NFPA Standards are generally more rigorous than OSHA Standards. Since the FED-OSHA Standard has not been revised for over twenty years, clothing that is labeled to NFPA Standards will easily exceed FED-OSHA Standards. However, clothing meeting OSHA will not necessarily meet NFPA, and so it is important for the end users to be aware of existing state OSHA requirements and how they compare to NFPA requirements.

OSHA Rule 29 CFR 1910.1030
Final rule on Protecting Health Care Workers from Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens “When there is occupational exposure, the employer shall provide, at no cost to the employee, appropriate personal protective equipment.”

“Personal protective equipment will be considered ‘appropriate’ only if it does not permit blood or other potentially infectious materials to pass through to or reach the employee’s work cloths, street clothes, undergarments, skin, eyes or other mucous membranes under normal conditions of use and for the duration of time which the protective equipment will be used.”

NFPA 1500, 2002 EDITION
Standard on Fire Department Occupational Safety and Health Program
This document addresses the occupational safety in the working environment of the fire service as well as safety in the proper use of tools, equipment, vehicles, protective clothing, and breathing apparatus. Career, volunteer, private and military departments are included.

NFPA 1851, 2008 EDITION
Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
Originally published in February of 2001 and revised in June of 2008, this Standard deals with fire departments' selection and care of Personal Protective Equipment. The standard contains chapters on administration, definitions, program, selection, inspection, cleaning and decontamination, repair, storage, retirement, verification and test procedures.

NFPA 1951, 2007 EDITION
Standard on Protective Ensembles for Technical Rescue Operations
The 2001 edition of NFPA 1951 was titled Standard on Protective Ensemble for USAR Operations. Although the title has been changed, the standard still deals with technical rescue incidents in urban and other non-wilderness locations that require special equipment. This Standard sets forth requirements for the protective clothing and equipment needs of emergency responders engaged in technical rescue activities and also includes optional requirements for CBRN protection.

NFPA 1971, 2007 EDITION
Standard on Protective Ensemble for Structural Firefighting
This standard sets the minimum requirements for design, performance, testing, and certification of the elements of the ensemble for body protection in structural firefighting – coats, trousers, one-piece suits, hoods, helmets, gloves, and footwear. As with all NFPA Standards, the 2007 Edition of NFPA 1971 replaced the 2000 edition, and all previous editions.

The 2007 edition had an effective date of August 2006. Manufacturers are given a six month timeframe in which to complete the required testing, so that gear can be labeled to the 2000 Edition until March of 2007. Unlike previous editions, the 2007 edition of NFPA 1971 incorporates design and performance requirements for proximity protective ensemble elements as well as structural protective ensemble elements. NFPA 1976 will cease to exist and the one document is now titled “NFPA 1971 Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting”.

Additionally, the 2007 Edition will incorporate design and performance requirements for optional CBRN requirements. This means that departments who wish to specify CBRN protection will be able to do so, although will not be required to do so. Manufacturers who label a garment as providing CBRN protection will be required to test against the specific requirements set forth in the standard. In other words, the CBRN protection is optional, but if you are labeling to that option the test requirements for doing so are mandatory and must also be third party certified.

CANADIAN GENERAL STANDARDS BOARD (CGSB)
CAN/CGSB-155.1-2001, the Canadian General Standards Board standard for firefighters protective clothing for Protection Against Heat and Flame, was last revised in 2001. Although very similar to NFPA 1971 (2000 Edition), there are some exceptions.

• The Moisture Barrier is subject to a diffusion resistance test, with no THL values required.
• The NFPA 1971 Shower Test is not required to validate design.
• The method specified for Flame Resistance testing is different.
• Tear Strength Testing is performed after exposure to UV.

CGSB Certification is currently only required in the Province of Ontario.

NFPA 1999, 2003 EDITION
Standard on Protective Clothing for Emergency Medical Operations (EMS)
EMTs require specialized protection in some ways more stringent than structural firefighting. These include protective clothing, gloves, boots, and face-shielding equipment to protect EMS providers and disaster victims from bloodborne and liquid pathogens. If this standard stays within cycle, it will be revised in the year 2008.