NFPA 1977 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON WILDLAND FIRE FIGHTING PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT

January 22-23, 2014

San Diego, CA

MINUTES

Principal Members in Attendance: Rick Swan, Chair IAFF Marc Mousseau, Secretary Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center Richard Brown NVFC Steven Corrado UL Vincent Diaz Atlantic Thread & Supply Company Tricia Hock SEI R.J. Johnson US Department of the Interior Kirk Kushen Kern County FD David Moore Glendale FD Anthony Petrilli USDA Forest Service Brian Shiels PBI Performance Products Richard Weise Southern Area Fire Equipment Research Alternate Members in Attendance: Dennis Davis USDA Forest Service Joel Fassbinder IAFF John Rihn MSA Guests in Attendance: Matt Elmore Bullard Dave Haston US Forest Service Godot Apuzzo US Forest Service Ryan Davidson Western Shelter Dave Teter Cal Fire Roger Barker NCSU Zeb Atkinson Invista Grant Hunter Lacrosse Footwear William Smith Tencate Protective Fabrics Charles Dunn Tencate Protective Fabrics Tim Durby Phoenix FD Ruth Cooper CALPIA Karen Bengtson CALPIA Nicole Collins CALPIA Jim Roth Wildland Firefighter Foundation Rick Hutchinson Cal Fire David Trebisacci NFPA Staff Liaison

1. Chairman Swan called the meeting to order at 0900 hrs. 2. The Minutes of the Technical Committee web conference of October 2, 2013 were approved. 3. NFPA Staff Liaison Dave Trebisacci covered the procedures for meetings and also provided an update to changes that have occurred related to document processing. 4. Review of Public Input to NFPA 1977 and creation of First Revisions (Please see the NFPA 1977 First Draft Report when available at www.nfpa.org/1977, Next Edition tab, under First Draft). 5. Dr. Roger Barker of North Carolina State University provided an overview of NCSU research on wildland firefighter protective clothing (please see presentation attached to these minutes). 6. A request to create a selection, care and maintenance standard for wildland fire fighting protective clothing and equipment will be on the NFPA Standards Council agenda for approval at the Council’s March 3-4, 2014 meeting. 7. The topic of fire shelters was discussed by the technical committee. The TC will submit a request to the Standards Council for approval to create a stand alone document for fire shelters. 8. Action items for Second Draft Meeting: Garment Dimensions Ryan Davidson

Top Line Vince Diaz (drawing and definitions) Gloves Anthony Petrilli (send gloves to UL)

9. Next meeting date and time – to be determined 10. The meeting adjourned on January 23, 2014 at 1600 hrs. Submitted by Marc Mousseau – Secretary

NC State Research on WildlandFirefighter Protective Clothing 

Dr. Roger Barker NCSU Center for Research on Textile Protection and 

C f tComfortNFPA 1977 Technical Committee Meeting

San Diego, CaliforniaJanuary 22‐23 2014January 22‐23, 2014

NCSU Research TeamNCSU Research TeamCo‐PI: Dr. Alex HummelH t t / f tHeat stress/comfort• Marika Walker(MS TE)• Julisha Joyner(MS TE)y ( )• Kevin RossRadiant heat protection

J h M t A l i• John Morton‐Aslanis• Kyle Watson(MS TE)• Alex HummelAlex HummelProject technical manager: A. Shawn Deaton

K Q ti f Wildl d PPEKey Questions for Wildlands PPE• How much thermal protection is needed?o uc t e a p otect o s eeded?• What is the “right” heat exposure intensity for testing wildland firefighter protective clothing?g g p g

• What is the best balance between protection and optimum heat stress and comfort?

• Test Methods:– What test methods are currently used in the 

d d ? Wh “ h ld” b d?standards? What “should” be used? – How do these methods need to be advance/modified?– Systems level or Bench level testing?– Systems level or Bench level testing?

R bl M i E (RME)Reasonable Maximum Exposure (RME)• From 2010 Cal Fire Wildland Firefighting Hazard & Risk Assessment (2010)( )

• RME based off of Cohen Thermal Radiation ModelModel

• RME = 7.1 kW/m2

O h RME M d P di iOther RME Measurement and PredictionsAuthor Findings Commentsg

Who, Where, Model/Experiment

CAL FIRE RME of 7.1 kW/m2 Cohen thermal radiation model

Project Aquarius 4 RME of 8.6 kW/m2 with average of < 2 kW/m2

Australia, Experimental fires were lit and measured via airborneof < 2 kW/m lit and measured via airborne infrared imagery

Phani K. Raj  RME of 6.3 kW/m2 with average f 5 kW/ 2

Technology and Management S USA Th i lof 5 kW/m2 Systems, USA, Theoretical radiation model

Sullivan, Ellis, and  RME of 6.7 kW/m2 CSIRO Forestry and Forest , ,Knight 

/ yProducts, Australia, Stefan‐Boltzmann thermal radiation model

C i f T M h d H FlComparison of Test Method Heat Fluxes1000

300

Extraordinary(7.2-84 kW/m2)

100ratu

re (

C)

Ordinary(2.1-7.1 kW/m2)

60

100

Air

Tem

per

Routine

20

Routine(0-2 kW/m2)

RME RPP TPP

101 10 100

Thermal Radiation (kW/m2)7.1 21 84

CAL FIRE RPP d THL R i tCAL FIRE RPP and THL Requirements• CAL Fire sought a performance basis to reduce h dheat stress and increase protection– RME provides rational basis for RPP requirementsRPP i t f 7 t 10 l/ 2– RPP requirement from 7 to 10 cal/cm2

• Making thinner garments non compliant with CAL OSHA Standard

• RPP of 10 at 7.1 kW/m2 results in 60 seconds of protection• Effects of clothing layers not considered • Issues with repeatability of RPP testp y

‐‐Increased THL from 450 to 500 W/m2• Physiological benefit of increased THL needed to be   

f llscientifically demonstrated 

P j t St diProject Studies• Study the properties of wildland clothing y p p gmaterials that affect radiant heat protection and heat stress.

• Develop and demonstrate improved test methods• Develop and demonstrate improved test methods for characterizing the RPP at both fabric and whole garment levels (RadMan ™ and RPP)

• Conduct physiological based human wear trials to determine correlations between humans, sweating hot plate(THL) sweating manikin andsweating hot plate(THL), sweating manikin, and physiological manikin

C t NFPA 1977 R i tCurrent NFPA 1977 Requirements• Radiant Protective ad a t otect ePerformance (RPP)– 7 cal/cm2 for single layer fabric samples

• Total Heat Loss (THL) Sweating Hot Plate:Sweating Hot Plate:– 450 W/m2 for single layer fabric samplesp

• 500 Degree Oven Test– No melt, drip, shrink of pclothing materials

C i ASTM F1939 d F2731Comparing ASTM F1939 and F2731• Investigation ofInvestigation of

– Apparatus differences• Heat sources• Sensors

– Heat flux differences• 21 kW/m2• 21 kW/m• 7.1 kW/m2

– Burn injury models• Henrique’s• Stoll

S d d RPP T ASTM F1939Standard RPP Test ASTM F1939• Bank of radiant quartz tubes used as radiant heat source

• Fabric samples exposedFabric samples exposed to 21 kW/m2 (0.5 cal/cm2s)

• Thermal sensor behind• Thermal sensor behind fabric measures heat flux reaching skinE d il 2nd• Exposed until a 2nddegree burn is predicted based on Stoll burn i icriteria

• RPPRPP– Designed for 21 to 84 kW/m2

m2 )

• RME set to 7.1 kW/m2

– Uses quarts tubesUses copper slug sensor ea

t flux (cal/cm

– Uses copper slug sensor• Issues with saturation

– Uses Stoll Curve

He

Time (sec)

• Not validated after 30 seconds

Limitations of RPP Method

ASTM F 2731ASTM F 2731• Designed for lower level heat fluxes, or RME(5 – 10 kW/m2)• Utilizes black body ceramic heat source that is more likely to 

stay at steady‐state than quartz tubes• Water cooled sensor to mimic human skin response and• Water cooled sensor to mimic human skin response and 

prevent heat saturation  in long duration exposures• Uses more sophisticated skin burn model 

R dM ™ D l tRadMan™ Development• This research is developing a 

totally new instrumented manikin test system for evaluating the  radiant heat gprotection provided by whole garment systems

• Radiant Heat Exposures: 5 To 21Radiant Heat Exposures: 5 To 21 kW/m2

• Exposure durations: 5 seconds to >5 minutes>5 minutes

• Provides burn injury predictions specific to location on the body

H R dM ™ Diff F P M ™How RadMan™ Differs From PyroMan ™• PyroMan™:

– High intensity, short duration heat exposure (84 kW/m2)

– Represents a flashover scenario

– Systems‐level version of TPPy• RadMan™:

– Low intensity, long duration exposures (7 1 kW/m2)exposures (7.1 kW/m )

– Represents wildlands “Reasonable Maximum Exposure”Exposure  

– Systems‐level version of RPP

R dM ™ Th l M iki S tRadMan™ Thermal Manikin System

• Project:T t d 10 ildl d– Tested 10 wildland ensembles ranging from lightweight to heavy‐lightweight to heavyweight and multi‐layer

M i H t StMeasuring Heat Stress

Sweating Hot Plate Sweating Manikin Physiological Testing

NFPA 1977 Total Heat Loss of no less than 450 W/m2 

NFPA 1977Total Heat Loss of no less than 450 W/m(garment fabric) THL value set to 450 W/m2 by the NFPA committeeTHL value set to 450 W/m by the NFPA committee  There is no experimental basis for this THL pass/fail criterion.

When total surface area of reinforcements exceeds Table 7.1.6.1, each reinforcement section has  the same THL requirements as full garment. Prevents manufacturers from making a double layer product and only testing the outer layer.

S ti H t Pl t (THL)Sweating Hot Plate(THL)

American Society for T ti d M t i lTesting and Materials (ASTM) F‐1868 Standard Test Method for Thermal and Evaporative Resistance of ClothingResistance of Clothing Materials Using a Sweating Hot Plate

25°C; 65% RH; wind speed: 1 m/s

S ti M ikiSweating Manikin ASTM F1291 / ASTM F2370/

Human form skin model Garment Characterization

Insulation Insulation Thermal Resistance (Rt)

Breathability Evaporative Resistance* (Ret) 

*Inversely related

S ti ikiSweating manikin

Sweating Manikin(effect of Sweating Manikin(effect of l hi l )l hi l )clothing layers)clothing layers)

USFS Cal FireUSFS Cal Fire

R i f tReinforcements

Garment meets theGarment meets the 1977 standards!!

P j t O tProject Outcomes• The effects of fabric constructions and clothing glayers on RPP and THL performance is being qualified in systematically designed experiments

• Our findings will contribute information that can• Our findings will contribute information that can be used to design and select heat resistant materials with optimum RPP/THL balance for wildland firefighter clothing

• Advanced instrumented manikins and controlled human physiological studies are providing anhuman physiological studies are providing an unprecedented basis for correlating THL requirements with heat stress reduction in ldl d f f hwildland firefighter suits 

P j t O tProject Outcomes• New optimized RPP testing procedure has been p g pdeveloped and demonstrated. New method has been shown to provide more accurate and stable characterization of the RPP performance ofcharacterization of the RPP performance of materials used in the construction of wildland firefighter PPE

• Lower RME radiant heat testing exposure has been shown to increase single layer RPP index, opening the door to the use of thinner clothingopening the door to the use of thinner clothing materials, to the benefit of higher THL, heat stress reduction, and improved wear comfort

T l ti t NFPA 1977 St d dTranslation to NFPA 1977 Standard• New testing methods and protocols – provide informationNew testing methods and protocols  provide information 

and possible options for the next NFPA 1977 Standard‐improved technical basis for RPP and THL requirements

• Systems level testing( Sweat manikin and Radman™ to evaluate garment layering and design effects)

Why rely on layering design requirement for whole garment?

The purpose of this presentation was to overview a research project that may be of interest to the wildland firefighter community. The research team is g ycurrently working to publish the details of this research in peer reviewed scientific journals. Dissemination of the findings of this project to the Dissemination of the findings of this project to the Fire Service is a priority of this project. No specific recommendations regarding NFPA standards are being made at this time.being made at this time.

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