ISO/TC 94/SC 13 - Protective clothing

This document specifies requirements, test methods, marking and information for protective gloves and other hand protective equipment against thermal risks for professional use, consumer, domestic use. This document is also applicable to arm protective equipment. It is used for all gloves and other hand protective equipment which protect the hands or part of the hand against heat and/or fire in one or more of the following forms: flame, contact heat, convective heat, radiant heat, small splashes or large quantities of molten metal. This document is only applicable in conjunction with ISO 21420:2020. This document does not apply to gloves for fire-fighters or welding that have their own standards.

This document specifies a test method to measure the repellency, retention and penetration of a known volume of liquid pesticide when applied to a protective clothing material. No external hydrostatic or mechanical pressure is applied to the test specimen during or after the application of the liquid pesticide. The degree of contamination depends on numerous factors such as the type of exposure, application technique, and pesticide formulation. As the level of exposure can vary considerably, this method is designed to rate the relative performance of personal protective equipment (PPE) materials at two levels of contamination. Low level of contamination is achieved by applying 0,1 ml of liquid formulation and high level by applying 0,2 ml. This test method does not measure the resistance to permeation or degradation. This test method is suitable for field strength and concentrated pesticide formulations. This method may not be suitable for testing protective clothing materials against volatile pesticide formulations. This document is applicable to the evaluation of materials that are new or those that have undergone treatment such as laundering or simulated abrasion. Details of the treatment shall be reported. This test method can also be used to determine the resistance provided by protective clothing materials against penetration of new pesticide formulations.

This document specifies the requirements and test methods for ergonomics, innocuousness, comfort/sizing, restraint, ability to limit wrist extension and attenuate impact force on the palm as well as provisions for marking and instructions supplied by the manufacturer for wrist protectors for all users of snowboard equipment. It does not apply to protectors used in roller sports, alpine skiing, or other sports. This document does not address protection for the forearm due to axial forces caused by an impact on the fingers or fist. Moreover, this document does not address protection against palmar flexion (terminal flexion) caused by an impact on the dorsal side of the hand.

This document specifies the general requirements and relevant test procedures for glove design and construction, innocuousness, comfort and efficiency, as well as the marking and information supplied by the manufacturer applicable to all protective gloves. It can also apply to arm protectors and gloves permanently incorporated in containment enclosures. Gloves and hand protectors such as mittens, pot holders and arm protection are covered by this document. This document does not address the protective properties of gloves and therefore is not used alone but only in combination with the appropriate specific standard(s). A non-exhaustive list of these standards is given in the Bibliography.

This document specifies a test method for measuring the heat transferred through horizontally mounted flame-resistant textile materials when exposed to a combination of convective and radiant heat. The exposure conditions are adjusted to be approximately a 50/50 mixture of pure convective heat and pure radiant heat. The total exposure heat flux is 84 kW/m2. This test method is applicable to any type of sheet material used either as a single layer or in a multilayer construction when all structures or sub-assemblies are made of flame-resistant materials. It does not apply to materials that are not flame resistant. This test method does not apply to the evaluation of materials exposed to any other type of thermal energy sources, such as radiant heat only or flame contact only. ISO 6942 is applicable when evaluating materials for exposure to radiant heat only. ISO 9151 is applicable when evaluating materials due to flame contact only. NOTE Some, but not all, textiles materials can ignite and continue to burn after exposure to the convective and radiant heat produced by this test method.

This document specifies the test method for the determination of the resistance of protective glove materials to degradation by dangerous chemicals with continuous contact. NOTE Annex A gives information on interlaboratory test results on this method. It is preferable that other tests used in addition to the evaluation of chemical resistance such as permeation resistance and penetration, as the chemical test do not provide sufficient information on the physical property changes affecting a glove during exposure to a chemical. It is necessary that the outside surface of the glove be exposed to the chemical.

This document specifies a test method for the penetration resistance of gloves that protect against dangerous chemicals and/or micro-organisms.

This document establishes minimum performance, classification, and labelling requirements for gloves worn by operators and re-entry workers handling pesticide products to protect the hands or hands and forearms against contact with those products. Gloves covered by this document include gloves made with elastomeric and polymeric materials in the areas that provide protection. This document does not address protection against fumigants. This document needs to be used in conjunction with ISO 21420.

This document specifies requirements, test methods, marking and information to be supplied for protective gloves against the mechanical risks of abrasion, blade cut, tear, puncture and, if applicable, impact. This document is intended to be used in conjunction with ISO 21420. The test methods developed in this document can also be applicable to arm protectors.

This document specifies the performance requirements, test methods, design requirements, identification and marking information for gloves that offer protection against cutting by hand-held chainsaws. Guidance on chainsaw use and the selection of gloves is given in Annex A.

This document specifies the performance requirements, test methods, design requirements, identification and marking information for leg protectors that offer protection against cutting by hand-held chainsaws.

This document specifies the performance requirements, test methods, design requirements, identification and marking information for upper body protectors that offer protection against cutting by hand-held chainsaws. It also specifies procedures for sampling and pre-treatment of upper body protectors, the measurement of the protective coverage, the apparatus and test methods for assessing resistance to cutting, and the practical performance test for evaluating ergonomic properties. Guidance on chainsaw use and the selection of appropriate upper body protectors is given in Annex A.

This document specifies requirements and test methods for assessing the resistance to cutting of gaiters by hand-held chainsaws and other properties. It includes a requirement and a test method for assessing the strength of underfoot straps of gaiters. This document is applicable to gaiters used in conjunction with safety footwear with a steel toecap conforming to ISO 20345 design "C" or "D". These gaiters are designed to be used only in association with a defined model of footwear and tested together. NOTE These products are intended, but are not limited, to be used in combination with a defined model of orthopaedic footwear. This document does not apply to gaiters intended for use in situations where there is a significant risk of tripping, such as tree climbing or in forests.

This document specifies test methods for assessing the resistance of footwear to cutting by hand-held chainsaws. This document is applicable only to footwear with integral protection.

This document specifies the test rig for assessing the resistance to cutting of protective clothing, footwear and gloves by hand-held chainsaws. It also describes the calibration procedure.

This document specifies a test method, with associated test apparatus, which is used to determine the resistance of a material to the penetration of bacteria, carried by a liquid, when subjected to mechanical rubbing.

ISO 19918 describes laboratory test methods to determine the resistance of materials, closures, and seams used in personal protective equipment (PPE) to permeation by solid or liquid chemicals with low vapour pressure (less than 133,322 Pa at 25 °C) and/or insolubility in water or other liquids commonly used as collection media. These chemicals that are often part of pesticide formulations and other mixtures cannot be measured using other standards for measuring permeation. This test method is suitable for field strength and concentrated pesticide formulations as well as other mixtures in which the active ingredient is a chemical with low vapour pressure and/or low solubility in commonly used liquid and gaseous collection media. This test method is not intended to be used in place of standards such as ISO 6529, EN 16523-1 and ASTM F739, which measure permeation of chemicals that are either volatile or soluble in water or other liquids that do not interact with the material being tested. ISO 19918 is not suitable for measurement of volatile chemicals that may evaporate before the chemical analysis is complete. The degree of contamination depends on numerous factors, such as type of exposure, application technique, and chemical formulation. As the level of exposure can vary considerably, this method is designed to rate relative performance of PPE materials for different durations. This method is designed to measure cumulative permeation. Breakthrough time cannot be measured by this method. This test method does not measure resistance to penetration or degradation. The test method standard may be used for the evaluation of PPE materials that are new or those for which the product standard requires treatment, such as laundering or simulated abrasion. Details of the treatment shall be reported.

ISO 27065 establishes minimum performance, classification, and marking requirements for protective clothing worn by operators handling pesticide products as well as re-entry workers. For the purpose of ISO 27065, the term pesticide applies to insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and other substances applied in liquid form that are intended to prevent, destroy, repel, or reduce any pest or weeds in agricultural settings, green spaces, roadsides, etc. It does not include biocidal products used for agricultural and non-agricultural settings. Pesticide handling includes mixing and loading, application, and other activities such as cleaning contaminated equipment and containers. Concentrated pesticides are typically handled during mixing and loading. Protective clothing covered by ISO 27065includes, but is not limited to, shirts, jackets, trousers, coveralls, aprons, protective sleeves, caps/hats and other headwear (excluding hard hats made of rigid materials, e.g. hats worn by construction workers), and accessories used under knapsack/backpack sprayers. ISO 27065 does not address items used for the protection of the respiratory tract, hands, and feet. ISO 27065 does not address protection against fumigants.

ISO 13506-2:2017 provides technical details for calculating predicted burn injury to human skin when its surface is subject to a varying heat flux, such as may occur due to energy transmitted through and by a garment or protective clothing ensemble exposed to flames. A series of test cases are provided against which the burn injury prediction calculation method is verified. It also contains requirements for the in situ calibration of the thermal energy sensor ? skin injury prediction system for the range of heat fluxes that occur under garments. The skin burn injury calculation methods as presented in this test method do not include terms for handling short wavelength radiation that may penetrate the skin. The latter include arc flashes, some types of fire exposures with liquid or solid fuels, and nuclear sources.

ISO 13506-1:2017 specifies the overall requirements, equipment and calculation methods to provide results that can be used for evaluating the performance of complete garments or protective clothing ensembles exposed to short duration flame engulfment. This test method establishes a rating system to characterize the thermal protection provided by single-layer and multi-layer garments made of flame resistant materials. Any material construction such as coated, quilted or sandwich can be used. The rating is based on the measurement of heat transfer to a full-size manikin exposed to convective and radiant energy in a laboratory simulation of a fire with controlled heat flux, duration and flame distribution. The heat transfer data are summed over a prescribed time to give the total transferred energy. For the purposes of this test method, the incident heat flux is limited to a nominal level of 84 kW/m2 and limited to exposure durations of 3 s to 12 s dependant on the risk assessment and expectations from the thermal insulating capability of the garment. The results obtained apply only to the particular garments or ensembles, as tested, and for the specified conditions of each test, particularly with respect to the heat flux, duration and flame distribution. This test method requires a visual evaluation, observation and inspection on the overall behaviour of the test specimen during and after the exposure as the garment or complete ensemble on the manikin is recorded before, during and after the flame exposure. Visuals of the garment or complete ensemble on the manikin are recorded (i.e. video and still images) before, during and after the flame exposure. This also applies to the evaluation of protection for the hands or the feet when they do not contain sensors. For the interfaces of ensembles tested, the test method is limited to visual inspection. The effects of body position and movement are not addressed in this test method. The heat flux measurements can also be used to calculate the predicted skin burn injury resulting from the exposure (see ISO 13506-2). This test method does not simulate high radiant exposures such as those found in arc flash exposures, some types of fire exposures where liquid or solid fuels are involved, nor exposure to nuclear explosions. NOTE 1 This test method provides information on material behaviour and a measurement of garment performance on a stationary upright manikin. The relative size of the garment and the manikin and the fit of the garment on the shape of the manikin have an important influence on the performance. NOTE 2 This test method is complex and requires a high degree of technical expertise in both the test setup and operation. NOTE 3 Even minor deviations from the instructions in this test method can lead to significantly different test results.

ISO 17493:2016 describes a test method for evaluating the heat resistance of protective clothing materials or items and equipment when exposed in a hot air circulating oven. The method is intended to evaluate physical changes in a material at a given exposure temperature. Materials are evaluated for defined visible changes including the measurement of shrinkage. Different procedures are provided depending on the type of the protective clothing material or item being tested.

ISO 15025:2016 specifies two procedures (surface ignition and bottom-edge ignition) for determining flame spread properties of vertically oriented flexible materials in the form of single or multicomponent fabrics (coated, quilted, multilayered, sandwich constructions and similar combinations), when subjected to a small defined flame. This test standard does not apply to situations where there is restricted air supply or exposure to large sources of intense heat, for which other test methods are more appropriate. This test method is not appropriate for materials that demonstrate extensive melting or shrinkage.

ISO 9151:2016 specifies a method for determining the heat transmission through materials or material assemblies used in protective clothing. Materials may then be ranked by comparing heat transfer indices, which provide an indication of the relative heat transmission under the specified test conditions. The heat transfer index should not be taken as a measure of the protection time given by the tested materials under actual use conditions.

ISO 374-1:2016 specifies the requirements for protective gloves intended to protect the user against dangerous chemicals and defines terms to be used. NOTE If other protection features have to be covered, e.g. mechanical risks, thermal risks, electrostatic dissipation etc., the appropriate specific performance standard is to be used in addition. Further information on protective gloves standards can be found in the EN 420.

ISO 374-5:2016 specifies the requirements and test methods for protective gloves intended to protect the user against micro-organisms. NOTE If other protection features is to be needed, e.g. chemical risks, mechanical risks, thermal risks, electrostatic dissipation etc., the appropriate specific performance standard is to be used in addition. Further information on protective gloves standards can be found in the EN 420.

ISO 12127-1:2015 specifies a test method for the determination of contact heat transmission. It is applicable to protective clothing (including hand protectors) and its constituent materials intended to protect against high contact temperatures. ISO 12127-1:2015 is restricted to contact temperatures between 100 °C and 500 °C.

ISO 14116:2015 specifies the performance requirements for the limited flame spread properties of all materials, all material assemblies, and protective clothing in order to reduce the possibility of the clothing burning when in occasional and brief contact with small flames and thereby constituting a hazard. Additional requirements for clothing are also specified, including design requirements, mechanical requirements, marking, and information supplied by the manufacturer. When protection against heat hazards is necessary, in addition to protection against flame, this International Standard is not appropriate. International Standards such as ISO 11612 are to be used instead. A classification system is given for materials, material assemblies, and garments which are tested according to ISO 15025, Procedure A.

ISO 11611:2015 specifies minimum basic safety requirements and test methods for protective clothing including hoods, aprons, sleeves, and gaiters that are designed to protect the wearer's body including head (hoods) and feet (gaiters) and that are to be worn during welding and allied processes with comparable risks. For the protection of the wearer's head and feet, this International Standard is only applicable to hoods and gaiters. This International Standard does not cover requirements for feet, hand, face, and/or eye protectors. This type of protective clothing is intended to protect the wearer against spatter (small splashes of molten metal), short contact time with flame, radiant heat from an electric arc used for welding and allied processes, and minimizes the possibility of electrical shock by short-term, accidental contact with live electrical conductors at voltages up to approximately 100 V d. c. in normal conditions of welding. Sweat, soiling, or other contaminants can affect the level of protection provided against short-term accidental contact with live electric conductors at these voltages. For adequate overall protection against the risks to which welders are likely to be exposed, personal protective equipment (PPE) covered by other International Standards should additionally be worn to protect the head, face, hands, and feet. Guidance for the selection of the type of welders clothing for different welding activities is detailed in Annex A.

ISO 11612:2015 specifies performance requirements for protective clothing made from flexible materials, which are designed to protect the wearer's body, except the hands, from heat and/or flame. For protection of the wearer's head and feet, the only items of protective clothing falling within the scope of ISO 11612:2015 are gaiters, hoods, and overboots. However, concerning hoods, requirements for visors and respiratory equipment are not given. The performance requirements set out in ISO 11612:2015 are applicable to protective clothing which could be worn for a wide range of end uses, where there is a need for clothing with limited flame spread properties and where the user can be exposed to radiant or convective or contact heat or to molten metal splashes.

ISO 17491-5:2013 specifies an alternative test method to the one described in ISO 17491-4. The method for determining the resistance to chemical spray penetration differs from the method in ISO 17491-4 in that it uses a static manikin instead of a test subject. It also uses a different spray configuration and duration.

ISO 13688:2012 specifies general performance requirements for ergonomics, innocuousness, size designation, ageing, compatibility and marking of protective clothing and the information to be supplied by the manufacturer with the protective clothing. ISO 13688:2012 is only intended to be used in combination with other standards containing requirements for specific protective performance and not on a stand-alone basis.

ISO 20471:2013 specifies requirements for high visibility clothing which is capable of visually signalling the user's presence. The high visibility clothing is intended to provide conspicuity of the wearer in any light condition when viewed by operators of vehicles or other mechanized equipment during daylight conditions and under illumination of headlights in the dark. Performance requirements are included for colour and retroreflection as well as for the minimum areas and for the placement of the materials in protective clothing.

ISO 6529:2013 describes laboratory test methods to determine the resistance of materials used in protective clothing, including gloves and including footwear, when the footwear is an integral part of the clothing, to permeation by liquid or gaseous chemicals under the conditions of either continuous or intermittent contact. Method A is applicable to testing against liquid chemicals, either volatile or soluble in water, expected to be in continuous contact with the protective clothing material. Method B is applicable to testing against gaseous chemicals expected to be in continuous contact with the protective clothing material. Method C is applicable to testing against gaseous and liquid chemicals, either volatile or soluble in water, expected to be in intermittent contact with the protective clothing material. These test methods assess the permeation resistance of the protective clothing material under laboratory conditions in terms of breakthrough time, permeation rate and cumulative permeation. These test methods also enable qualitative observations to be made of the effects of the test chemical on the material under test. These test methods are only suitable for measuring permeation by liquids and gases. These test methods address only the performance of materials or certain materials' constructions (e.g. seams).

This part of ISO 17491 specifies a method to be performed either at minimum test settings (Method 1) or at more rigorous test settings (Method 2), for assessing the resistance of a gas-tight suit to outward leakage of air through, for example, essential openings, fastenings, seams, interface areas between items, pores and any imperfections in the construction materials. This test does not simulate penetration by gases in an inward direction. Although the danger to the wearer arises from leakage in an inward direction, this test method assesses the outward leakage of air after the gastight suit has been inflated so as to stretch the construction material, thereby enabling the test method to detect very small imperfections, such as holes, splits or tears.

ISO 17491-3:2008 specifies a test method for determining the resistance of protective clothing against penetration by a jet of liquid. ISO 17491-3:2008 is applicable to clothing with liquid-tight connections between different parts of the clothing and, if applicable, between the clothing and other items of personal protective equipment worn with it. ISO 17491-3:2008 does not address chemical permeation resistance of the clothing materials, which is specified in other standards.

ISO 17491-4:2008 specifies methods for determining the resistance of chemical protective clothing to penetration by sprays of liquid chemicals at two different levels of intensity: Method A: low-level spray test. This is applicable to clothing that covers the full body surface and which is intended to be worn when there is a potential risk of exposure to small quantities of spray or accidental low volume splashes of a liquid chemical. Method B: high level spray test This is applicable to clothing with spray-tight connections between different parts of the clothing and, if applicable, between the clothing and other items of personal protective equipment, which covers the full body surface and which is intended to be worn when there is a risk of exposure to sprayed particles of liquid.

ISO 16602:2007 establishes minimum performance classification and labelling requirements for protective clothing designed to provide protection against chemicals. Protective clothing items covered by ISO 16602:2007 include, but may not be limited to, totally encapsulating suits, liquid-tight or spray-tight suits, coveralls, jackets, trousers, aprons, smocks, hoods, sleeves, and shoe and boot covers. Chemical protective clothing for protection against airborne particles is addressed by ISO 13982-1, which is referenced in ISO 16602:2007. ISO 16602:2007 does not address protection against solid chemicals in forms other than airborne solid particulates (e.g. it does not address the challenge of penetration of chemical dust and powders through materials and clothing by rubbing or flexing or by simple direct contact of dust or powders onto the clothing surface). ISO 16602:2007 does not address gloves, boots, eye/face protection devices and respiratory protective devices unless they are an integral part of the protective clothing. ISO 16602:2007 does not address protection against biological or thermal (hot or cold) hazards, ionizing radiation, or radioactive contamination. ISO 16602:2007 also does not address the specialized clothing used in hazardous chemical emergencies. ISO 16602:2007 is intended to provide chemical protective clothing manufacturers with minimum requirements for testing, classifying, and labelling chemical protective clothing. To assist the users of products covered under ISO 16602:2007, this document provides descriptions of referenced test methods, guidelines for conducting hazard and risk assessments and suggested performance levels for certain applications. It is not the intent of ISO 16602:2007 to address all situations.

ISO 12127-2:2007 specifies a test method designed to evaluate the heat transfer and the behaviour of materials used for protective clothing when such materials are struck by high temperature metal particles, especially when these are trapped in the folds of the garment in working situations. The results obtained by this method permit the comparison of the behaviour of different materials which have undergone this test under standardized conditions. They do not permit conclusions to be drawn with respect to contacts with large splashes of molten cast iron or other metal, nor do they allow the behaviour of complete garments under industrial conditions to be predicted.

ISO 9185:2007 specifies a method for assessing the heat penetration resistance of materials intended for use in clothing to protect against large splashes of molten metal. It provides specific procedures for assessing the effects of splashes of molten aluminium, molten cryolite, molten copper, molten iron and molten mild steel. The principle of the test method is applicable to a wider range of hot molten materials than those for which specific procedures are set out, provided that appropriate measures are applied to protect the test operator.

ISO 14876-2 specifies the performance requirements and test methods for determining the resistance of body armour to impacts by bullets from rifled weapons and to impacts by slugs from shotguns in repetitive single shot testing.