ISO/TC 94/SC 13/WG 3 - Protective clothing against chemicals agents

This document specifies the test method for determining the resistance of chemical protective clothing to penetration by sprays of liquid chemicals at two different levels of intensity: a) Method A: low-level spray test. This is applicable to clothing that covers the full body surface and 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. b) 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 liquid chemical. This document does not apply to chemical permeation resistance of the materials from which the chemical protective clothing is made.

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.

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 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 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 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 13994:2005 describes a laboratory test method that enables determination of the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to visible penetration under the conditions of continuous liquid contact and pressure, for example, clothing that is exposed to repeated splashes of liquid spray under pressure. Protective clothing "pass/fail" determinations are based on visual detection of liquid penetration. This test method is normally used to evaluate the barrier effectiveness against liquids of materials used for protective clothing and specimens from finished items of protective clothing. ISO 13994:2005 addresses only the performance of materials or certain material constructions (e.g. seams) used in protective clothing. It does not address the design, overall construction and components, or interfaces of garments or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the protective clothing.

ISO 22612:2005 specifies a test method for assessing the resistance to penetration through barrier materials of bacteria-carrying particles. Due to its complexity, this ISO 22612:2005 cannot be considered as a useful method for routine quality control but may suit the needs when a material is assessed for compliance with the requirements of current regulations such as EU Directive 93/42/EEC.

ISO 6530:2005 specifies a test method for the measurement of indices of penetration, absorption and repellency for protective clothing materials against liquid chemicals, mainly chemicals of low volatility. Two levels of the potential performance of materials are assessed by this method of testing to meet with possible requirements for protection against the following: deposition on the surface of a material, at minimal pressure, of spray droplets up to coalescence or occasional small drips; contamination by a single low-volume splash or low-pressure jet, allowing sufficient time to divest the clothing or take other action as necessary to eliminate any hazard to the wearer from chemical retained by the protective garment, or, in circumstances where pressure is applied to liquid contaminants on the surface of the clothing material as a result of natural movements of the wearer (flexing of contaminated areas of clothing at arms, knees, shoulders) and contact with contaminated surfaces (e.g. walking through sprayed foliage).

ISO 22609:2004 describes a laboratory test method for measuring the resistance of medical face masks to penetration by a splash of synthetic blood. ISO 22609:2004 primarily addresses the performance of materials or certain material constructions used in medical face masks. The test method does not address the performance of the medical face mask's design, construction, interfaces or other factors which may affect the overall protection offered by the medical face mask and its operation (such as filtration efficiency and pressure drop). ISO 22609:2004 does not evaluate the performance of medical face masks as a protection against contamination via airborne exposure pathways or in the prevention of the penetration of aerosolized body fluids deposited on the medical face mask.

ISO 13982-2:2004 specifies a test method to determine the barrier efficiency of chemical protective clothing against aerosols of dry, fine dusts.

ISO 16603:2004 describes a laboratory test method for measuring the penetration resistance of clothing materials to blood and body fluids. This test method uses a synthetic blood in continuous contact with the material specimen at specified set of conditions using the ISO 13994 test apparatus. This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorb the synthetic blood.

ISO 16604:2004 describes a laboratory test method for measuring the resistance of materials used in protective clothing to penetration by blood-borne pathogens. This test method uses a surrogate microbe under conditions of continuous liquid contact. Protective clothing "pass/fail" determinations are based on the detection of viral penetration at a specific hydrostatic pressure using the ISO 13994 test apparatus. This test method is not always effective in testing protective clothing materials having thick, inner liners which readily absorbs the challenge fluid. This test method involves a sensitive assay procedure. Because of the length of time required to complete this test method, it might not be suitable for use as a material or protective clothing quality control or assurance procedure.

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 22610:2006 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 22608:2004 specifies a test method to measure repellency, retention and penetration of a known volume of liquid pesticide when applied to 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 type of exposure, application technique, and pesticide formulation. As the level of exposure can vary considerably, this method is designed to rate relative performance of personal protective equipment (PPE) materials at two levels of contamination. Low level of contamination is achieved by applying 0,1 ml liquid formulation and high level by applying 0,2 ml. This test method does not measure 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 pesticides formulations. ISO 22608:2004 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.

Describes a laboratory test method that enables an assessment to be made of the resistance to permeation by liquids afforded by clothing materials, used for industrial and agricultural applications. The test does not necessarily simulate conditions that may occur in practice.

Defines the characteristics of resistance of clothing, the test method for their assessment, the marking requirements. Such clothing is for use in operations with chemicals in industry, agriculture and laboratories. The purpose is to provide protection against occasional exposure to droplets or small drops, a brief exposure to a low pressure jet or a splash. Finally it is emphasized that the protection may be reduced by normal wear and tear and will probably become non-existent when the clothing is wet.