Firefighters are faced with a wide range of risks every single day, being exposed to fire, radiation, chemicals and so much more. That’s why their protective clothing needs to be held to a certain standard. In the European Union, that standard is determined by the Code of Economic Law. But do you know what the requirements for firefighter clothing are? We’ll tell you all about it in this blog post.
Protective Personal Equipment is always required to protect the wearer from harm. For firefighter clothing, regulations state that the wearer must be protected from danger at the source as much as possible.
Because firefighters encounter so many different kinds of dangers on a daily basis, there are numerous regulations that make up the framework for firefighter PPE requirements. You can find the most common dangers and their respective requirements here.
This type of danger is an obvious one, but also a very important one. Manufacturers are required to use materials or components designed to keep firefighters safe. More specifically, the heat that reaches the wearer’s skin cannot cause burns and the materials cannot spontaneously combust or melt.
Furthermore, accumulated heat shouldn’t be able to cause thermal stress or pain to the wearer at any time. A general rule of thumb here is that the clothing should be able to keep the wearer safe for the amount of time it takes for them to escape the dangerous environment (for instance, a fire).
Suits are required to prevent any penetration of liquid or steam that could cause burns. In addition, the parts of the suit that can reach a dangerous temperature, should never be able to come into direct contact with the firefighter wearing it.
PPE that is worn when hazardous substances or dangerous biological agents come into play should protect the skin and eyes of the wearer at all times. That means that the gear cannot allow these substances to surpass the protective barrier of the suit.
Of course, firefighters can’t choose the time or place of their heroic acts. Considering they often deal with heaps of smoke and dark environments, firefighter gear must be prepared for low visibility environments.
The European Union requires the clothing to be as retro-reflective as possible without increasing the risk of other dangers such as heat stress. After all, retro-reflective material is not permeable. That should be taken into account.
Are you a firefighter in need of professional, top quality protective clothing? If you already know what you’re looking for, you can shop our collection online. But if you have any questions at all, feel free to contact us. We’d be happy to help.