ASTM F1731-96(2002)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information
Designation:F1731–96 (Reapproved 2002)
Standard Practice for
Body Measurements and Sizing of Fire and Rescue Services
Uniforms and Other Thermal Hazard Protective Clothing
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 1731; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
The selection of proper uniform size is important to fit and appearance for all users, but more
importantly, it relates directly to garment function. In certain occupations, such as fire and rescue
services,properfitandfunctionrelatesdirectlytotheindividual’sabilitytoperformjobsthatareoften
hazardous. Issues of proper fit are directly associated with the risk of injury. A work uniform that
restricts movement or exposes the skin to hazardous environments will result in lost efficiency and
may promote injury and illness. Proper sizing is a factor in the ability of a person to perform tasks that
often involve life or death situations. A work uniform must also fit well to function properly when
additional outer protective garments and safety equipment are worn.
This practice establishes a standard method for measuring body dimensions pertinent to the
determination of a garment size which provides good fit. It also presents issues critical to garment size
selection as it relates to fit. Functional methods are provided for determining proper fit of a uniform.
Information is provided on garment shrinkage which results from the clothing being laundered.
Maternity wear and unique sizing issues are addressed.
1. Scope likelihood of human injuries that may be related to the fit of
uniforms or protective clothing.
1.1 This practice is intended to assist in size selection of
1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of the
work uniforms for fire and rescue services personnel and
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
workers who may be exposed to thermal hazards. Work
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
uniform ensembles consist of a shirt and trouser apparel
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
combination.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. Specific precau-
1.2 Thispracticeisapplicabletouniformsforbothmaleand
tionary statements are given in Note 1.
female personnel.
1.3 This practice provides a standard means for measuring
2. Referenced Documents
human body dimensions for the selection and ordering shirts
2.1 ASTM Standards:
and trousers.
D 123 Terminology Relating to Textiles
1.4 This practice provides a means for evaluating the fit of
D 5219 Terminology Relating to Body Dimensions for
selected uniform sizes.
Apparel Sizing
1.5 This practice provides a standard list of textile and
F 1154 Practice for Qualitatively Evaluating the Comfort,
apparel terminology specific to the clothing industry which is
Fit, Function, and Integrity of Chemical-Protective Suit
used in determining size and fit of garments. This vocabulary
Ensembles
will be useful in communications between buyers and sellers.
2.2 AATCC Standards:
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as
AATCC 96 Dimensional Changes in Laundering of Woven
standard. The inch-pound equivalents given in parentheses are
and Knitted Textiles Except Wool
for information only and may be approximate.
AATCC 135 Dimensional Changes in Automatic Home
1.7 This standard is not intended for use in evaluating the
fire resistive performance or durability of work uniforms. In
addition, this practice does not provide a means to quantify the
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F23 on Protective the ASTM website.
ClothingandisthedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeF23.60onHumanFactors. Available from American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, PO
Current edition approved August 10, 1996. Published October 1996. Box 12215 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
F1731–96 (2002)
Laundering of Woven and Knit Fabrics the barrel cuff which is a straight cuff stitched to form an
AATCC 158 Dimensional Changes in Dry-Cleaning in Per- open-band that laps and buttons at the wrist.Atrouser leg cuff
chloroethylene: Machine Method is formed by producing a deep hem which may require over
2.3 NFPA Standards: 100 mm (4 in.) of fabric. Simple hems may also be used to
NFPA 1975 Standard on Station/Work Uniforms for Fire finish trouser legs. (See hem.)
Fighters
3.1.13 ease, n—in garment construction, the difference
NFPA1977 StandardonProtectiveClothingandEquipment
between garment measurement and body measurement.
for Wildland Fire Fighting
3.1.13.1 Discussion—Thereareprimarilytwotypesofease,
wearing ease and design ease. Wearing or comfort ease, which
3. Terminology
allowsforbodyflexingandmovement,dependsonagarment’s
3.1 Definitions: Definitions are provided to assist the user in
standard for fit. Wearing ease relates to fit of a garment that
understanding the language of human body measurements. In
does not impede the wearer from performing any function that
addition, other definitions have been added that are used by the
requires dynamic movement. The amount of material added to
apparel industry to identify garment designs, patterns and
a garment that exceeds human body measurements, to make
issues of fit.
garments more comfortable and to allow for human mobility.
3.1.1 armhole, n—in garments construction, the area of a
Designorstyleeaseincludes,inadditiontowearingease,what
garment through which the arm passes or into which a sleeve
is built into a style to provide the look the designer wants.
is fitted. (See armscye.)
3.1.14 elbow, n—in anatomy, the joint that articulates
3.1.2 armscye, n—in garment construction,theopeningina
between the upper arm and the lower arm.
garment for the attachment of a fitted sleeve. (See armhole.)
3.1.15 fabric, n—in textiles, a planar structure consisting of
3.1.3 back waist length, n—in body measurements, the
yarns or fibers.
vertical distance along the spine from the cervical to the waist.
3.1.16 fit, n—the quality, state or manner in which the
3.1.4 bartack, n—in garment construction, a reinforcement
length and closeness of clothing, when worn, relates to the
at points of strain.
human body.
3.1.4.1 Discussion—This reinforcement point may consist
3.1.17 garment, n—an article of clothing used to cover the
of a bar-shaped line of small threads worked across several
threads. body.
3.1.5 body dimension, n—in garment construction, a body
3.1.18 girth, n—in body measurements, a circumferential
measurement which can be used to build a sizing system or to
measurement around some part of the body, such as neck,
select an appropriately sized garment.
chest, waist, etc.
3.1.6 body measurement, n—in anthropometry, a standard-
3.1.19 hem, n—in garment construction, a simple finish in
ized distance between two specified points on the human
which the raw fabric edge is turned under and stitched to a
anatomy.
garment. (See cuff.)
3.1.7 bust girth, n—in body measurements, the circumfer-
3.1.20 hip, n—in anatomy, the laterally projecting region
ence of the body over the fullest part of the breasts and parallel
formed by the lateral parts of the pelvis and the upper part of
to the floor. (See chest girth.)
the femur together with the flesh covering them.
3.1.8 cervical, n—in body measurements, the most promi-
3.1.21 hip girth, n—in body measurements, the maximum
nent bone at the base of the neck.
circumference of the body at the level of maximum promi-
3.1.9 chest, n—in garment construction, a measurement
nence of the buttocks.
taken from below each armhole seam straight across the
3.1.22 inseam, n—in garment construction, with the trou-
garment while it is laid flat.
sers folded by mating the inside leg seams, measure from
3.1.10 chest girth, n—in body measurements, the circum-
center of crotch to bottom edge of trouser’s leg or cuff.
ference of the body over the shoulder blades, under the arms
and across the upper chest. (See bust girth.) 3.1.23 inseam length, n—in body measurements, from cen-
ter of crotch to 25.4 mm (1 in.) below top of the shoe.
3.1.10.1 Discussion—A circumference measurement made
around the fullest part of the chest keeping the tape parallel to
3.1.24 knee, n—in anatomy,thejointbetweenthelowerand
the floor.
upper leg.
3.1.11 crotch, n—in anatomy, the body area adjacent to the
3.1.25 maternity wear, n—clothing worn during pregnancy.
vertex of the included angle between the legs.
3.1.26 neck base girth, n—in body measurements, the cir-
3.1.12 cuff, n—in garment construction, a finished edge at
cumference of the neck over the cervical at the back and at the
the end of either a garment sleeve or trouser leg created by
top of the collar bone at the front.
turning back or rolling up and stitching the fabric.
3.1.27 neck girth, n—in garment construction, with shirt
3.1.12.1 Discussion—Long sleeve shirts usually have an
open in front and collar fully extended and laid out flat,
extended cuff which is a band of fabric stitched to the lower
measurefromcenterofcollarbuttontothefarendofthebutton
edge of the sleeve. The most common long sleeve shirt cuff is
hole.
3.1.28 placket, n—in garment construction, a finished gar-
ment opening that is usually dependent on mechanical devices
Available from National Fire Protection Association, 1 Batterymarch Park,
Quincy, MA 02269-9101. called closures to secure the opening.
F1731–96 (2002)
3.1.28.1 Discussion—In shirt construction, a placket usu- 3.1.46 trouser back rise, n—in garment construction,a
ally forms the front opening that may extend from the collar measurement from the crotch seam to bottom edge of waist-
band’s lower edge to the bottom edge of the shirt’s hem.When band at center of the back.
the shirt is worn, the placket is generally overlapped and
3.1.47 trouser front rise, n—in garment construction,a
fastened by buttons. Plackets are normally designed into
measurement from the crotch seam to the bottom edge of
garments to make them easy to don. Fasteners used in placket
waistband at center front.
closures are buttons, button holes, zippers, hooks, snaps, and
3.1.48 trouser hips, n—in garment construction, the gar-
other devices used to open, close, and secure garments.
ments circumference measured at the bottom of pockets or
3.1.29 protective clothing, n—an article of clothing used for
bartack on fly.
isolating the human body or parts of the human body from a
3.1.49 trouser waist, n—in garment construction, with trou-
potential hazard.
sers folded in half by the crease or mating the leg inseams,
3.1.30 shirt, n—a cloth garment for the upper part of the
measure across waist-band’s width and double the measure-
body made of either woven or knitted fabric usually having
ment.
sleeves, a neck opening, a front opening and a tail long enough
3.1.50 waist, n—in anatomy, the part of the body at the
to be tucked inside trousers or skirt.
location between the lowest rib and hip identified by bending
3.1.31 shirt back length, n—in garment construction,a
the body to the side.
measurement centered below the collar band to bottom edge of
3.1.51 waist girth, n—in body measurements, the circum-
shirttail.
ference of the waist immediately below the lowest rib.
3.1.32 shirt front length, n—in garment construction,a
3.1.51.1 Discussion—Circumference around the body
measurement from the placket top, below the collar band to the
where the trouser waistband would normally be worn.
bottom edge of the shirt’s hem in front.
3.1.52 wrist, n—in anatomy, the joint which articulates
3.1.33 shirt sides, n—in garment construction, a measure-
between the end of the lower arm and the hand.
ment of length from below armhole to the bottom hem.
3.1.53 wrist girth, n—in body measurements, the circumfer-
3.1.34 shrinkage, n—a decrease in one or more dimensions
enceovertheprominenceoftheinnerandouterforearmbones.
of an object or material.
3.1.53.1 Discussion—Circumference around the largest part
3.1.35 shrink, vt—to cause to contract, to compact cloth by
of the wrist.
causing to contract when subjected to washing, boiling, steam-
3.2 Other definitions relative to this practice can be found in
ing or other processes.
Terminology D 123 and D 5219.
3.1.36 size, n—one of a series of graduated measurements
in manufactured articles of clothing conventionally identified
4. Summary of Practice
by numbers, letters, or words.
4.1 This practice standardizes apparatus for making human
3.1.37 sleeve length, n—in body measurements, from center
body measurements and provides a standardized approach to
of cervical across back and around outside of bent arm, to
methods of measuring human body dimensions relevant to the
below wrist bone and above hand.
selection of properly sized uniforms. Accurately measured
3.1.38 sleeve length, n—in garment construction, a mea-
bodydimensionsarerecordedonastandardmeasurementform
surement from center of shirt’s back below collar band along
which is used by a buyer and seller in the selection of uniform
the sleeve to the end of the sleeve or cuff.
size. Size selection for uniforms to be worn during pregnancy
3.1.39 station/work uniform, n—a nonprimary protective
is considered. Issues of fit related to garment ease and laundry
clothing ensemble consisting of a shirt and pants that is
induced garment shrinkage are discussed. Recommendations
intended to be worn by members of the fire and rescue services
are made relative to the evaluation of garment shrinkage.
while on duty.
Potential fit problems are identified by having a consumer don
3.1.40 thigh, n—in garment construction, with trouser leg
a representative sample uniform and then perform a standard-
laid out flat, measure from crotch seam straight across to leg
ized series of dynamic movements. Uniform size is selected
side seam.
based on an individual’s compatible body measurements rela-
3.1.41 thigh girth, n—in body measurements, the maximum
tive to a garment’s dimensions/size and the evaluation of a
circumference of the upper leg close to the crotch.
garment’sconstruction,shrinkage,anditsresponsetofitduring
3.1.42 torso, n—the human trunk.
the dynamic performance evaluation.
3.1.43 torso, n—in garment construction, a measurement
from cent
...