CEN/TR 17620:2021

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2021
Smernice za izbiro, uporabo, nego in vzdrževanje pametnih oblačil, ki varujejo
pred učinki toplote in ognja
Guidelines for selection, use, care and maintenance of smart garments protecting
against heat and flame
Leitfaden für Auswahl, Gebrauch, Pflege und Instandhaltung von smarter Schutzkleidung
gegen Hitze und Flammen
Lignes directrices relatives à la sélection, l'utilisation, l'entretien et la maintenance des
vêtements intelligents contre la chaleur et la flamme
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: CEN/TR 17620:2021
ICS:
13.340.10 Varovalna obleka Protective clothing
59.080.80 Inteligentne tekstilije Smart textiles
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

CEN/TR 17620
TECHNICAL REPORT
RAPPORT TECHNIQUE
April 2021
TECHNISCHER BERICHT
ICS 13.340.10; 59.080.80
English Version
Guidelines for selection, use, care and maintenance of
smart garments protecting against heat and flame
Lignes directrices relatives à la sélection, l'utilisation, Leitfaden für Auswahl, Gebrauch, Pflege und
l'entretien et la maintenance des vêtements intelligents Instandhaltung von smarter Schutzkleidung gegen
contre la chaleur et la flamme Hitze und Flammen

This Technical Report was approved by CEN on 12 March 2021. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee CEN/TC 162.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2021 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. CEN/TR 17620:2021 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 7
2 Normative references . 8
3 Terms and definitions . 8
4 Total process . 13
4.1 Introduction flow charts . 13
4.2 Flow chart diagram . 14
4.3 Types of smart elements . 15
5 Selection . 16
5.1 General. 16
5.2 Risk assessment . 19
5.3 Defining the level of protection required for each activity from the protective
clothing . 20
5.4 Optimal protective clothing . 20
5.5 Request for information . 22
5.6 Wearer trials. 23
5.7 Additional testing to assist selection process . 24
5.8 Other considerations . 26
5.9 Compatibility . 28
6 Use . 28
6.1 General. 28
6.2 Training . 31
6.3 Introducing protective clothing into service . 31
6.4 Record keeping . 32
6.5 Routine examination . 32
6.6 In service evaluation and monitoring . 33
6.7 Frequency of cleaning on type of smart garment . 34
7 Care . 34
7.1 General. 34
7.2 Label, marking and instruction for use/manufacturer’s instructions/user
instructions . 37
7.3 Cleaning . 37
7.4 Drying . 38
7.5 Decontamination. 39
7.6 Storage . 39
8 Maintenance . 40
8.1 General. 40
8.2 Inspection . 42
8.3 Repairs and alterations . 45
8.4 Disposal . 45
Annex A (informative) Performance levels relating to clothing designed to provide
protection from heat and flame . 47
Annex B (informative) Risk assessment . 62
Annex C (informative) Examples: Relationship between type of activity, the heat/flame
hazard linked to the activity and clothing to be chosen for protection based on the
existing product standards . 64
Annex D (informative) Practical performance tests related to firefighter clothing . 67
Annex E (informative) Description of burn injury risks . 75
Annex F (informative) Label, marking and instruction for use/manufacturer’s
instructions/user instructions (for procurement) . 77
Annex G (informative) Examples of scenarios of heat and flame exposure . 81
Annex H (informative) Examples of SUCAM procedures for smart solutions in garments . 85
Bibliography . 90
European foreword
This document (CEN/TR 17620:2021) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 162
“Protective clothing including hand and arm protection and lifejackets”, the secretariat of which is held
by NBN.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
This document has been prepared under mandate M/553 given to CEN by the European Commission
and the European Free Trade Association.
Introduction
For manufacturers and users of personal protective equipment (PPE) the following European
Regulation and Directive are important:
— Regulation (EU) 2016/425 of the European Council of 9th March 2016 on personal protective
equipment;
— Directive 89/656/EEC on use of personal protective equipment.
Regulation (EU) 2016/425 indicates that in order to place PPE on the market it shall meet essential
health and safety requirements, and not necessarily the various relevant EN or EN ISO standards.
Nevertheless, nearly all PPE meet the essential requirements through standards, as harmonized
standards give presumption of conformity with the requirements of the regulation. This is the reason
why we will spend some time explaining certain standards and what information they provide on smart
garments protecting against heat and flame.
The interest in and the use of smart or electronic solutions in professional garments increases
exponentially. Individual smart (intelligent) solutions integrated into garments have a large variety of
functions, e.g. improving protection against various risks, in-built communication systems etc., but also
drawbacks, e.g. connection cables acting as heat transfer medium, risks of a protective system failure
due to damage in a component, data security risks during communication, etc. The smart equipment
that employ a variety of physical functions and response effects integrated into garments allow
reduction of workplace risks. Requirements and test methods should, as far as possible, be
representative of the risks posed to the user under the foreseeable conditions.
The reader should be aware that for most PPE intended for use in a place of work, national and union
legislation towards ensuring the safety of employees applies. When one mentions PPE, it is essential
that it meets the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425. Based on the above mentioned regulation
and directive, the national legislations may postulate that if the employer fails to provide suitable PPE
then it may be considered as a criminal offence, and an employee suffering foreseeable injury may
trigger liability. Conversely, if the employee, after proper training and instructions, fails to wear the
suitable PPE, the employee may also be prosecuted and/or dismissed and if injured or suffering disease
in consequence may lose right to all or certain part of the reimbursement for damages.
For non-textile elements containing active medical devices, radio and electrical operated components,
which might be integrated in the finished advanced garments or ensembles of garments that provide
protection against heat and flame, the relevant Union legislation may apply, notably with Directive
2007/47/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2011/65/EU of the European
Parliament and of the Council, Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council,
Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 2014/53/EU of the
European Parliament and of the Council.
The provisions of other legal acts are also applicable to advanced garments and ensembles of garments
that provide protection against heat and flame, notably Directive 2014/34/EU of the European
Parliament and of the Council.
The information in this document has been produced to assist users, employers and purchasers (or the
person advising the users, employers and/or purchasers) in making the necessary decisions regarding
the selection, use, care and maintenance of protective clothing, for employees exposed to risks related
to heat and flame (e.g. industrial welding, fire-fighting, first response). This information may also be of
interest to manufacturers for designing their products and resellers to identify the products their
clients need.
This guideline will furthermore be a basis for those who are committed to the development and
conformity assessment of novel PPE for protection from heat and flame, hence including research and
technology organizations (RTOs), notified bodies and other third parties that support activities in
development and conformity assessment. Further groups of stakeholders involved in the life cycle of
smart PPE against heat and flame include textile service providers (leasing and washing) as well as
companies providing the labelling of smart PPE (care instructions).
The purpose of this document is to establish a guidance document for smart garments for protecting
against heat and flames with the goal to evaluate and reduce the safety risks and potential health risks
associated with poorly maintained, contaminated or damaged protective garments with integrated
smart solutions. This selection, use, care and maintenance guidance provides basic answers, criteria,
and options for the persons that are selecting or using smart protective garments through their life
cycle with respect to the protection they provide, guidance related to heat and flame or damaged
protective clothing.
The main topics that an employer needs to consider are highlighted in this document. Many paragraphs
of the document contain bullet-lists as thought provokers and options that may need to be considered.
A number of flowcharts have been created to help understand the flow of this document and these can
be used as a process in the life cycle of smart garments for protection against heat and flame from
selection to disposal. These flowchart(s) may need to be reiterated a number of times to come to the
optimum solution or to ensure continued adequate protection. The Annexes A to H include additional
details that would make the main body too complicated to read, but are necessary to describe hazards
and risks, the value of the test methods for the end user, etc.
Annex A gives details of the current European Standards relating to clothing designed to provide
protection from heat and flame, smart textiles and solutions that may be integrated into the garments.
In the areas where European Standards are not yet available, for example, testing smart systems in
harsh environments, some other documents are listed for reference.
Compatibility with other items of PPE that protect against heat and flames and integrate smart features
should be considered. Simultaneously, other risks in the related jobs, e.g. exposure to UV radiation,
pollutants, mechanical impact, etc., should also be taken into account.
Selection of smart garments for protection against heat and flames should be based on your own risk
assessment and should not be copied from other procurement documents.
1 Scope
The purpose of this document is to assist employers (or the person who advises the employer such as
suppliers of PPE or services, inspection, insurance companies, etc.) in taking the necessary decisions
regarding the selection, use, care and maintenance (SUCAM) of advanced garments and ensembles of
garments that provide protection against heat and flame, with integrated smart textiles and smart non-
textile elements for enhanced health, safety and survival capabilities that are compliant with the
European legislation.
This document supports developers and manufacturers in designing and producing garments with
smart textiles and smart non-textile elements that will meet the user’s needs during the whole life cycle
of the garment and comply with standard requirements set for protective clothing on use, care and
maintenance up to and including the disposal of the protective gear.
This document is not exhaustive in addressing all the safety concerns associated with the use of
compliant protective equipment for protection against heat and flames and other related risks.
It is essential not to construe this document as addressing all the safety concerns, if any, associated with
the use of this document by testing or repair facilities. It is the responsibility of the persons and
organizations that use this document and any other standards or technical report related to PPE:
— to conduct a risk assessment at the workplace;
— to select the protective clothing and other PPE, including those with smart (intelligent) features,
and to verify that the manufacturer has indicated the selected PPE to be suitable for the identified
risks at the workplace;
— as well as to ensure that these provide a holistic protection, only when the compatibility has been
assessed including understanding the workplace and the work environment to determine the
properties of protective clothing against heat and flames to establish health and safety practices;
— to verify that the manufacturer has provided information for risk assessment of the potential risks
that may occur due to the smart (intelligent) features in the intended working environment, and
that the manufacturer has suggested measurements to compensate such new risks, whilst the
employer has to ensure that these measurements are brought to action;
— and to determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to using this document for any
designing, manufacturing, and testing.
This document is meant for all end users that are using smart garments for protection against heat and
flame. It contains information that can also be useful to other people, such as manufacturers, designers,
service providers and educators who may be confronted with smart garments used to protect against
heat and flame risks although it will focus on the first four in the list below:
— petrochemical and chemical industry;
— welders and foundries;
— utilities (electrical, gas, water);
— firefighters and emergency response;
— sports (motor sports, boating, etc.);
— security forces (military, police and private).
It is essential that nothing herein restricts any jurisdiction from exceeding the minimum requirements
as provided in the relevant standards.
This document is not intended to cover the aspects related to data security and privacy. For employers
using smart garments that monitor and/or collect data, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR,
Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and national regulations can apply. It is essential that the smart protective
garments are selected, used, taken care and maintained in a way that will neither compromise the
safety and privacy of the user nor the security of the enterprise or authority using the smart garment
systems.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
CEN/TR 17512, Personal protective equipment — Smart garments — Terms and definitions
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in CEN/TR 17512 and the following
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
aging
change of one or more initial properties of the materials during the passage of time
3.2
component assembly
combination of all materials of a multi-layer garment presented exactly as the finished garment
construction
3.3
care
to keep protective clothing in good condition, including procedures for cleaning, decontamination,
storage and registration
3.4
char
formation of a brittle residue when material is exposed to thermal energy
3.5
cleaning
act of removing soils and contaminants from ensembles and ensemble elements by mechanical,
chemical, thermal, or combined processes
3.6
coat
element of the protective ensemble that provides protection to the upper torso and arms, excluding the
hands and head
3.7
compatibility
ability of clothing (protective clothing and other clothing) to be used in conjunction with other parts of
PPE
3.8
contamination/contaminated
process by which ensembles and ensemble elements are exposed to hazardous materials, body fluids, or
CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) agents
3.9
coverall
element of the protective ensemble that provides protection to the torso, arms, and legs, excluding the
head, hands, and feet
3.10
cross-contamination
transfer of contamination from one item to another or to the environment
3.11
decontamination
act of removing contaminates from protective clothing and equipment by a physical, chemical, or
combined process
Note 1 to entry: See also 3.5 cleaning.
3.12
deterioration
downgrading of the effectiveness or physical characteristics of textile materials due to use, care,
maintenance or storage conditions
3.13
disinfectant
agent that destroys, neutralizes, or inhibits the growth of harmful biological agents
3.14
ensemble
combination or assembly of multiple items that are individually compliant and provide protection to
the head, upper torso together with arms and hands, the lower torso (below waist) together with feet,
and respiratory protection, and that together fulfil all the requirements
3.15
ergonomics
scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of the interactions among human and other
elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in
order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance
3.16
field evaluation
non-laboratory assessment of an ensemble, ensemble element, or item
3.17
fit
quality, state, and manner in which clothing, when worn, relate to the individual human body or other
PPE
3.18
flame resistance
property of a (protective clothing and equipment) material whereby combustion is prevented,
terminated, or inhibited following the application of a flaming or non-flaming source of ignition, with or
without subsequent removal of the ignition source
3.19
functional
ability of an ensemble element or component of an ensemble element to continue to be utilized for its
intended purpose
3.20
garment
single item of clothing which may consist of single or multiple layers
3.21
hardware
non-fabric items used in protective clothing including those made of metal or plastic
Note 1 to entry: Examples for hardware are fasteners, rank markings, and buttons.
3.22
hazard
situation which can be the cause of harm or damage to the health of the human body
3.23
hazardous substance
substance (solid, liquid, or gas) that when released is capable of creating harm to people, the
environment, and property
3.24
hygiene
any practice or activity that keeps protective clothing healthy and clean
3.25
inherent flame resistance
flame resistance that is derived from the essential characteristics of the fibre or polymer
3.26
inner liner
inner garment designed to be attached or to be worn separately under an outer garment and filling a
special function, e.g. providing thermal insulation, moisture transport
3.27
integrity
construction of the protective clothing that guarantees the proper functioning of the protective clothing
Note 1 to entry: Seams, zippers and other closures should provide solid barriers to provide suitable protection as
well as be constructed in a manner which provides some flexibility.
3.28
levels of care and maintenance
four levels of care and maintenance are recognized, level one is inspection by the user before use, level
two is care after use, level three is regular periodical maintenance by trained personnel and level four is
professional maintenance by specialists
3.29
liner
optional component layer that provides added protection, e.g. against rain or chemicals and/or against
cold
3.30
maintenance
procedures to preserve from loss or deterioration including for inspection, repair and ultimate removal
from service
3.31
multilayer garment
garment consisting of different material layers intimately combined prior to the garment manufacturing
stage, e.g. by weaving, quilting, coating or gluing, or of individual separable layers mechanically
connected to each other, e.g. by zippers, buttons, etc.
3.32
protective clothing
clothing which covers or replaces personal clothing, and which is designed to provide protection
against one or more hazards
3.33
rapid deterioration
unexpected loss of the essential requirements listed in the PPE regulation
3.34
risk
probability of a specific undesired event occurring so that a hazard is realized
3.35
risk assessment
overall process that identifies hazards, estimates the potential severity of injury or damage to health,
estimates the likelihood of occurrence of injury or danger to health, determines the protective clothing
against heat and flame risks and other protection measures required
3.36
selection
process of determining the type of protective equipment (garments) that is necessary for the required
protection
3.37
single layer
individual layer of material being a part of a multilayer assembly or used separately
3.38
smart garment
intelligent garment
functional garment, which interacts actively with its environment, i.e. it responds or adapts to changes
in the environment
Note 1 to entry: The term “smart garment” may refer to either a “smart garment” or a “smart garment system”.
Only the context, in which the term is used, will determine which one of the two is intended.
Note 2 to entry: Intelligent garment is a smart garment with a step towards artificial intelligence (AI) features or
machine learning, however, in the context of this Technical Report they are considered as smart garments in
general.
3.39
smart garment system
garment system which exhibits an intended and exploitable response as a reaction either to changes in
its surroundings/environment or to an external signal/input
3.40
tensile strength
force at which a fibre or fabric will break when pulled in one dimension either in cross direction or in
machine direction
3.41
textile fabric
planar structure consisting of yarns or fibres
3.42
thermal barrier
component of an ensemble element or item that principally provides thermal protection
3.43
toxic industrial chemical
toxic solid, liquid or gaseous chemical from an industrial origin that has been identified as mass
casualty threats that could be used to inflict casualties, generally on a civilian population, e.g. during a
terrorist attack
3.44
trouser
element of the protective ensemble that provides protection to the lower torso and legs, excluding the
ankles and feet
3.45
universal precautions
approach to infection control in which human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if
known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other blood borne pathogens
3.46
use
application of protective clothing including its limitations
3.47
verified independent service provider verified ISP
independent service provider verified by a third-party certification organization to conduct any one or
a combination of advanced inspection, advanced cleaning, basic repair, or advanced repair service
3.48
visibility
retro-reflective and fluorescent conspicuity enhancements
Note 1 to entry: Retro-reflective enhancements improve night-time conspicuity, and fluorescent enhancements
improvement daytime conspicuity.
3.49
wristlet
interface component of the protective element or item that provides limited protection to the
coat/glove interface area
4 Total process
4.1 Introduction flow charts
The flowchart diagram below shows the complete SUCAM process (Figure 1). The process will be
described in detail in the following clauses. Functional requirements, selection, use, care and
maintenance clauses correspond to the coloured blocks in the diagram (Figure 1). Functional
requirements do support the selection process. They are based on the current practices, but also on the
requirements for the future needs. Clause 4 (red) describes the selection process of the smart garments
for heat and flame protection (SGHF). Clause 5 (green) describes the use of the SGHF. Clause 6 (yellow)
describes the care process of SGHF. Finally, Clause 7 (blue) describes maintenance of SGHF.
4.2 Flow chart diagram
Figure 1 — Flow chart diagram for selection, use, care and maintenance of smart garments for protection against heat and flame
4.3 Types of smart elements
Smart garments are the apparel products that provide one or more additional functions to the specific
heat and flame protective garment [10]:
— monitoring environmental parameters;
— monitoring of worker’s health status;
— monitoring of worker’s location;
— allowing for warning signalization;
— providing information support;
— monitoring of PPE life cycle;
— adjustment of protective properties;
— etc.
Tables 1 and 2 show the variety of smart solutions based on the stimulus ad response effects and their
combinations. Specific SUCAM procedures for each of them may be very different (see examples in
Annex H). Table 1 provides an overview of the most common stimulus-response pairs and the
corresponding effect materials or structures can exhibit that are utilized in smart garments and Table 2
defines categories of smart garment systems in order to give an idea on wide spectrum of the possible
smart functions in garments.
Table 1 — Overview of stimulus-response effects (from CEN/TR 16298:2011)
Response
Stimulus
Optical Mechanical Chemical Electrical Thermal
Optical Photochromism   Photovoltaic/
photoelectric
effect
Mechanical Piezochromic Dilatant, Thixotropic, Controlled Piezo-electricity Friction
Auxetic release
Chemical Chemiluminescence, Shape memory, Super- Controlled  Exo/endotherm
Solvatochromism, absorbing polymers, release reactions
Halochromisms Sol/hydrogel
Electrical Electrochromism, Inverse piezoelectricity, Electrolysis  Joule/coulombic
Electroluminescence, electrostriction Electro- heating
Electro-optic osmosis shape memory
Peltier effect
Thermal Thermochromism, Shape memory  Seebeck effect, Phase change
Thermo-opacity Pyroelectric
Magnetic  Shape memory
magnetrostriction
In addition to the classification categories of the smart functions in Tables 1 and 2, the treatment of
smart garments may be influenced by how these smart systems are integrated into the garment, for
example:
— embedded loosely;
— integrated;
— built-in fibres;
— built-in textiles;
— built-in garment construction;
— etc.
Table 2 — Categories of smart (intelligent) textile systems (from CEN/TR 16298:2011)
Without energy function
With energy function (E)
(NoE)
Without communication function
“NoE-NoCom” “E-NoCom”
(NoCom)
With communication function
“NoE-Com” “E-Com”
(Com)
5 Selection
5.1 General
The employer is responsible for developing and implementing a program for the selection, use, care,
and maintenance of smart garments for protection against heat and flames used by the employees.
Subject to requirements, the process of selecting protective clothing can be divided into a number of
steps described in the flowchart below (Figure 2). This document does have the goal of supporting
provision of garments for protection against heat and flame, including the smart functions, and related
risks that are suitable and appropriate for the intended use (Job/Task) and fulfil the requirements of
the European legislation.
Selection is the starting point when determining the need for protective clothing. The selection should
not be limited to their section as a decision may be broader based on use, cleaning, maintenance, etc.
One may need to consider pros and cons when selecting the garments:
— improving worker safety and productivity by enabling additional functionality in traditional PPE
through the use of smart and electronic technology;
— managing heat stress with smart cooling or insulating functions;
— getting a connected worker and having control on compliance, e.g. right PPE, working alone,
locating worker;
— solving contamination detection, including decision support for replacing or washing the garments;
— possibility to gather and analyse data to support future development and planning;
while there raise also issues related to:
— costs;
— inspection requirements;
— more complex maintenance and logistics procedures, e.g. charging the batteries, removing sensitive
components before cleaning, etc.;
— legislative requirements (ROHS and waste; ATEX for work in explosive zones);
— cleaning aspects;
— requirements for infrastructure and network;
— data protection — data security (GDPR).
Any part or component of the smart garment has to fulfil the specific requirements set to that product
or material. In addition, their heat and flame resistance has to be evaluated according to the relevant
standards. If specific standards for that purpose are not available then other methods may be adopted
for testing, e.g. see military standard MIL STD 810 G — Test Method 501.5 — High temperature [73].
The testing should be carried out with the smart system integrated with the garment so that any
protection the garment or its components provide to smart system is taken into account.
Figure 2 — Flow chart on functional requirements and selection process of smart garments for
protection against heat and flame
The correspondence of garment properties to the set functional requirements is preferably checked
with practical performance tests and in relation to comfort and ergonomics, body protection,
compatibility with other PPE, environmental and sustainability aspects, combined effects of various
hazards, legislation, etc. (Figures 1 and 2). Consideration of functional requirements will support
selection of the most relevant and compatible garments into the PPE ensemble.
Product specifications and test methods for the different smart textile materials and textile systems are
very specific, since they will depend on the intended conditions of use. Smart (intelligent) textile
materials and textile systems should meet the requirements of similar “non-intelligent” materials and
systems, plus specific requirements linked to their particular properties. Therefore, the main purpose of
the tests to be carried out should be:
— Make sure that the system is capable to fulfil its intended functions (reliability);
— Make sure that the system does not cause new risks when used within the specified/intended
working environment and conditions (harmlessness).
It is the obligation of the manufacturer to give clear instructions about use, care and maintenance of the
clothing which has to be followed up by the employee and employer. These instructions should specify
the cleaning and drying methods and means.
5.2 Risk assessment
Prior to starting the selection process of protective clothing against heat and flame risks in prescribed
scenario’s (for examples, see Annex G), the organization should perform a risk assessment. A risk
assessment is a dynamic process and is not limited to the momentary situation. The risk assessment
should include, but not be limited to, the hazards and work conditions that can be encountered by
employees facing heat and flames based on the following:
— Step 1: Identify the hazards (Annex B and E).
In identifying the hazard, it is important to both understand the heat intensity (heat flux), the only
or primary type of heat source (convective, radiant, or contact heat) but also time of exposure. Heat
over a long or short period of time may have an effect on the garment from both a heat protection
perspective but also from overall degradation or integrity of the garment.
— Step 2: Decide on who might be harmed (Risk = Likelihood × Exposure × Severity) (see Annex B)
based on role of employee:
— all employees — base line protection;
— a selection of employees based on occupation;
— one single employee.
NOTE 1 Routine versus exceptional circumstance, risk of unprotected employees, or when the worker
wears inappropriate clothing.
NOTE 2 Are there other risks that should be included in the hazard evaluation that are not related to heat
and flame?
— Step 3: Evaluate risks and decide on precautions to mitigate risks.
Check that all other control options have been exhausted (engineering, administrative, etc.) before
choosing PPE.
Consider which available smart solutions in garment mitigate or eliminate the risks, but also which
other risks may arise when using them.
— Step 4: Record findings and implement them.
— Step 5: Review risk assessment and update if necessary.
A number of risk assessment models may be used to determine the level of risk associated with the
activities. Annex B gives reference to some of the existing documents on this subject.
5.3 Defining the level of protection required for each activity from the protective
clothing
If the risks are identified following the risk assessment (Annex B), it is important that the right personal
protective equipment is selected:
— determine what parts of the body require protection;
— identify the appropriate standard or method which will provide the protection required.
Annex C determines the level(s) of protection required (for the relevant parts of the body) in relative or
absolute terms for each item of protective clothing.
— assess previously used protective clothing against heat and flame risks;
— identify compatibility with another PPE;
— identify synergies between smart garment functions and all other protective clothing, PPE and
communication systems performance.
Annex C provides guidance and examples of hazards and applicable standards.
5.4 Optimal protective clothing
Optimal protective clothing needs to be selected, because under-protection leads to the risk of injury
through burns, while over-protection will lead to a lack of comfort or various levels of (heat) stress.
Heat stress occurs when the body is no longer able to control internal temperature. In addition to
ambient air temperature, factors such as work intensity, humidity and clothing worn while working can
lead to heat stress. These factors make it more difficult for a person just passing through the workplace
to assess that there is a risk of heat stress.
An employer needs to be sensitive to these factors as people working in uncomfortable environments
(hot or cold) are more likely to behave unsafely because their loss of ability to make decisions and their
manual performance deteriorates. For example:
— employees might not wear personal protective equipment properly in hot environments increasing
the risks for burn injury;
— an employee’s ability to concentrate on a given task can start to drop off, which increases the risk of
errors occurring.
At the same time, the worker needs to be protected from the hazards. Therefore, the employer has to
balance health or comfort, and the long-term and short-term risks. What can the employer do?
— By identifying the hazards that workers might face and then engineering out or reducing the hazard
level, employers can often reduce the required flame-resistant protection level needed for
protective garments and therefore increase the comfort. Protective clothing should be the last line
of defence for employee.
— By defining the right protective clothing.
— By selecting smart garments that reduce risks and/or increase comfort and/or performance.
The optimal protective clothing depends on a number of factors:
— layer garments to balance comfort and protection needed for diffe
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