ISO 15027-1:2012

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 15027-1
Second edition
2012-11-01
Immersion suits —
Part 1:
Constant wear suits, requirements
including safety
Combinaisons de protection thermique en cas d’immersion —
Partie 1: Combinaisons de port permanent, exigences y compris la sécurité
Reference number
ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
©
ISO 2012

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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
4 Requirements . 4
4.1 General . 4
4.2 Basic health and ergonomic requirements . 5
4.3 Gas or air inflation . 6
4.4 Buddy lines . 6
4.5 Conspicuity . 6
4.6 Foam flotation material . 8
4.7 Flammability . 8
4.8 Temperature cycling . 8
4.9 Leakage . 8
4.10 Thermal protection in water . 8
4.11 Performance requirements . 9
4.12 Requirements on materials, fabrics and components .10
5 Marking .12
6 Information supplied by the manufacturer .13
7 Consumer information at point of sale .13
7.1 Data list .13
7.2 Consumer information label .13
Annex A (informative) Guidelines for manufacturers, users, regulators and industrial inspectors about
immersion suits with respect to the application of thermal protection times relevant to the
ISO 15027 series .15
Bibliography .18
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the International
Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 15027-1 was prepared by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Technical Committee
CEN/TC 162, Protective clothing including hand and arm protection and lifejackets, in collaboration with
Technical Committee ISO/TC 188, Small craft, Subcommittee SC 1, Personal safety equipment, in accordance
with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 15027-1:2002) which has been technically
revised. The main technical changes are:
a) addition of “underclothing” under terms and definitions;
b) addition of “cold shock” under terms and definitions;
c) revision of requirements for buddy lines;
d) revision of requirements regarding conspicuity;
e) addition of Clause 6 “Information supplied by the manufacturer”;
f) revision of consumer information label;
g) reordering of subclauses;
h) revision of requirements regarding thermal protection in water.
ISO 15027 consists of the following parts, under the general title Immersion suits:
— Part 1: Constant wear suits, requirements including safety
— Part 2: Abandonment suits, requirements including safety
— Part 3: Test methods
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
Introduction
This part of ISO 15027 has been prepared to meet the needs of persons engaged in certain activities on
or near water.
The justification for using a constant wear suit would be to provide protection in the event of accidental
immersion, to prolong life and to aid rescue. An individual’s estimated thermal protection time when wearing
this type of equipment will depend upon the water temperature, weather conditions, clothing, the cold tolerance
of the person and the person’s behaviour. This part of ISO 15027 specifies the minimum levels of insulation
provided by the different ranges of suit in particular water temperatures.
This part of ISO 15027 allows for thermal protection to be provided by a variety of methods and materials,
some of which may require action when the suit enters the water (e.g. inflation of chambers by gas from a
cylinder). The compliance of a constant wear suit with this part of ISO 15027 does not imply that it is suitable
for all circumstances. This part of ISO 15027 cannot make detailed provision for all the special uses to which
a constant wear suit may be put, such as special working conditions, i.e. slip resistance or fire resistance or
special leisure applications.
This part of ISO 15027 is intended to serve as a minimum performance requirement for manufacturers,
purchasers and users of constant wear suits by ensuring that they provide an effective standard of performance
in use. Designers should encourage the wearing of this equipment by making it comfortable and functional for
continuous wear on or near water.
The primary aims in wearing a constant wear suit are:
a) to reduce the risk of cold shock and to delay the onset of hypothermia;
b) to enable the user to propel himself in the water and extricate himself from the water without it becoming
an encumbrance;
c) to make the user sufficiently conspicuous in the water so as to aid his recovery.
The performance of the suit may be altered by a number of factors, including wave action or the wearing of
additional equipment. Users, owners and employers should ensure that equipment is correctly maintained
according to manufacturer’s instructions.
A suit system may comprise one or more pieces provided that in all cases it meets the requirements of this part
of ISO 15027 as a complete system.
A constant wear suit may often be worn with a lifejacket as it will provide extra flotation and may help to bring
a person to a face-up position.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
Immersion suits —
Part 1:
Constant wear suits, requirements including safety
1 Scope
This part of ISO 15027 specifies performance and safety requirements for constant wear immersion suits for
work and leisure activities to protect the body of a user against the effects of cold water immersion, such as
cold shock and hypothermia.
It is applicable for dry and wet constant wear immersion suits.
Abandonment suits are not covered by this part of ISO 15027. Requirements for abandonment suits are given
in ISO 15027-2:2012. Test methods for immersion suits are given in ISO 15027-3:2012.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application 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.
1)
CIE 15:2004, Colorimetry
EN 340, Protective clothing — General requirements
ISO 105-A02, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part A02: Grey scale for assessing change in colour
ISO 105-B04, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part B04: Colour fastness to artificial weathering: Xenon
arc fading lamp test
ISO 105-E02, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part E02: Colour fastness to sea water
ISO 105-X12, Textiles — Tests for colour fastness — Part X12: Colour fastness to rubbing
ISO 188, Rubber, vulcanized or thermoplastic — Accelerated ageing and heat resistance tests
ISO 1421, Rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics — Determination of tensile strength and elongation at break
ISO 2411:2000, Rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics — Determination of coating adhesion
ISO 3801:1977, Textiles — Woven fabrics — Determination of mass per unit length and mass per unit area
ISO 4674-1:2003, Rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics — Determination of tear resistance — Part 1: Constant
rate of tear methods
ISO 7854:1995, Rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics — Determination of resistance to damage by flexing
ISO 9227, Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres — Salt spray tests
ISO 12401, Small craft — Deck safety harness and safety line — Safety requirements and test methods
ISO 12402-2, Personal flotation devices — Part 2: Lifejackets, performance level 275 — Safety requirements
ISO 12402-3, Personal flotation devices — Part 3: Lifejackets, performance level 150 — Safety requirements
1) Available from http://www.cie.co.at/main/publist.html.
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
ISO 12402-4, Personal flotation devices — Part 4: Lifejackets, performance level 100 — Safety requirements
ISO 12402-5, Personal flotation devices — Part 5: Buoyancy aids (level 50) — Safety requirements
ISO 12402-6, Personal flotation devices — Part 6: Special purpose lifejackets and buoyancy aids — Safety
requirements and additional test methods
ISO 12402-7:2006, Personal flotation devices — Part 7: Materials and components — Safety requirements
and test methods
ISO 12402-8, Personal flotation devices — Part 8: Accessories — Safety requirements and test methods
ISO 12402-9:2006, Personal flotation devices — Part 9: Test methods
ISO 13934-1, Textiles — Tensile properties of fabrics — Part 1: Determination of maximum force and elongation
at maximum force using the strip method
ISO 13935-2, Textiles — Seam tensile properties of fabrics and made-up textile articles — Part 2: Determination
of maximum force to seam rupture using the grab method
ISO 13937-4, Textiles — Tear properties of fabrics — Part 4: Determination of tear force of tongue-shaped test
specimens (Double tear test)
ISO 15027-3:2012, Immersion suits — Part 3: Test methods
2) 3)
Resolution A.658(16) adopted by the IMO Assembly to amend the International Convention for the Safety of
Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, Use and fitting of retro-reflective materials on life-saving appliances
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
immersion suit
suit designed to protect the user’s body from the cooling effects of unintended immersion in water
Note 1 to entry: Cooling effects include cold shock (3.21) and hypothermia (3.14).
3.2
constant wear suit
immersion suit, designed to be routinely worn for activities on or near water in anticipation of accidental
immersion in water, but permitting physical activity to such an extent that actions can be undertaken without
undue encumbrance and thus, head, hands and feet need not be covered
3.3
abandonment suit
immersion suit including head, hand and feet protection designed to permit rapid donning in the event of an
imminent immersion in water
3.4
dry suit
immersion suit designed to protect the user against the effect of cold water immersion by precluding the entry
of water upon immersion
2) Accessible at http://www.imo.org/KnowledgeCentre/HowAndWhereToFindIMOInformation/IndexofIMOResolutions/
Pages/Assembly-(A).aspx.
3) IMO is the abbreviation for International Maritime Organization, based in London, UK. IMO issues regulations
which are then published as laws by the member states.
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
3.5
wet suit
immersion suit designed to protect the user against the effect of cold water immersion by providing insulation
and limiting the entry and exit of water upon immersion
3.6
primary suit closure
closure used in the donning of the suit
3.7
secondary suit closure
additional closure which can be operated by the user to enhance the fit of the suit
3.8
inherent buoyant material
material that provides buoyancy, forming a permanent part of the suit, with a density less than that of water
3.9
exterior fabric
outer fabric of a suit, either in the form of a single or composite fabric
3.10
retro‑reflective material
material that reflects light beams back to their point of origin
3.11
sprayhood
cover brought or placed in front of the face of the user in order to reduce or eliminate the splashing of water from
waves or the like onto the airways, and thereby promoting the survival of the user in rough water conditions
3.12
buddy line
length of cord which can be tied or otherwise fixed to another person, or to that person’s personal flotation
device or other objects, so as to keep a user in the vicinity of that person or object with a view to making
location and thus rescue easier
3.13
clo value
unit to express the relative thermal insulation values of various clothing assemblies
2 –1
Note 1 to entry: One clo is equal to 0,155 Km W .
3.14
hypothermia
condition where body core temperature is below 35 °C
3.15
working environment
environment in which the user of a suit system would engage in normal work
3.16
helicopter transit suit
constant wear suit worn by helicopter occupants
3.17
offshore installation
structure or vessel that is permanently or temporarily sited at sea or away from the shore in a fresh water lake
or river and which is not covered by other international regulations
3.18
suit system
combination of a suit and any other products which are used in conjunction with it
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
3.19
underclothing
clothes worn under the suit system
Note 1 to entry: The underclothing to be worn with the suit system shall be specified by the manufacturer. If not specified
by the manufacturer, it shall be according to ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.8.1.3.
3.20
heat strain
increase of body temperature induced by sustained heat stress which cannot be fully compensated by
temperature regulation, or activation of thermoeffective activities in response to heat stress which cause
sustained changes in the state of other, nonthermal, regulatory systems
3.21
cold shock
short transitory phase lasting about 2 to 3 min upon sudden immersion in cold water and characterized by an
uncontrollable hyperventilation accompanied by other cardio-respiratory distress
4 Requirements
4.1 General
4.1.1 The suit system (dry or wet suit) declared to be a constant wear suit shall meet all requirements of this
part of ISO 15027. The suit shall not be damaged or fail in its determined function when tested in accordance
with ISO 15027-3:2012, Clause 3. The test sequence shall start with the temperature cycling in accordance with
ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.9, followed by the rotating shock bin test in accordance with ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.6.
4.1.2 A suit system declared to be a helicopter transit suit shall meet all requirements of this part of ISO 15027.
4.1.3 The manufacturer shall specify the components of the suit system including underclothing and additional
items. The constant wear suit may incorporate additional items compliant with ISO 12402-8, none of which shall
impair its performance with respect to the requirements of this part of ISO 15027, either by their presence or
their use. If a safety harness forms an integral part of the suit designed to comply with this part of ISO 15027,
then the complete assembly shall comply both with ISO 12401 and with this part of ISO 15027.
4.1.4 The risk of heat stress and discomfort shall be taken into account in the design and use of the suit
system. This should be accompanied in the information supplied by the manufacturer by specific advice or
warnings according to Clause 6.
NOTE In general, the higher the protection against cold shock and hypothermia, the higher the possibility of heat
strain is. The user of a constant wear suit needs to balance those two effects when choosing a device.
4.1.5 The rotating shock bin test according to ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.6 shall be performed on each sample.
There shall be no visible migration of insulation material and no visible wear-and-tear damage after the rotating
shock bin test.
4.1.6 Unless the suit system has been designed to be used without a PFD, the suit system shall not prevent
the donning of a personal flotation device (PFD) in accordance with ISO 12402-2 or ISO 12402-3 and the
manufacturer of the suit system shall specify the type of PFD (inflatable and/or inherent) to be used.
4.1.7 The performance requirements shall be met after cleaning in accordance with ISO 15027-3:2012,
3.7.1.1. The cleaning shall be performed according to the specification of the manufacturer.
4.1.8 The suit system shall be designed in such a way as to minimize the risk of snagging. Test in accordance
with ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.10.
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
4.1.9 The suit system shall not contain or be accompanied by any component likely to injure or impede the
user within the context of normal use. Test in accordance with ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.10.
4.1.10 A dry suit requires a tight fit around neck or face, wrists and ankles. This is tested in the leakage test (see 4.9).
4.2 Basic health and ergonomic requirements
4.2.1 Innocuousness
The suit system shall not adversely affect the health or hygiene of the user. The materials shall not, in the
foreseeable conditions of normal use, release substances generally known to be toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic,
allergenic, toxic to reproduction or otherwise harmful.
NOTE 1 More information can be found in ISO 13688.
NOTE 2 Materials should be selected to minimize the environmental impact of the production and disposal of protective
clothing (see ISO 13688:—, Annex F).
The examination, in combination with the following requirements in 4.2, shall determine whether the claim
that the materials are suitable for use in the protective clothing or protective equipment is justified. Particular
attention has to be paid to the presence of plasticizers, unreacted components, heavy metals, impurities and
the chemical identity of pigments and dyes.
4.2.2 Design
4.2.2.1 The design of the suit system shall facilitate its correct positioning on the user and shall ensure
that it remains in place for the foreseeable period of use, taking into account ambient factors, together with
the movements and postures that the wearer could adopt during the course of work or other activity. For this
purpose, appropriate means, such as adequate adjustment systems or adequate size ranges shall be provided
so as to enable protective clothing to be adapted to the morphology of the user.
4.2.2.2 The design shall ensure that no parts of the body get uncovered by expected movements by the
user (e.g. a jacket should not rise above the waist when the arms are raised). When testing according to
ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.10 it shall be proven that the suit system can be put on and taken off easily; that arm and
knee and bending movements are possible; that unprotected body areas do not appear during movements; that
there is an adequate overlap of jacket and trousers; that the manufacturer’s information is adequate to explain
the correct usage.
4.2.2.3 The design of the suit system shall take into account other additional items to be worn with it. The
appropriate level of protection shall be provided at interface areas, for example sleeve to hand protection,
trouser to footwear, hood and respirator combinations; there may be other combinations.
4.2.3 Comfort
4.2.3.1 The suit system shall provide users with a level of comfort consistent with the level of protection against
hazards for which it is provided, the ambient conditions, the level of the user’s activity, and the anticipated
duration of use of the protective clothing.
The suit system shall not
— have rough, sharp or hard surfaces that irritate or injure the user;
— be so tight, loose and/or heavy that it restricts normal movement.
4.2.3.2 If applicable, the suit system shall be made of materials with low water-vapour resistance and/or high
air permeability and/or shall be sufficiently ventilated to minimize discomfort and thermal stress.
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
4.2.3.3 The suit system that imposes significant ergonomic burdens such as heat stress, or is inherently
uncomfortable because of the need to provide adequate protection, should be accompanied by specific advice
or warnings in the information supplied by the manufacturer. Specific advice on the appropriate duration for
continuous use of the clothing in the intended application(s) should be given.
4.3 Gas or air inflation
If any part of the suit relies upon air or gas inflation in order to achieve the performance levels set out within
this part of ISO 15027 then each part of the assembly — namely: oral inflation tubes, inflation operating head
and the gas cylinder — shall meet the relevant requirements of ISO 12402-7.
The inflatable buoyancy chamber material shall meet the relevant requirement of ISO 12402-7:2006, 4.9.
4.4 Buddy lines
A buddy line, if provided, shall be made from synthetic cord or webbing and shall be at least 1 500 mm in length.
The line shall have attached securely to the free end a releasable means for attachment to another person or
object, such as a loop, a snap hook, or a wooden or plastic toggle. The buddy line, if provided, shall be readily
accessible to at least one of the user’s hands as confirmed during device testing. The attachment means and line
shall be stowed in such a way that they do not create a hazard or affect the normal operation of the immersion
suit. If hardware is provided as an attachment means, it shall not have sharp edges. The assembly shall float in
fresh water. Hardware on the buddy line shall either not be broken, or if broken, not expose sharp edges after
pull testing. Weathering testing is not required when the buddy line is normally stowed inside a pocket.
If provided, a buddy line of the length provided by the manufacturer shall be tested as indicated for an immersion
+1
suit in accordance with ISO 12402-9:2006, 5.5.1.5 and withstand a (750 ± 50) N load for at least 3 min
0
without any damage. The force required to separate the buddy line from the suit shall be greater than 750 N
and less than 1 500 N. The separation of the buddy line from the immersion suit shall not adversely affect the
integrity of the immersion suit. This shall be verified by visual inspection.
The buddy line, if provided, shall be in accordance with ISO 12402-8:2006, 5.4.
4.5 Conspicuity
4.5.1 Colour
4.5.1.1 Where colour is required for search and rescue,
— the colour of the exposed portions (excluding components such as webbing, zips and other fittings) of the
suit when deployed in the face-up floating position shall be in the colour range from yellow to red,
— the chromaticity coordinates for non-fluorescent colours shall lie within one of the areas defined in Table 1, and
— the luminance factor shall exceed the corresponding value in Table 1.
The chromaticity coordinates and the luminance factor for fluorescent colours shall comply with Table 2.
The face-up floating position is defined during in-water test according to ISO 15027-3:2012, 3.10.6.
Where colour does not aid search and rescue, other means of detection shall be provided.
4.5.1.2 The colour of the material samples shall be measured with the procedures defined in CIE 15:2004 with
polychromatic illumination D65 and 45/0 geometry and 2° standard observer. The specimen shall have a black
underlay with reflectance of less than 0,04. The specimens shall be conditioned for at least 24 h at (20 ± 2) °C
and (65 ± 5) % relative humidity. If the test is carried out in other conditions, the test shall be conducted within
5 min after withdrawal from the conditioning atmosphere.
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ISO 15027-1:2012(E)
4.5.1.3 The colour fastness (dry and wet) of immersion suit material when determined in accordance with
ISO 105-A02 shall be resistant to rubbing (wet and dry), when tested in accordance with ISO 105-X12 to at least
step 4, and to salt water when tested in accordance with ISO 105-E02 to at least step 4.
Table 1 — Chromaticity coordinates x and y and luminance factor β for yellow, orange and red
non‑fluorescent colours of suit material
Chromaticity coordinates Luminance factor
Colour
x y
β
0,389 0,610
0,320 0,490
Yellow > 0,35
0,405 0,400
0,500 0,500
0,500 0,500
0,405 0,400
Orange > 0,25
0,470 0,330
0,600 0,400
0,610 0,400
0,470 0,330
Red > 0,15
0,525 0,270
0,700 0,300
Table 2 — Chromaticity coordinates x and y and luminance factor β for yellow, yellow-orange,
orange, orange‑red and red fluorescent colours of suit material
Chromaticity coordinates Luminance factor
Colour
x y
β
0,380 0,610
0,320 0,490
Fluorescent yellow > 0,60
0,370 0,440
0,440 0,550
0,440 0,550
Fluorescent yellow- 0,370 0,440
> 0,50
orange 0,420 0,390
0,505 0,490
0,505 0,490
0,420 0,390
Fluorescent orange > 0,40
0,460 0,350
0,575 0,425
0,575 0,425
Fluorescent orange- 0,460 0,350
> 0,30
red 0,488 0,320
0,630 0,360
0,630 0,360
0,488 0,320
Fluorescent red > 0,20
0,525 0,280
0,695 0,300
4.5.2 Retro‑reflective material
A passive light system of retro-reflective material shall be provided. This shall conform to the specification
detailed in IMO Resolution A.658(16), Annex 2.
...