ISO 11999-3:2015

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 11999-3
First edition
2015-06-01
PPE for firefighters — Test methods
and requirements for PPE used by
firefighters who are at risk of exposure
to high levels of heat and/or flame while
fighting fires occurring in structures —
Part 3:
Clothing
Équipement de protection personnelle pour pompiers — Méthodes
d’essai et exigences pour les équipements de protection personnelle
utilisés par les pompiers qui sont à risque d’une exposition à des
niveaux élevés de chaleur et/ou de flamme quand la lutte contre les
incendies survient dans les structures —
Partie 3: Vêtements
Reference number
ISO 11999-3:2015(E)
©
ISO 2015

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ISO 11999-3:2015(E)

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ISO 11999-3:2015(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 3
4 Clothing requirements . 3
4.1 General . 3
4.2 Clothing configuration . 3
4.3 Multi-layer clothing assemblies . 3
4.4 Component assembly . 3
4.5 Attachment of interlining and innermost layers. 3
4.6 Extension of interlining and innermost layers . 4
4.7 Garment closure systems . 4
4.8 Hardware . 4
4.9 External pocket requirements . 4
4.10 Garment sizing . 4
4.11 Neck protection . 4
4.12 Wrist protection . 4
4.13 High-visibility materials . 5
4.13.1 General. 5
4.13.2 Option 1 — Placement based on minimum area of coverage . 5
4.13.3 Option 2 — Placement based on standard pattern . 5
4.14 Sampling . 7
4.14.1 Samples . 7
4.14.2 Sampling levels . 7
4.14.3 Exposure surface . 7
4.15 Pre-treatment . 7
4.15.1 General. 7
4.15.2 Pre-treatment by laundering or dry cleaning . 7
4.16 Clothing — Performance requirements . 8
4.17 Flame and thermal resistance performance.10
4.17.1 General.10
4.17.2 Flame resistance (surface ignition) for performance level A1 .11
4.17.3 Flame resistance (bottom-edge ignition) for performance level A2 .11
4.17.4 Heat resistance .11
4.17.5 Heat transfer (flame exposure) .12
4.17.6 Heat transfer (radiant exposure) .12
4.17.7 Heat transfer (combined flame and radiant exposure) .12
4.17.8 Residual strength of material following radiant heat exposure .13
4.17.9 Conductive compressive heat resistance .13
4.17.10 Thread heat resistance .14
4.18 Strength and physical hazard resistance performance .14
4.18.1 Tensile strength .14
4.18.2 Tear strength .14
4.18.3 Seam strength (woven materials) .14
4.18.4 Seam strength (knit or stretch woven materials) .14
4.19 Water and liquid resistance performance .14
4.19.1 General.14
4.19.2 Surface wetting . .15
4.19.3 Water absorption resistance .15
4.19.4 Water penetration resistance .15
4.19.5 Liquid penetration resistance (runoff method) for performance level c .
1 16
4.19.6 Liquid penetration pressure resistance (hydrostatic method) for
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ISO 11999-3:2015(E)

performance level c . .
2 16
4.19.7 Viral penetration resistance for performance level c .
2 16
4.19.8 Overall garment liquid penetration resistance for performance level c .
2 17
4.19.9 Light degradation resistance for performance level c .
2 17
4.20 Thermal comfort performance .17
4.20.1 General.17
4.20.2 Water vapour resistance .17
4.20.3 Total heat loss .18
4.21 Additional requirements .18
4.21.1 Cleaning shrinkage resistance.18
4.21.2 Hardware corrosion resistance .18
4.21.3 Photometric requirements of high-visibility retroreflective/combined
performance materials used on garments .18
4.21.4 Colour requirements of high-visibility fluorescent/combined
performance materials used on garments .19
4.21.5 Heat resistance of high-visibility materials used on garments.20
4.21.6 Flame spread of high-visibility materials used on garments .20
4.21.7 Protective wristlets .20
4.21.8 Optional clothing test using an instrumented manikin .20
4.21.9 Optional drag rescue device (DRD) .20
5 Compatibility .21
6 Marking .21
7 Manufacturer’s information .21
Annex A (informative) Comparison of performance requirements for clothing .22
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ISO 11999-3:2015(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.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
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. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical Barriers
to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 94, Personal safety — Protective clothing and
equipment, Subcommittee SC 14, Firefighters’ personal equipment.
ISO 11999 consists of the following parts, under the general title PPE for firefighters — Test methods and
requirements for PPE used by firefighters who are at risk of exposure to high levels of heat and/or to flame
while fighting fires occurring in structures:
— Part 1: General
— Part 2: Compatibility
— Part 3: Clothing
— Part 4: Gloves
The following parts are under preparation:
— Part 5: Helmets
— Part 6: Footwear
— Part 7: Face and eye protection
— Part 8: Hearing
— Part 9: Firehoods
— Part 10: Respiratory protection
NOTE The number of this draft has been changed from ISO/DIS 11613-3 to ISO 11999-3. The committee
agreed a new number for this project was appropriate given the scope publication of the ISO 11999 series was to
cover ensemble standards. It was further agreed that ISO 11613:1999 would remain current.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 11999-3:2015(E)
PPE for firefighters — Test methods and requirements
for PPE used by firefighters who are at risk of exposure
to high levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires
occurring in structures —
Part 3:
Clothing
1 Scope
This part of ISO 11999 specifies the minimum design and performance requirements for clothing as part
of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be used by firefighters, primarily but not solely to protect
against exposure to flame and high thermal loads.
To assist with choice based on user risk assessment, a number of levels of protection are included.
The scope of this part of ISO 11999 does not include clothing for use in high-risk fire exposures where
for example, reflective protective clothing according to ISO 15538 could be more appropriate, or for use
in long-term firefighting operations in high ambient temperature, for example bush, wildland, or forest
firefighting where clothing according to ISO 16073 or ISO 15384 could be more appropriate.
Similarly, this part of ISO 11999 does not include clothing to protect against chemical and biological
hazards, other than against short-term and accidental exposure while engaged in firefighting and
associated activities when fighting fires occurring in structures.
This part of ISO 11999 describes types, design, and performance of clothing, the specific requirements
for clothing, marking, and manufacturer’s instructions.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and are
indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated
references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 811:1981, Textile fabrics — Determination of resistance to water penetration — Hydrostatic pressure test
ISO 3146:2000, Plastics — Determination of melting behaviour (melting temperature or melting range) of
semi-crystalline polymers by capillary tube and polarizing-microscope methods
ISO 3175-1, Textiles — Professional care, drycleaning and wetcleaning of fabrics and garments — Part 1:
Assessment of performance after cleaning and finishing
ISO 4674-1, Rubber- or plastics-coated fabrics — Determination of tear resistance — Part 1: Constant rate
of tear methods
ISO 4920:2012, Textile fabrics — Determination of resistance to surface wetting (spray test)
ISO 5077:2007, Textiles — Determination of dimensional change in washing and drying
ISO 6330:2012, Textiles — Domestic washing and drying procedures for textile testing
ISO 6530:2005, Protective clothing — Protection against liquid chemicals — Test method for resistance of
materials to penetration by liquids
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ISO 11999-3:2015(E)

ISO 6942:2002, Protective clothing — Protection against heat and fire — Method of test: Evaluation of
materials and material assemblies when exposed to a source of radiant heat
ISO 9151:1995, Protective clothing against heat and flame — Determination of heat transmission on
exposure to flame
ISO 9227:2012, Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres — Salt spray tests
ISO 11092:1993, Textiles — Physiological effects — Measurement of thermal and water-vapour resistance
under steady-state conditions (sweating guarded-hotplate test)
ISO 11999-1, PPE for firefighters — Test methods and requirements for PPE used by firefighters who are at risk
of exposure to high levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires occurring in structures — Part 1: General
ISO 11999-2, PPE for firefighters — Test methods and requirements for PPE used by firefighters who are
at risk of exposure to high levels of heat and/or flame while fighting fires occurring in structures — Part 2:
Compatibility
ISO 12127-1, Clothing for protection against heat and flame — Determination of contact heat transmission
through protective clothing or constituent materials — Part 1: Contact heat produced by heating cylinder
ISO 13688:2013, Protective clothing — General requirements
ISO 13934-1:2013, 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 13937-2, Textiles — Tear properties of fabrics — Part 2: Determination of tear force of trouser-shaped
test specimens (Single tear method)
ISO 13994:2005, Clothing for protection against liquid chemicals — Determination of the resistance of
protective clothing materials to penetration by liquids under pressure
ISO 15025:2000, Protective clothing — Protection against heat and flame — Method of test for limited
flame spread
ISO 15384:2003, Protective clothing for firefighters — Laboratory test methods and performance
requirements for wildland firefighting clothing
ISO 15538:2001, Protective clothing for firefighters — Laboratory test methods and performance
requirements for protective clothing with a reflective outer surface
ISO 16073:2011, Wildland firefighting personal protective equipment — Requirements and test methods
ISO 16604:2004, Clothing for protection against contact with blood and body fluids — Determination of
resistance of protective clothing materials to penetration by blood-borne pathogens — Test method using
Phi-X 174 bacteriophage
ISO 17491-4:2008, Protective clothing — Test methods for clothing providing protection against chemicals —
Part 4: Determination of resistance to penetration by a spray of liquid (spray test)
ISO 17492:2003, Clothing for protection against heat and flame — Determination of heat transmission on
exposure to both flame and radiant heat
ISO 17493:2000, Clothing and equipment for protection against heat — Test method for convective heat
resistance using a hot air circulating oven
ISO 20471:2013, High visibility clothing — Test methods and requirements
ASTM F1868-12, Standard test method for thermal and evaporative resistance of clothing materials using
a sweating hot plate
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ISO 11999-3:2015(E)

CIE 054.2:2001, Retroreflection: definition and measurement
NFPA 1971:2007, Standard on protective ensembles for structural firefighting and proximity firefighting
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 11999-1 apply.
4 Clothing requirements
4.1 General
Design requirements for clothing are given in 4.1 to 4.13. Sampling and pre-treatment are given in 4.14
and 4.15. Performance requirements are as required in 4.16 to 4.20. Additional requirements are given
in 4.21. A comparison of performance requirements for clothing is provided in Annex A.
4.2 Clothing configuration
Firefighters’ protective clothing shall provide protection for the firefighter’s upper and lower torso,
neck, arms, and legs, but excluding the head, hands, and feet. It shall consist of an outer garment which
can be, for example
— a one-piece protective cover all designed to cover the upper and lower torso including the neck,
arms, and legs,
— a protective coat and a pair of protective trousers with an overlap of sufficient length to provide
protection to the wearer (see ISO 11999-2), or
— a series of outer and undergarments designed to be worn together.
4.3 Multi-layer clothing assemblies
Where multi-layer clothing assemblies are used to achieve the specified performance levels, the layers
shall be either permanently attached or the various layers shall be clearly labelled:
“IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THE CLAIMED LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE FOR THE CLOTHING ASSEMBLY, ALL
LAYERS BEARING THIS LABEL SHALL ALWAYS BE WORN TOGETHER.”
4.4 Component assembly
Protective garments shall consist of a component assembly that provides the necessary number and
type of layers for achieving the performance specified in this part of ISO 11999.
Any component assembly reinforcement or padding used in high-wear or load-bearing areas, such as
pockets, cuffs, knees, elbows, and shoulders shall meet the requirements of at least flame resistance and
heat resistance contained in 4.17 equivalent to the level achieved by the garment. Padding can include
additional thermal barrier material, meeting the requirements as specified in this part of ISO 11999.
4.5 Attachment of interlining and innermost layers
Component assemblies shall have a means of securing the interlining and innermost lining where
present to the outer material.
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ISO 11999-3:2015(E)

4.6 Extension of interlining and innermost layers
In performance level A2 coats, the interlining and innermost layers shall extend, as a minimum, to the
neckline seams, to within 75 mm of the bottom outer material hems, and to within 25 mm of the sleeve end
of the outer material. The interlining and innermost layers shall be configured to overlap at all closures.
In performance level A1 coats, the interlining and innermost layers shall extend, as a minimum, to the
neckline seams, to the bottom of the outer materials hems, and to within 25 mm of the sleeve end of the
outer material.
The interlining and innermost layers shall be configured to overlap at all closures.
In all trousers, the interlining and innermost layers shall extend, as a minimum, to the waistline seam,
and to within 75 mm of the bottom outer material hems of the legs.
The ends of the interlining and innermost layers shall be attached at or adjacent to the coat sleeves or
the trouser legs. The distance between the attachment points of any mechanism used to attach the liner
shall not be greater than 25 mm, and the mechanism shall not be expandable.
4.7 Garment closure systems
Closures that breach the protective integrity of the garment shall be constructed in a manner that
provides secure and complete moisture and thermal protection to the requirements of this part of
ISO 11999. If non-positive fasteners, such as snaps or hook and pile tape, are utilized in these closures,
except where used in the collar and pocket closure system (4.11), a positive locking fastener, such as
hooks and eyes or zippers, shall also be utilized.
NOTE A positive locking fastener cannot be opened by inadvertently pulling on it.
4.8 Hardware
Hardware penetrating the outer material shall not be exposed on the innermost surface of the
component assembly.
4.9 External pocket requirements
External pockets, where provided, shall have a means of drainage of water, of fastening them in the
closed position, and of preventing entry of burning debris, excluding radio pockets.
4.10 Garment sizing
Garment sizes shall fit to the measures indicated in ISO 13688.
4.11 Neck protection
Protective clothing shall have a collar no less than 75 mm in height at any point, with a closure system.
Collar and closure system shall meet at least the flame and thermal requirements specified in 4.17,
equivalent to the level achieved by the garment.
4.12 Wrist protection
Each protective garment sleeve shall have a protective wristlet or other means of protection at the wrist
which is so designed with the intention of preventing the ingress of both water and burning debris.
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ISO 11999-3:2015(E)

4.13 High-visibility materials
4.13.1 General
Firefighter’s clothing shall have high-visibility materials fitted which shall meet the following
requirements in either 4.13.2 or 4.13.3.
4.13.2 Option 1 — Placement based on minimum area of coverage
The minimum area requirements for high-visibility materials shall be as specified in 4.13.2.1 for retroreflective
materials and as specified in 4.13.2.2 for fluorescent or combined retroreflective/fluorescent materials.
4.13.2.1 Retroreflective material
Retroreflective material shall be attached to the outermost surface of the protective clothing with a
2
minimum area of not less than 0,13 m . All-around visibility shall be ensured by having at least one band
encircling each of the arms, legs, and torso regions of the garments.
4.13.2.2 Fluorescent material or combined retroreflective/fluorescent material
When fluorescent or combined retroreflective and fluorescent material is applied, the minimum area
2
of fluorescent material shall not be less than 0,2 m . All-around visibility shall be ensured by having at
least one band
...