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NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting

2020 NFPA 1851 Standard - Current Edition
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  • Description

    Mitigate risks and increase firefighter safety with the latest requirements in NFPA 1851.

    Firefighter injuries have been on the decline over the past few decades. However, therare still tens of thousands of injuries reported in the US every year.

    NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, provides personnel with comprehensive criteria for protective ensembles to reduce health and safety risks associated with improper maintenance, contamination, or damage.

    The standard includes both structural and proximity ensembles, ensemble elements, clothing, and equipment. Content covers everything from coats, helmets, and hoods to trousers, gloves, and footwear elements. NFPA 1851 also provides vital information on:

    • How long you can use ensemble elements
    • How often to perform inspections
    • The entities authorized for inspections, cleaning, decontamination, and repair
    • Conditions warranting the services of a verified independent service provider (ISP)

    The 2020 edition provides the most current provisions for selecting, caring for, and maintaining firefighter protective ensembles.

    Promote firefighter safety by making sure protective ensembles are compliant to NFPA 1851. This standard has seen major revisions and additions to account for advancements in the industry.

    Notable changes include:

    • Amendments to cleaning requirements in Chapter 4 and Chapter 7 as well as additional edits to supporting definitions
    • Rewritten table of responsibilities for garment element inspection, cleaning, and repair in Chapter 4 to reflect six different groups that could potentially have one of those responsibilities, along with accompanying clarifications concerning how that responsibility is accomplished
    • Rewritten primary headings in Chapter 7 accounting for new technologies and information gleaned from research and testing
    • Addition of two new decision trees for handling, disposition, and cleaning of ensembles and ensemble elements to assist in determining the appropriate cleaning procedure(s)
    • Inclusion of a definition and associated annex material for the term preliminary exposure reduction to replace on-scene preliminary cleaning
    • Strengthened annex materials relating to Chapter 10 retirement requirements expanding on existing language and explaining how the work performed led to the development of retirement criteria in the standard
    • New content concerning carcinogens and performance testing

    Make sure firefighters have the protection and confidence to do their job safely and effectively by following provisions outlined in NFPA 1851.

    Give your department the resources it needs to mitigate risks and increase safety in an inherently dangerous occupation. Order your copy of NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, 2020 edition.

    Are you interested in other editions of NFPA 1851? Use the drop-down menu above to select the edition year you need.

  • Table of Contents (2020 Current Edition)

    NFPA® 1851 Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, 2020 Edition

    Chapter 1 Administration
    1.1 Scope.
    1.2 Purpose.
    1.3 Application.
    1.4 Units.
    Chapter 2 Referenced Publications
    2.1 General.
    2.2 NFPA Publications.
    2.3 Other Publications.
    2.4 References for Extracts in Mandatory Sections. (Reserved)
    Chapter 3 Definitions
    3.1 General.
    3.2 NFPA Official Definitions.
    3.3 General Definitions.
    Chapter 4 Program
    4.1 General.
    4.2 Program Organization for Structural Fire Fighting Ensembles and Ensemble Elements and Proximity Fire Fighting Ensembles and Ensemble Elements.
    4.3 Records.
    4.4 Manufacturer's Instructions.
    4.5 Protecting the Public and Personnel from Exposure to Contaminated PPE.
    4.6 Reporting Personal Protective Equipment Health and Safety Concerns.
    Chapter 5 Selection
    5.1 Selection and Purchase.
    Chapter 6 Inspection
    6.1 General.
    6.2 Routine Inspection.
    6.3 Advanced Inspection.
    6.4 Complete Liner Inspection.
    Chapter 7 Cleaning and Decontamination
    7.1 General.
    7.2 Preliminary Exposure Reduction.
    7.3 Advanced Cleaning.
    7.4 Disinfection or Sanitization and Biological Decontamination.
    7.5 Specialized Cleaning.
    Chapter 8 Repair
    8.1 Requirements for All Ensembles and Ensemble Elements.
    8.2 Requirements for Both Basic and Advanced Garment Element Repair.
    8.3 Additional Requirements for Basic Garment Element Repair.
    8.4 Additional Requirements for Advanced Garment Element Repair.
    8.5 Helmet Element Repair.
    8.6 Glove Element Repair.
    8.7 Footwear Element Repair.
    8.8 Structural Fire Fighting Hood and Proximity Fire Fighting Helmet Overcover and Proximity Fire Fighting Shroud Repair.
    8.9 Additional Requirements for Structural Fire Fighting Ensembles and Proximity Fire Fighting Ensembles with Optional Liquid and Particulate Contaminant Protection.
    Chapter 9 Storage
    9.1 All Ensembles and Ensemble Elements
    Chapter 10 Retirement, Disposition, and Special Incident Procedure
    10.1 Retirement.
    10.2 Disposition of Retired Elements.
    10.3 Special Incident Procedure.
    Chapter 11 Verification
    11.1 General.
    11.2 Verification Program.
    11.3 Inspection and Testing.
    11.4 Organization or ISP Quality Management Program.
    Chapter 12 Test Procedures
    12.1 Light Evaluation of Hood Particulate-Blocking Layers.
    12.2 Smoke Evaluation of Hood Particulate-Blocking Layers.
    12.3 Water Penetration Barrier Evaluation.
    12.4 Chemical Decontamination Efficacy Test.
    12.5 Biological Decontamination Efficacy Test.
    12.6 Semi-Volatile Organic Compound Contained Specimen Preparation, Extraction, and Analysis.
    12.7 Heavy Metal Contaminated Specimen Preparation, Extraction, and Analysis.
    12.8 Bacterial Contaminated Specimen Preparation, Extraction, and Analysis.
    12.9 Preparation and Handling of Contaminated Specimens and Surrogate Clothing.
    Annex A Explanatory Material
    Annex B Informational References
    Index
  • Prior Editions

    2014 Edition

    Promote fire fighter safety. Update to the 2014 NFPA 1851 and make sure protective ensembles are ready to save lives on the fire ground.

    NFPA 1851, Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting safeguards lives on the line by providing essential guidance needed to select appropriate protective ensembles and care for and maintain them correctly.

    From coats, helmets, shrouds and hoods to trousers, gloves, and footwear elements, you'll learn the answers to important questions such as:

    • How long can ensemble elements be used?
    • How often do they have to be inspected?
    • What entities are authorized to do inspection, cleaning, decontamination, and repair?
    • When do I need the services of a verified ISP?

    Changes to the 2014 edition clarify the functions of entities performing fire fighter ensemble element inspection, cleaning, and repair, including:

    • Definition of a verified independent service provider specifies verified ISP functions and the levels required for training.
    • New table in Chapter 4 on the responsibilities of these organizations spells out which entities can perform these functions.

    Mitigate risks and increase safety in an inherently dangerous occupation.

    Protect department members on the job. Order your copy of the 2014 NFPA 1851 now! (Print, 55 pp., 2014)

     

    Interested in other editions of the NFPA 1851? Use the drop down menu above to select the edition year you need.

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    Ever wonder what the difference is between an NFPA® handbook and a code or standard? We’re glad you asked.

    NFPA codes and standards both provide requirements for achieving outcomes. Handbooks take a deeper dive, providing the full text of a code or standard as well as expert commentary and features such as graphics, decision trees, testing procedures, case studies, sample forms and checklists, and other helpful aids to give a better understanding of the reasoning behind the requirements and how to apply them.

    JUST REMEMBER:

    • A code or standard is a framework—a set of rules to follow with a goal to achieve a certain result
    • A handbook is a connector—linking requirements to application by helping you understand the reasoning behind a code or standard

    The simplest way to think about it is that codes and standards list the technical requirements while handbooks explain those requirements to clarify how to apply them.

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