Amanda Newsom, principal engineer, Personal Protective Equipment;
Distinguished Member of Technical Staff - William Henry Merrill Society
Firefighter personal protective equipment (PPE) is built on tradition. When thinking about their PPE, words like heavy, dirty, and durable come to mind. Historically, this gear has been all of those things, but industry demands are changing. New lightweight materials are needed to reduce heat stress, cleanliness is a priority to reduce exposure from harmful chemicals in smoke and now the chemicals that have supported durability must be removed.
NFPA 1970 is the new consolidated standard that covers the historical standards NFPA 1971, NFPA 1975, NFPA 1981 and NFPA 1982. Some major changes in this standard are aimed at improving firefighter health and safety, and not just from the fireground. Two significant changes will help reduce hazardous chemical exposure to firefighters that may originate from their PPE.
Eliminating unnecessary chemicals
Restrictive substances have the spotlight when it comes to firefighter safety, and their use is no longer allowed when manufacturing major components of firefighter PPE also known as turnout gear. This includes the garment materials, gloves, footwear, hoods and helmets. The recently issued NFPA 1970 standard now has minimum requirements for the presence of these chemicals, which is the first time a North American standard for firefighter PPE has taken this leap.
There are several internationally recognized restrictive substance programs being used as the baseline for these new requirements. The list within NFPA 1970 includes hundreds of chemicals within certain classes that are known to be harmful to health. Some of these classes include restricted dyes, flame resistance treatments, phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds, per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAs) and volatile organic compounds.
To achieve certification under NFPA 1970, manufacturers must now conduct chemical testing on all major PPE components and demonstrate that substance levels fall below defined thresholds. As a result, these new requirements are driving a shift away from traditional PPE materials. At the same time, manufacturers must ensure that the redesigned gear continues to deliver the high-performance protection firefighters depend on in fire environments.
This major change may force the fire service to think about how they fight fire. Durability of the new materials is the biggest concern. As the movement to increase washing continues to press forward, coupling that with new manufacturing processes and material treatments will have the industry wondering if the new materials can withstand the new demands.
Per- and polyfluorinated compounds (PFAs)
This particular class of chemicals and their use within PPE is under much higher scrutiny. However, developing a test that will eliminate the hazard is complicated. While there is a list of restricted PFAs not allowed to be used within the gear as a mandatory requirement, there is an optional test for manufacturers to perform that will enable them to label their products with specific language indicating negligible amounts of fluorine.
This test is for the basic fluorine analyte, which may or may not exist in compounds that are known to be harmful to human health. Similar to the restricted substances testing, specific components are tested for total fluorine and as long as the parts per million for those materials is less than 100, the optional language may be added to finished products. This allows the fire service to make informed decisions about the potential for their members to be exposed to PFAs that originate solely from their PPE.
How UL Solutions has expanded to support added protection for firefighters
Protecting the fire service is a high priority at UL Solutions. With this in mind, new capabilities to test and certify self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) according to NFPA 1981 and personal alert safety systems (PASS) according to NFPA 1982 have been added to the PPE testing laboratories in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.
These new capabilities make it possible for all PPE worn by firefighters to display the UL Mark, giving the fire service greater confidence. The new laboratory and engineering capabilities offer manufacturers options when certifying their products to the newly issued NFPA 1970 standard.
Evolving health and safety concerns are driving major changes in firefighting PPE as the industry moves away from more traditional approaches. The newly consolidated NFPA 1970 standard introduces strict limits on harmful chemicals — such as PFAs and other restricted substances — across all gear components, prompting manufacturers to rethink materials and processes. These updates aim to reduce exposure to carcinogens and heat stress while maintaining protection on the ground.
We have enhanced our PPE testing capabilities to evaluate whether firefighter equipment meets the minimum safety requirements outlined in NFPA standards. By integrating advanced testing capabilities for chemical exposure and respiratory protection systems, UL Solutions enables manufacturers to demonstrate product performance and compliance, thereby increasing end-user confidence in the protective integrity of their gear.
To explore more about UL Solutions certification of PPE, please visit:
Protective Garments, Hoods and Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting
Protective Helmets for Structural Fire Fighting
Protective Gloves for Structural Fire Fighting
Protective Clothing and Ensembles for Proximity Fire Fighting
Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus and Personal Alert Safety Systems