PPE Update with Jeffrey O. and Grace G. Stull Sponsored by Globe

Determining when PPE needs to be retired

By Jeffrey O. and Grace G. Stull

Probably one of the most difficult tasks when it comes to judging PPE is to determine when clothing should be retired. Sure, there are many cases when the decision is quite clear that clothing must be disposed of — garments that have been charred and embrittled through extreme heat exposures, garments grossly contaminated with tar, paint, or other substances, or garments exhibiting extensive physical damage.

There is also the new rule that has become part of NFPA 1851 for the selection and care of turnout gear mandating that any clothing older than 10 years from the date of manufacture be retired. Yet, what most departments struggle with are the more subtle circumstances where the evidence may not be so compelling. Thus, it would seem logical that if there was a tool that could make this determination easier, it should be embraced rather than discarded. Such is the case for a design feature called the liner access opening. A proposal has been made for the revision of NFPA 1971 that liner access openings should become mandatory for structural firefighting garments.

A liner access opening is a simple feature for being able to invert a garment liner and allow the inspection of interior layers. This feature is usually a designed opening in the garment where either a part of a seam can be opened or a slit has been installed in an accessible portion of the liner.

The port has to be wide enough for permitting an individual to reach in and pull the entire liner out through the opening, causing it to be turned inside out. In some cases, the port has a flap or it might have a closure consisting of snaps or hook and loop closure. The purpose of the flap or closure is to keep unintended objects out and prevent any accidental inversion of the liner. Most manufacturers put the liner access opening at bottom hem on coats and at the waist area of pants; however, there are other areas where it works equally well.

Examine interior
The purpose of a liner access opening is to be able to examine the interior of garment liners. Garment liners consist of the moisture barrier and the thermal barrier sewn together to form a two layer composite that is then attached to the outer shell through snaps, zippers, hook and loop tape, tabs, or a combination of these attachment means.

The liner does not have the features of the outer shell like heavy pockets, trim, and hardware, but can have simple pockets and often includes internal reinforcement layers at shoulders, elbows, and knees. The primary reason to want to inspect the liner interior is mainly because it is important to visually observe those parts of the moisture barrier and thermal barrier that are more susceptible to damage.

In the case of the moisture barrier, the film side for nearly all older moisture barriers is oriented towards the inside of the liner. It is on this side that the most moisture barrier seams are taped. Defects or damage to the film or loose tape that results in loss of garment liquid resistance cannot be readily seen by looking at the exterior of the liner.

Several years ago this was an issue when one particular moisture barrier film prematurely degraded by flaking and disintegrating into dust. It was only by carefully manipulating the liner that this problem could be detected. Similarly, the batting or nonwoven side of the thermal barrier is also oriented toward the liner interior.

This part of the thermal barrier is the lighter, loftier part. It has to be stabilized by being quilted to a more sturdy woven fabric. Some types of battings and nonwoven layers can migrate, resulting in loss of thermal insulation in that area.

Liner access openings have taken on new importance because of the requirement for a complete liner inspection that was established in the 2008 edition of NFPA 1851. Fire departments are required to conduct complete liner inspections annually starting three years after the date of the garment manufacture.

The complete liner inspection involves looking inside the liner to examine the interior conditions of the moisture barrier film side and batting/nonwoven side of the thermal barrier. The complete liner inspection also must include hydrostatic testing of six different locations on the moisture barrier side of the liner for water penetration resistance.

This inspection can only be conducted by opening the liner. If the liner does not have an access opening, then a portion of the garment seam must be removed and then the garment must be repaired by restitching and sealing the opened seam.

Simpler and quicker
Obviously, if a garment has a liner access opening, then the process of performing the complete liner inspection becomes much simpler and quicker. If the department uses an Independent Service Provider to conduct the complete liner inspection and the garment does not have a liner access opening, the inspection may be more costlier and potentially require the garment to be out of service longer for the inspection.

Simply put, the implementation of a liner access opening in garments is a logical requirement given that departments who properly care for and maintain their clothing are required to conduct annual complete liner inspections as set forth in NFPA 1851 (beginning three years after the manufacture date of the garment).

There are other circumstances where being able to examine the liner interior has significant merit. In cases where there are firefighter complaints about "leaky" garments or if the department has individuals that have been exposed to fires where damage is evident on the outside and want to see if the damage extends to the interior, the access opening offers an expedient means for making these assessments. A liner access opening also permits fire departments to check the quality of garment construction such as taping of moisture barrier seams and placement of reinforcement layers.

Opponents to the mandatory use of liner access openings argue that given the opening in the liner, firefighters will find ways to abuse garments and cause unnecessary damage to the garment. There have been specific claims that firefighters have stored items inside their liners or have written notes on the moisture barrier when an access opening has been present.

These claims are ridiculous and insulting to fire service. These problems are possible, but as with any gear, there is always the potential for some abuse and no standard can prevent all misuse of a product. Interestingly, some manufacturers already offer liner access openings as a standard feature at no cost to the firefighter.

So, why would individuals on a committee focused on improving firefighter safety be so opposed to the potential benefit of a simple design feature? Of course, committees operate best when there is ample input from those directly affected by proposed changes and this process is far from complete. As always, any new idea or proposal needs to gain full consideration and thoroughly examined before it is implemented to affect the entire fire service. Nevertheless, being able to look from the inside out for turnout gear appears to have more advantages than disadvantages and would not create new burdens for industry as most manufacturers already offer liner access openings.

Sponsored by Globe

Jeffrey O. and Grace G. Stull are president and vice president respectively of International Personnel Protection, Inc., which provides expertise on the design, evaluation, selection and use of personnel protective clothing, equipment and related products to end users and manufacturers. They are considered amongst the leading experts in the field of personal protective equipment. Send questions or feedback to Jeff or Grace at Jeffrey.O.Stull@FireRescue1.com. The views of the author do not necessarily reflect those of the sponsor.