In 2019, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards Council undertook the consolidation of four standards on clothing, work uniforms, SCBA and PASS devices into one new standard, NFPA 1970. Those efforts to streamline and simplify the standards into one comprehensive standard aimed to enhance clarity, improve consistency, and reduce redundancy in the standards governing safety gear have now come to fruition.

In this MSA-sponsored webinar, PPE expert Jeff Stull will share insights about how the new standard will impact the fire service and detail the most impactful changes relating to the PPE used to protect firefighters from a range of different exposure threats.

 Key changes in the new NPFA 1970 standard to be discussed include:

• Manufacturer claims related to the limited amounts of total PFAS in clothing products and how that is tested and measured.
• New requirements for the testing and analysis of restricted substances, including heavy metals, dyes, phthalates, fire retardants, PFAS, and other chemicals metals, in major materials used in the construction of protective clothing items.
• New requirement that all structural firefighting hoods have a particulate blocking layer.
• Minimum intrinsic safety criteria for electronics or components that are powered and relied on electrical circuitry used in any protective clothing or equipment.
• The alarm levels for SCBA end-of-service life indicator alarms and heads-up display signals were modified based on air cylinder size.

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