Page 22 - Occupational Health & Safety, December 2018

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
Six Important Changes Reflected in NFPA 2112-2018 Updates
From cold weather insulation guidance to labeling, these are the changes you need to know to be well informed when specifying an FR PPE program designed for flash fire hazards.
BY SCOTT FRANCIS
When working on job sites that present unexpected flash fire hazards, indus- trial workers need to be assured that their flame-resistant (FR) personal protective equipment (PPE) will perform as claimed in the event of an incident. NFPA 2112 is the industry standard for FR garments designed to protect wearers against exposure to flash fire and provides a starting ground from which safety managers in oil, gas, chem- ical, and petrochemical industries can build effective FR PPE programs to address the specific risks they face daily.
According to NFPA 2112 1.2.1, the purpose of the standard is to “provide minimum requirements for the design, construction, evaluation and certification of flame-resistant garments, shrouds/hoods/balacla- vas and gloves, for use by industrial personnel, with the intent of not contributing to the burn injury of the wearer, providing a degree of protection to the wearer, and reducing the severity of burn injuries resulting during egress from or accidental exposure to short- duration thermal exposure from fire.” In 2018, NFPA revised the standard to reflect important updates that make the standard more robust for today’s workers.
Know these six changes to NFPA 2112 to be well informed when specifying an FR PPE program de- signed for flash fire hazards.
1. New flash fire terminology
The terminology “flash fire” has been changed glob- ally to “short-duration thermal exposure from fire.” Perhaps the biggest change in the NFPA 2112-2018 updates, the terminology is now reflected within the standard title, “Standard on Flame-Resistant Clothing for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Short- Duration Thermal Exposures from Fire.”
This new terminology is a more descriptive rep- resentation of the overall hazards that the standard addresses. Flash fires are a type of short-duration fire—one that spreads by means of a flame front rap- idly through a diffuse fuel without the production of damaging pressure. Short-duration thermal exposure from fire is defined as a period of egress from or ac- cidental exposure to thermal events, including but not limited to vapor cloud fires, jet flames, liquid fires, sol- ids fires, and warehouse fires.
Previously not included in NFPA 2112, guidance is now given for FR cold weather insulation.
2. Cold weather insulation guidance
Previously not included in NFPA 2112, guidance is now given for FR cold weather insulation. The re- quirements for FR cold weather insulation garments are the same as textile body materials, with respect to a few exceptions. Flame resistance test (as received and after 100 high-temperature industrial laundries) is performed in a modified fashion by folding face cloth over the bottom edge of a specimen prior to test- ing. Similar to other FR garments, the ASTM D6413 Vertical Flame Test method is used, and the NFPA 2112 performance criteria require the fabric to self- extinguish, not melt and drip, result in a char length of fewer than 4.0 inches, and have an after flame of fewer than 2.0 seconds once removed from the direct flame.
Thermal shrinkage and the ASTM F1930 Thermal Manikin Test, however, are not tested for cold weather insulation materials.
3. Requirements for head and hand FR protection
FR PPE for head and hand protection, including shrouds, hoods, balaclavas, and gloves, are now spe- cifically addressed in NFPA 2112-2018. The updated standard details how each piece of gear should per- form under specific tests.
Fabric for shrouds, hoods and balaclavas shall not melt and drip, separate, or ignite during the heat resis- tance test and should also comply with the following requirements: Spaced method Heat Transfer Perfor- mance (HTP) > 6.0 calories per centimeter, and Con- tact method HTP ≥ 3.0; char length (as received and after 100 industrial laundries) ≤ 4.0 inches; after flame time (as received and after 100 industrial laundries) ≤ 2.0 seconds; and thermal shrinkage ≤ 10.0%.
FR gloves shall meet all of the aforementioned criteria, as well as not exceed 5.0% of the specimen’s original weight in consumed material.
The ASTM F1930 Thermal Manikin Test is not required for fabrics for use in shrouds, hoods, bala- clavas, and gloves.
18 Occupational Health & Safety | DECEMBER 2018
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