Tag: wildland ppe

Explaining EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 – Wildland Firefighting Clothing

Posted on by Dominic Beasty

Explaining EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 – Wildland Firefighting Clothing

There are a wide variety of standards that personal protective clothing and equipment have to conform to – in this blog we’re explaining EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 – wildland firefighting clothing and has replaced EN15614:2007

 

Having different kit for different uses is important as UK firefighters attend a wide variety of incidents, from structural fires to road traffic accidents. Always turning out in full structural kit is often too heavy and cumbersome and provides a level of protection the job doesn’t need. It also means an often protracted level of wear on the firefighters’ most expensive garments.

 

How Often Is Wildland Firefighting Needed?

 

An article in New Scientist in April 2019 reported that there had already been more wildfires in 2019 than in any other year on record – almost a hundred. At the start of that year there had been a dry spell and hot weather over Easter which resulted in 96 major wildfires affecting 25 or more hectares of land. 2019 ended with 137 wildfires of >25 hectares, according to the European Forest Fire Information System.

 

And in April 2020 National Geographic reported that wildfires are getting more frequent in the UK. In 2020 so far there have been notable wildfires in the Peak District and Wales, so it’s clear that wildland firefighting is an increasing activity for the UK’s state firefighting brigades.

 

Although forest and wildland fires primarily happen during the summer, the start of 2020 has shown that it’s possible for this type of incident to happen at any time of year. According to Statista there was a more than three-fold increase on wildfires from 2022 (6,236) to 2023 (20,362) which is still down from the 2019 (28,754) highs. Wildfires are becoming more and more prevalent in the country.

 

What Does The Standard Cover?

 

In the UK, wildland fires tend to burn slowly rather than raging swiftly through large swathes of land meaning that firefighters have to spend large amounts of time in conditions where radiant heat can be elevated.

 

Firefighters attending wildland fire incidents may also have to walk long distances from appliances, meaning their kit has to balance providing protection from heat with being light and effective, reducing the chances of firefighters suffering from heat stress.

 

EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 specifies standards for the design, minimum performance levels and testing methods for all wildland fire kit.

It covers:

 

  • Radiant heat protection
  • Function and performance of fastenings and badges
  • Tensile strength
  • Thermal resistance
  • Water vapour resistance (which creates breathability)
  • Reflective material proportions

 

EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 is more stringent than the superseded EN15614 with higher performance requirements for Tensile strength, Tear strength, Seam strength and Heat resistance.

 

What Does EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 Not Cover?

 

As the standard for wildland fire fighting, EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 does not apply to clothing which is intended for fighting structural fires. EN469 is the standard which covers kit intended for this purpose.

 

It also doesn’t cover clothing which needs to protect firefighters against chemical, biological, electrical or radiation hazards.

 

Wildland Fire Clothing From The Experts

 

Our wildland fire range is approved to the relevant standard, but designed to meet the needs of the firefighters who have to wear it. All of the range is fire-resistant, thin and light, without the unnecessary thermal protection needed from structural firefighting clothing. This makes the clothing more comfortable to wear over longer periods, reducing heat stress on firefighters.

 

To speak to one of our experts about our comprehensive range of EN ISO 15384:2020 +A1:2021 accredited wildland fire fighting clothing, give us a call on +44 (0) 1332 341030.

The best garments for tackling wildland fires

Posted on by Dominic Beasty

Twenty-first century firefighters need to respond to a range of risks and incidents and their kit needs to help them do that, so what are the best garments for tackling wildland fires? What are the advantages of having specialist wildland fire turnout kit and what other situations can it be used for?

 

Why does tackling wildland fires need different kit?

 

With wildland fires an increasing risk in the UK – they were only added to the National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies in 2012 – firefighters need flexible kit that will help them do their job in the very particular circumstances wildland fires create.

 

By their nature, wildland fires tend to happen in remote areas, meaning firefighters may have to walk a long way from appliances, often carrying hoses and other equipment.

 

While the heat isn’t as ferocious as being in a burning building, it can still be intense. And as wildland fires are often a risk during heatwaves, firefighters not only have to contend with heat generated by the fire, but the ambient air temperature as well. This can increase the risk of suffering from heat stress.

 

There can be more than one fire raging during a wildland incident, creating increased levels of radiant heat, but also additional locations in need of response. Of all the types of incidents, wildland fires are the ones which tend to go on the longest.

 

The best wildland fire PPE

 

Dedicated turn-out kit for wildland fires will be lightweight and allow firefighters to cover the distances needed. It doesn’t really need the heat protection that standard turn-out kit needs, which means they are usually single-layer, highly breathable garments.

 

Wildland leggings have a closure at the bottom to stop sparks, smoke and debris going up the legs and exposing firefighters to carbon and particulates on the skin. Wearing just a t-shirt on the firefighters’ top half also leaves their arms exposed to heat and particulates. Walking through wildland conditions in structural leggings will likely damage them, and the weight and heat protection the structural suit provides means the firefighter is wearing something unnecessarily heavy.

 

When operating over large areas, and sometimes from multiple state brigades, the kit also needs to ensure firefighters are swiftly identifiable, using colours such as red which will stand out against the landscape. Most structural kit is now gold, which acts as great camouflage against the moorland landscape. Reflective elements are also helpful as efforts to fight wildland fires can continue overnight.

 

Like all professional firefighting kit, garments designed for tackling wildland fires will have a good range of pockets for storing radios and other essential equipment.

 

FlamePro’s comprehensive wildland fire garment range

 

Garments designed for wildland fire response share many of the same qualities needed for rescue suits, so our wildland range is intended to be multi-purpose. This multifunctional approach saves your brigade from having to buy extra firefighting PPE.

 

All of our wildland firefighting garments conform to EN15614:2007, the European standard for wildland firefighting clothing. There is a new standard – EN15 – which our new wildland garments range conforms to.

 

Our next generation of wildland garments are made from a new fabric which is stronger and more comfortable, it’s lightweight and contains anti-abrasion fabric, glow-in-the-dark tape for low-light operations. Like our previous range, it’s made from a single layer of lightweight yet strong fabric, providing the right level of protection without being too heavy to wear for long periods when tackling wild fires.

 

For advice about the best garments for tackling wildland fires give one of our friendly team a call on +44 (0) 1332 341030.