Fire fighting

Performance requirements for protective clothing for firefighters
The EN 469: 2005 standard specifies the levels of performance requirements for protective clothing for firefighters.
It demands high performance, which is verified in 20 tests. Essentially, the standard determines 4 key values: X_f (flame), X_r (radiance), Y (waterproof) and Z (breathability).
EN 469 + A1 (2007): “Fire fighting”:
Application domain : Protective clothing for firefighters (fire fighting)
Goal : Protect firefighters during firefighting interventions and associated activities.

What does this standard consist of?

This standard makes it possible to define two levels according to the risk assessment: level 1 and level 2. Level 2 being the higher level.
This is a jacket / pants or jumpsuit set covering bust, neck, arms up to the wrists and legs up to the ankles.
For complete protection, additional equipment to protect the head, face, hands and feet should also be worn.
The product must meet the following requirements:

Heat transfer (flame and radiation): The sample is held above the flame or an IR spectrum and it is measured how many seconds the sample can be exposed before reaching a temperature rise of 24°C.

Resistance to water penetration, water vapor and liquid chemicals
Flame spread
Thermal resistance
Tensile and tear resistance
Dimensional variation
Visibility (according to standard EN 471 (2007)
For general marking requirements, please refer to standard EN 340.

Marking

This pictogram may be accompanied by the following annotations:
Xf1 / Xf2 ou Xr1 / Xr2 : thermal protection (flame (f) or radiation (r))
Y1 / Y2 : resistance to water penetration
Z1 / Z2 : resistance to water vapor