A Comparison of Test Methods for Thermal Protective Performance of Fire-fighters' Protective Clothing

Firefighters usually suffer from various heated environments including the traditional hazards of radiant and conductive heat flux exposure, unexpected flashover conditions, etc. Protective clothing is of great importance for firefighters to prevent themselves from burn degrees. Thermal protective performance (TPP) tests are the most important laboratory testing methods used to evaluate the protective performance of firefighter ensembles. This paper presents various test methods from bench top tests of specimen to instrumented manikin assessment of whole garments exposed to certain simulated flashover conditions. The comparison of standard TPP test methods was carried out in the aspects: (1) testing scales; (2) incident heat flux including heat flux intensity, duration of exposure and the portion of radiant and conductive heat flux; (3) apparatus parameters such as air gap width and the kind of sensor; (4) technologies for evaluating protective performance. The effect of moisture on the TPP was also introduced. The advantages and limitations in several TPP test methods were discussed, which could help to improve the evaluation methods for firefighters' protective clothing. Recommendations for the future development of laboratory test methods were also made. It could guide the development of new test methods and protective ensembles.