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ISO/TC 94/SC14 was established specifically to deal with the unique requirements for firefighters' Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Under the scope of SC 14, each Standard for firefighters' PPE is developed for a particular aspect of fire and rescue activities. Within its scope, firefighters PPE includes head protection, eye and face protection, hearing protection, hand protection, body protection (includes upper and lower torso), foot protection and respiratory protection that is used by firefighters.

These Standards are developed by SC14 Working Groups that consist of the following:

• WG1 General Requirements
• WG2 Structural Firefighting
• WG3 Wildland Firefighting
• WG4 HAZMAT
• WG5 Rescue
• JWG SC14/SC13 CBRN
• JWG SC15/SC14 RPD

The approach this subcommittee has used has differed to other subcommittees, developing PPE Standards using a hazard-based approach. The committee determine the types of hazards that a firefighter will face; structural firefighting, wildland firefighting, hazardous chemical and CBRN incidents, and rescue operations. It is also recognised that firefighters need to be physically comfortable as well as protected by all PPE being used while they perform their duties.

Firefighters are a unique group of workers, who use PPE as a primary means of protection against all hazards that they may encounter in the performance of their duties as firefighters and first responders. Other industries can re-engineer the tasks or processes to be undertaken to either eliminate or control the hazard or risk to the worker. Unlike firefighters, industry generally can withdraw the workers from the hazardous zone/s and therefore only needs to consider the use of PPE as a means of last resort, when the risk to the worker cannot be controlled or eliminated.

Of late, types and intensity of hazards encountered by firefighters have increased dramatically, these include wildland firefighting and major rescue operations that include rescuing members of the community from extreme floods. These increased hazards also include chemical and highly toxic fires, high intensity fires stemming from electric vehicles and fires in extremely difficult situations such as high-rise buildings and tower structures.

The primary focus for ISO/TC 94/SC 14 is on performance requirements for PPE, however, other important considerations include Selection Use Care and Maintenance (SUCAM) and Cleaning and Maintenance. The goal of SC14 is to, wherever possible, direct its Working Groups to utilise existing ISO test method standards. Where a requirement for new or revised testing requirement is considered necessary, then a request setting out a clearly defined performance requirement/s should be prepared by the relevant Working Group and be assigned to the most appropriate Sub-Committee of ISO/TC 94 for action.