BS EN 469:2020

This document specifies minimum performance requirements for protective clothing designed to be worn during firefighting activities. The requirements detailed in this document cover design, heat and flame, mechanical, chemical, comfort, and visibility.

This document covers the general clothing design, the minimum performance levels of the material used, the methods of test to be used to determine these performance levels, marking and information supplied by the manufacturer.

This document makes distinction between firefighting activities dividing them into two performance levels based on a risk assessment:

• Level 1: specifies the minimum requirements for firefighting clothing involving work associated with outdoor firefighting and their support activities, taking into account the environments and conditions of the expected operational scenarios of such firefighting activities.

  The level 1 is not applicable for protection against risks encountered in fighting fires or rescue from fire activities in structures, unless combined to a level 2 or other specialized PPE.

• Level 2: specifies the minimum requirements for firefighting clothing for risks encountered in fighting fires and rescue from fire in structures.

The distinction between Level 1 and Level 2 clothing is restricted to the requirements for heat and flame (X1 or X2 - Heat and Flame). These levels of protection can be reached by a single garment or a combination of separate garments.

Additional marking provides two grades of protection for Y (protection against water penetration) and Z (water vapour resistance). It is essential that these performance grades are indicated on the marking of the clothing and explained in the instructions for use.

This document does not cover protective clothing for wildland firefighting, specialized firefighting in a high amount of radiant heat where reflective clothing is required and/or advanced technical rescue operations dealing with hazardous chemicals, working with chainsaws and water and rope rescue.

This document does not cover protection for the head, hands and feet or specific protection against other hazards e.g. chemical, biological, radiological and electrical hazards. These aspects may be covered in other European Standards.