4. Have an observer confirm that you have at least a
2-inch overlap of all layers of your protective
garments so that there is not gap in the thermal
protection when your coat and pants are worn in
each of the positions.
Your protective garment must also fit properly and
be worn in such a way that all interface areas be-
tween your garment(s) and other ensemble elements
always
protect the portions of your body that are
covered in the interface areas. The interface areas
must remain protected during all of your anticipated
movements, including when you look upward or
sideways, reach forward, raise your arms, bend over,
turn your body sideways, kneel, duck walk or crawl.
If your interface areas do not remain protected dur-
ing your movements, alert your supervisor to deter-
mine if you have been provided the correct garment
and other ensemble elements.
Doffing
– If your protective garment
s
are not
contami-nated:
• Use care when remove your garment since you
will want to also avoid contact with ordinary
fireground soiling.
• Remove your coat and other ensemble elements
in the reverse order as instructed in the donning
process.
• Remove your pants and footwear last.
• Inspect your garment as indicated in the
instructions above.
If your protective garment
s
have become contami-
nated with blood, body fluids, chemicals, or other
hazardous substances, use extreme caution in
removing your garment and do not contact the
surface of your garment with your bare hands. Seek
assistance in removing your garment and other parts
of your ensemble to minimize your exposure to any
contaminants. Any damage or change in condition
must be corrected before you reuse your garment.
Care and Maintenance
Instructions
Importance of Clean and Maintained Garments
–
It is important that you keep your protective garment
clean, free of contamination, and properly main-
tained at all times. Protective garments that are dirty
or contaminated pose significant hazards. The wear-
ing of soiled or contaminated clothing can cause
acute or long-term health hazards. Many contami-
nants can be absorbed by the skin, and some are
carcinogenic. In addition, many types of contami-
nants are flammable and garments that are contami-
nated may absorb heat at a faster rate than clean
garments.
Dulled
or
abraded
aluminized
shell
material
in
proximity
firefighting
garments
reflects
heat
less
effectively
and
provides
lower
levels
of
protection
.
Therefore, if your garment
becomes soiled, you should clean your garment
after use. It is also recommended that you take a
shower following any structural fire.
Refer to NFPA 1851,
Standard on Selection, Care,
and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Struc-
tural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting
for
additional guidance on the care and maintenance
of structural or proximity fire fighting protective
garments. However, the following instructions
provided by Honeywell First Responder Products
take precedence over any requirements specified
in
NFPA 1851
.
Do not use your garments unless
they have been thoroughly cleaned and dried.
Cleaning Precautions
– In cleaning your
protective
garment:
• Use only mild detergents with a pH range of not
less than 6.0 pH and not greater than
10.5
pH as
indicated on the product’s material safety data
sheet (MSDS) or original container. Do not use
detergents or cleaning agents that are not
approved by Honeywell.
• Never use solvent or chlorine bleach or cleaning
agents that contain chlorine bleach. These sub-
stances rapidly break down garment materials.
• Do not use wash water or drying temperatures
above 105°F (40°C).
• Wear protective gloves and eye/face splash
protection when cleaning soiled items.
• Do not wash your protective garment or other
protective clothing with personal items, in your
personal laundry, or at a laundromat.
• Do not dry clean your protective garment. Dry
cleaning will destroy certain materials and
compo-nents used in the construction of your
garment.
• Remove any items placed in the pockets of your
garment before washing.
Routine Cleaning
– Only use these procedures to
perform spot cleaning of your garment. Clean your
protective garment after each use or whenever your
garment becomes soiled. If more than spot cleaning
is required, use the machine washing instructions
provided in the next section. The routine cleaning
procedures will not provide a full and complete
cleaning of your garments. Use the following proce-
dures only for routine cleaning by hand of your
protective garment in a utility sink:
1. Choose a utility sink that is specifically used for
cleaning protective clothing; do not use a kitchen
sink or other sink that is employed for personal
products.
2. Brush off any loose debris.
3. Fill the utility sink with warm water.
4. Use a mild detergent in a volume according to
the detergent supplier’s instructions.
5. Scrub the garment gently using a soft-bristle
brush.
DO NOT USE A BRUSH ON THE
ALUMINIZED SHELL OF PROXIMITY FIRE-
FIGHTING GARMENTS
.
Instead, use a sponge
or soft cloth for cleaning soil from these surfaces.
6. Drain the sink and thoroughly rinse the garment.
Conduct a second rinse if necessary.
7. Inspect the garment and, where necessary,
rewash the protective garment or submit the
garment for machine cleaning or advanced
cleaning procedures.
8. Do not attempt to wring out the clothing as this
action may cause damage to the garment.
9. Hang the garment for air drying, preferably on a
non-corrosive hanger in a well-ventilated area,
but not in direct sunlight. Do not force-dry the
garment with a hair dryer, or place the garment
over a heating duct or radiator.
10.Machine drying may be used following the
specific procedures given below.
11.Rinse the utility sink using routine cleaning
procedures.
Machine Cleaning
–
DO NOT MACHINE CLEAN
THE ALUMINIZED OUTER SHELLS OF PROXIM-
ITY FIRE FIGHTING PROTECTIVE GARMENTS
.
Washing machines and dryers may be used for
routine cleaning of structural fire fighting protective
garments and the liners of proximity fire fighting
protective garments when soiling is not limited to
specific areas on the garment. Use the following
procedures if machine washing and drying your
garments:
1.
Choose a washing machine that is used for
cleaning protective clothing. While toploading
machines may be used, front-loading washers/
extractors are preferred, as these machines are
less likely to physically damage clothing and
can be programmed for specific water levels,
temper-atures, and times.
2.
Brush off any loose debris from the exterior of
the clothing.
3.
Separate the garment liner from the shell and, if
removable, remove the Drag Rescue Device
(DRD), if present. Remove the suspenders from
pants and other specific removal items from the
coat or pants, such as shingle cuffs for coat
sleeves and belts on pants.
4.
Turn the liner inside out so that the moisture
barrier side is inside the garment.
Ensure the
inspection opening is closed before washing.
5.
Pre-treat heavily soiled or spotted areas on the
garment shell.
6.
Close up all hardware and hook and loop tape
on
your coat prior to washing by securing the
front closure on coats and fly on pants and
ensure that
hook and loop closure tape where
present on the front closure, collar closure, and
pockets.
7.
Unless otherwise instructed, load machine to
80% of its rated capacity. Overloading will result
in inefficient cleaning.
8.
Use mild wash settings, a mild detergent, and
warm water temperatures.
9.
Following washing, remove the garment from the
washing machine and air-dry it by hanging it on
a
non-corrosive hanger in a well-ventilated area
but
not in direct sunlight, or put it in a dryer on a
no- heat or low-heat setting. As with washing,
gar
ment shells and liners must be dried
separately.
10.
Inspect the garment and, where necessary,
rewash the garment or submit it for advanced
cleaning procedures.
Advanced Cleaning
– Your protective garment must
be subjected to an advanced cleaning at least every
12 months at the time of advanced inspection or
whenever soiling requires additional cleaning.
Advanced cleaning must be performed by Honey-
well, persons qualified by your department or
organization, or by
verified
Independent Service
Provider (ISP)
that has been accepted by
Honeywell. When you garment is subjected
to an
advanced cleaning, Honeywell strongly recom-
mends that you also have your garment subjected
to
an advanced inspection following the advanced
cleaning (see above).
User Information Guide – Protective Garments for Structural and Proximity Fire Fighting (NFPA 1971)
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