Update: Second Draft of NFPA 1970 Is Posted and Available for Submissions of NITMAM Through November 1, 2023

In my continuing effort to keep interested parties apprised of the latest standards activity related to firefighting gear and conversations about the presence of PFAS, the second draft of the upcoming edition of NFPA 1970, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural and Proximity Firefighting, Work Apparel and Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services, and Personal Alert Safety Systems (PASS) has been posted online. The second draft is now available for submission of NITMAMs through November 1, 2023. (See below for explanation of a NITMAM.) Updating my previous blog, the Technical Committee responsible for NFPA 1970 removed the xenon arc light test from the standard, not just as a stand-alone test method as proposed in the first draft of NFPA 1970, but also from the proposed multi-conditioning procedure (9.1.21). Additionally, the Committee substantively changed the multi-conditioning procedure, which they described as intended to replicate the wear and tear a typical outer shell may experience (9.1.21). The Second Draft Report also incorporates other proposed changes the Committee made after the First Draft, including (but not limited to) the following: ·       Added explanatory material for the definition of PFAS; explaining that the measurement of PFAS in the standard is performed to report the total levels of PFAS in protective clothing materials and measuring levels of specific PFAS chemicals against restricted substance levels. (A.3.3.134)·       Added specific testing requirements to verify a manufacturer’s “PFAS-FREE” gear claim. (6.5.11)·       Added a requirement to make reported test results available as part of the user information. (6.5.12, 8.14.3, & Table 8.21(a))·       Revised the procedure and application for contamination removal efficiency testing, which was introduced in the First Draft. (9.9.3)·       Updated a list of restricted substances (Sections 8.21 & 9.10)·       Added a more extensive listing of requirements for per- and polyfluorinated compounds, including tests for total fluorine and total extractable organic fluorine. (Sections 8.21 & 9.10)·       Added a new test method for liquid barrier performance, as measured by impact penetration and hydrostatic penetration, to protect against bloodborne pathogens. (Section 9.11)·       Deleted the tests for liquid repellency and for leaching of material substances. (Sections 9.76 and 9.77 in the First Draft) The deadline to file a NITMAM is November 1, 2023. The Second Draft Report is posted and will be open for Notice of Intent To Make a Motion (NITMAM) until November 1, 2023. A NITMAM is a proposed amending motion for NFPA Membership consideration and debate at the NFPA Technical Meeting. These motions are attempts to amend the Committee’s recommended text published in the Second Draft. The NFPA Technical Meeting provides an opportunity for the NFPA Membership to propose amendments the Technical Committee Reports (i.e., the Committee’s work) on each proposed new or revised Standard. If certified by the Motions Committee and introduced at the Technical Meeting as a Certified Amending Motion, the NITMAM can provide an additional opportunity for discussion and debate at the Technical Meeting, which takes place at the NFPA Conference & Expo® each June. A NITMAM may be filed by anyone not satisfied with the work of the Committee and who meets the requirements of 4.5.3.5(c) or 4.5.3.6 of the Regulations. For more information on NITMAM please visit this webpage.  Please see NFPA Technical Meeting for additional information on the topic.  Depending on the results of the NITMAM process and the Technical Meeting, NFPA 1970 will proceed to the NFPA Standards Council for potential issuance in late 2023 if no NITMAMs are submitted and certified or in late summer of 2024 if NFPA 1970 has Certified Amending Motions under consideration at the NFPA Technical Meeting in June of 2024. Throughout the process to update NFPA 1970, the latest information can be found at nfpa.org/1970next.