Safe Public Places thro’

FR TextilesInternational & National Standards on

PPP Textiles

PresentationBy

NITRA&

IIT - Delhi

Personal & Property Protection(PPP) Textiles

• Fire Retardant (FR) Textiles

• High visibility warning clothing/Foul weather clothing

• Ballistic protective clothing

they would have been with us….had there been FR Textiles…

83 children killed in school fire in Kumbakonam

Victims of Uphaar Tragedy

Fabric flammability is an important issue, especially for public spaces….

schools

hospitals

hotels

theatres

special event venues….

Importance of FR Textiles For Public Safety

• In about 24 % of fire accidents, the first item to catch fire is textiles– 28% casualties were due to burns;– 48% due to smoke/gas;– 13% due to combined effects of burns, gas and

smoke; – 11% due to other causes.

Therefore a strong need exists to implement standards on FR textiles by enacting and enforcing fire safety legislation and guidelines specially for the public places/buildings and for children wear.

Standards- Protective Textiles

Compiled by Pawan Sharma

L I F E S A V I N G S E C O N D S….

SYNTHETIC

BLENDED FABRIC

COTTON BLENDED FABRIC

PYROGUARD

FABRIC

COTTON BLENDED FABRIC

SYNTHETIC

BLENDED FABRIC

SYNTHETIC

BLENDED FABRIC

COTTON BLENDED FABRIC

PYROGUARDFABRIC

PYROGUARDFABRIC

AFTER 5 SECS AFTER 15 SECS AFTER 30 SECS

Technology of FR Textiles

• Specialty fibers– not manufactured in India

& expensive

• Chemical finishing on conventional fibers – less expensive– Additional cost of Rs 30 to

100 per mt depending upon the quality requirement

Evaluation Parameters for FR Textiles

• Ease of Ignition• After Glow Time• Extent of After Glow• Char Length• Flame Spread Time, Debris or Drips• Smoldering Time• Limiting Oxygen Index• Heat Transmission Factor• Heat Transfer Index• Molten Metal Splash Index• Smoke Opacity• Toxicity

US Regulations on

FR Fabrics

US Flammable Fabrics Act

(codified at 15 U.S.C 1191-1204)

• It keeps away the use of dangerously inflammable textiles out of commerce

• It covers trading of fabrics meant for apparel or interior furnishing when they are traded with importers in USA

• Manufacture, sale & importing of flammable fabrics into USA shall be prohibited

• Importers are advised to buy from a supplier issuing a guarantee and a test report

• Consumer Products Safety Commission is vested with the powers of determination of – authority to test, testing standards & prosecution powers

• Enforcement mechanism:– Consumer Products Safety Commission administers the

enforcement mechanism– Imported fabrics are not allowed to be cleared out of customs

warehouse unless it is FR– In case imported fabrics are released against bond by customs

ware house, they can order for return to customs warehouse– Can seize and send for testing– File civil suit based on lab report– Levy fine up to $ 100,000– Penalty is based on gravity of injury that would have caused or

likely to have caused– In the event of misrepresentation, the merchant is liable for

imprisonment up to 5 years.

USA Flammable Fabrics Act

Developed by National Fire Protection Association NFPA 701: Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films. 

The fabric is tested by burning a small sample and measuring the flame, char length & flaming residue – if a fabric meets these three areas, it is considered

as flame retardant.

U S National Standards(Test methods)

State and Local Regulations

• Though NFPA 701 is the national standard, it is not a law or regulation in itself. 

• Authority to make and enforce laws and regulations in this area is granted to state and local governments.

• Many state and local governments have not developed their own standards.  Instead, they require that draperies used in public spaces meet the NFPA 701 standard.

U S State and Local Regulations

Some states and cities, however, have developed their own standards and/or procedures. These requirements are separate and distinct from NFPA 701 standards.  

State and Local Regulations

In California, for example, drapery used in public spaces must be made of fabric that has been registered with the State Fire Marshal, documenting compliance with Title 19 (Division 1, Chapter 8) of California Code of Regulations. 

While the State of New York and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts both accept NFPA 701 certification, New York City requires certification that fabrics meet requirements outlined in Title 27 (Chapters 1 and 4) of the New York Administrative Code,

while the City of Boston requires that the end users submit an application for a “use permit”, in advance, for each fabric to be used in a public space.

State and Local Regulations

Venue Requirements

Even specific venues have developed their own requirements for drapery to be utilized within the venue.  Radio City Music Hall, in addition to requiring that all fabrics be certified compliant with New York City regulations, also requires the Certificate of Flame Retardancy include not just basic information on the fabric utilized, but specific information about each sewn drapery piece, including quantity and size.

European Standards

Guide list & web site

Protection Function Standard Code

Protective Clothing

Against Heat & Flame EN 531

For use in welding and allied processes EN 470-1

Against mechanical impact EN 510

For users of hand-held chainsaws EN 381- series

Firemen’s Protective clothing EN 469

Against cold EN 342

Against foul weather (Moisture, wind, cold) EN 343

Against radioactive contamination EN 1073

Against electric hazards/electrostatic charges EN 1149

Against thermal hazards of an electric arc (technical specs)

CLC/TS 50354

High visibility warning clothing EN 471

For working in environment of machines EN 510

Against chemical hazards EN 465,, EN 466, EN 467

http://www.cen.eu/cenorm/standards_drafts/onlinecataloguewithlinkstomembers/index.asp

Great Britain

The Consumer Protection Act (1987), the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, 1989 & 1993 set levels of fire resistance for upholstered products.

Standards Mentioned : BS 5852, BS 7177, BS EN 1021-2, BS 7176

Italy

• The first Regulation in Italy concerning fire behavior of Textiles e.g. Furnishings, had come in the existence in 1984 for the public assembly places like cinema halls, theaters etc.

• Then restrictions for schools, fairs and hotels followed

Upholstered Furniture in French public buildings has to meet ERP Article AM 18 which, since 2006, requires a finished testing as per the standard EN 1021 and French Standards NF D60 – 013 & NF D60 – 015.

FRANCE

Protective clothing Protective clothing EN 533, NF P92 503 (M1)

UpholsteryUpholsteryBS 5852EN 1021BS 7176BS 7176

FlameFlameCigaretteCigaretteCrib 5Crib 5

Mattress tickingMattress tickingBS 6807-1/2BS 6807-1/2EN 597-1/2EN 597-1/2BS 7175BS 7175BS 7177

FlameFlameCigaretteCigaretteCrib 5Crib 5

CurtainsCurtainsBS 5867

type Atype Atype Btype Btype Ctype C

NF P92 503NF P92 503

CarpetCarpetDIN 4102 (B1), FAR25-853FAR25-853

Non wovenNon wovenNF P92 503

Black –outBlack –outNF P92 503NF P92 503

BeddingBeddingTB-604TB-604

ToysToysEN 71/2EN 71/2

Application field and Fire standards

JAPANFire Service Law of Japan requires that Flame Retardant items e.g. Carpets, Curtains etc. should have flame retarding treatment before going to the end users.

BIS Standards on FR Textiles

• BIS has brought out a series of standards for FR textiles - curtains, drapes, upholstered furniture materials, protective clothing for industrial workers and fire fighters etc along with test methods for evaluation of the above items.

• These standards are for 3 hazard categories– low hazard– moderate hazard &– high hazard categories

Common FR Test Methods

Cigarette Burning Test Match Test

Carpet TestingUpholstery Test

Recommendations…

• In view of public safety and property loss as well as high environmental pollution involved in fires, it is necessary that relevant Indian standards are made mandatory for textiles used in public places / buildings - hospitals, schools, airports, theaters, shopping complexes, railways, civil aviation, automobiles etc.

• Legislation for FR textiles are already in force in many of the developed countries of the world and India should be no exception to this.

RECOMMENDATIONS…

• IS Standards on FR textiles could be made mandatory under the BIS Act.

• Standards developed by BIS on FR textiles need to be included in National Building Code of India 2005 immediately as a separate chapter.

• In order to prevent the import of sub-standard and hazardous FR textiles, the relevant Indian standards could be made mandatory for imports also.

RECOMMENDATIONS…

• Ministry of home affairs may take up appropriate steps to introduce legislation in the parliament where by FR fabrics shall be mandatory in public places – hospitals, schools, auditoriums, cinema halls and places where lot of persons converge. This shall be a central legislation to be administered by state governments like Indian Penal Code, Code of Civil Procedures, Indian stamp Act.

• Alternatively, Ministry of Home affairs may issue circular/draft legislation to all state governments & Union Territories for enactment of appropriate legislation measure.

High-Visibility Warning Clothing

Performance Requirements of High Visibility Materials

• Color

• Retro reflection- during night

• Fluorescence- during day

High Visibility Garment Classification

It is based on assessing the extent to which the wearer is exposed to Risk

• Task load• Nature of work• Color and complexity of the work• Environment• Lighting

Factors deciding Garment Classes

• Speed & Amount of Traffic through the Work zone• Time of Day - day or night?• Worker’s attention - towards on-coming traffic or

the task at hand?• Type of Activity the Worker is Performing• Proximity to traffic & other construction vehicles• Location of Work - “Background Clutter” in the

Work zone• Amount of Activity in the Work zone - Other

construction vehicles, etc.

Factors deciding Garment Classes

Performance Class 1: • For low-risk environments - Lowest levels of

fluorescent and reflective materialsPerformance Class 2: • Environments that are moderately severe -

Balance of fluorescent and reflective materials

Performance Class 3: • For use in most severe environments -

Offers the greatest amount of fluorescent and reflective coverage

Classification - Class 1

• For workers in occupations that permit full and undivided attention to approaching traffic;

• when backgrounds are not complex;

• when workers on foot are separated from traffic; &

• when vehicles are moving at speeds not exceeding 25 mph.

Classification- class 2:

• For workers who require greater visibility under inclement weather conditions;

• when backgrounds are not complex; & • when tasks divert attention from approaching vehicle

traffic.

Classification- class 2:

• Greater Visibility Needed due to Inclement Weather Conditions

• Complex and Cluttered Backgrounds• Most Work is Performed during Daytime

Hours• Worker’s Attention is Diverted from On-

Coming Traffic and Surrounding Environment

Classification- class 3

• Anyone who has a high task load and is in close proximity to moving equipment or traffic at high speeds

• Work Occurs at Night• Worker’s Attention is Diverted from On-

Coming Traffic and Surrounding Environment

• “Cluttered” Work Zone with High Levels of Activity

• Worker has no separation between them and traffic

Classification- class 3

• For workers on foot and vehicle operators whose high task loads place them in danger;

• when the weather must be clear through the full range of body motions at a minimum of 390 m and when the wearer must be identified as a person.

Worker must be Visible from All Angles and Identifiable as a Person

Recommendations

• At present statutory requirement is not in force for work places; except in few institutions such as A A I, Railways, DMRC etc.

• Dress code should be strictly followed for those working in risky environments; appropriate IS standards (as per EN 471) have been formulated and Ministry of Home affairs should ensure compliance to the safety guidelines for which designated authority may also be notified.

Ballistic Vest

A ballistic vest or bulletproof vest is a protective clothing that absorbs the impact from firearm -fired projectiles and shrapnel fragments from explosions, on the wearer's torso.

Soft vests are made from many layers of fabric to protect from projectiles of certain calibers fired from handguns, shotguns & small fragments from hand grenades.

If metal or ceramic plates are used with a soft vest, it can also protect from shots fired from rifles. It can offer some protection against stab and slash from a knife.

Ballistic Vest

Soft vests are commonly worn by police forces, private citizens and private security guards or bodyguards.

Hard-plate reinforced vests are mainly worn by combat soldiers in the armies of various nations as well as police tactical units and hostage rescue teams.

Vests intended for police and military use may also include ballistic shoulder, and side protection armor components. Bomb disposal officers wear heavy armor and helmets with face visors and spine protection

Bullet Proof Jacket

• Light weight (around 5 Kg)• Comfortable to wear• Facilitate body movement• Ability to spread the projectile

energy efficiently

The bullet-proof jacket protects the bearer by dissipating the kinetic energy of the projectile into the equipment layers by deformation of the fabric layer cutting across yarns.

Bullet proof vest is made from Kevlar fabric which belongs to Nylon (polyamides) family.

It has unique “impact” characteristics.

Kevlar Under Impact

a) Carbon Fiber After Impactb) Kevlar After Impactc) Hybrid of Carbon Fiber and Kevlar After Impact

Body Armor

• Body, hand, wrist, and elbow armor are now made of Carbon composite with Kevlar as reinforcement to increases impact resistance.

• Kevlar with Shear Thickening Fluid (STF) is the new improvement in body armor. It can take the same amount of impact, but with less layers, which makes the armor lighter and stronger.

Kevlar Treated with Shear Thickening Fluid (Spike Stab Test)

Market dynamics and key growth drivers

• With the rising trend of crime, violence and terrorism the demand for bullet-proof jackets is rising as well.

• The major customers are Defence, Paramilitary forces engaged in counter terrorism/insurgency operations and Law enforcement agencies.

• Despite high demand there have been very few suppliers in the market.

• Indian Army alone can use up to 2 Lac pieces per annum given assured supply and realistic prices. However the supply is not adequate.

National Institute of Justice specification (NIJ)

U.S. Department of Justice

• Personal body armor covered by this standard is classified into five types (IIA, II, IIIA, III, IV) by level of ballistic performance.

• In addition, a special test class

is defined to allow armor to be validated against threats that may not be covered by the five standard classes.

U S Specifications

Armor Level

Protection

Type IIA(9 mm; .40 S&W)

against 8 g. 9x19mm Parabellum Full Metal Jacketed Round Nose (FMJ RN) bullets at a velocity of 373 m/s and 11.7 g .40 S&W Full Metal Jacketed (FMJ) bullets at a velocity of 352 m/s

Type II(9 mm; .357 Magnum)

against 8 g. 9 mm FMJ RN bullets at a velocity of 398 m/s and 10.2 g .357 Magnum Jacketed Soft Point bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s

Type IIIA(.357 Sig; .44 Magnum)

against 8.1 g .357 SIG FMJ Flat Nose (FN) bullets at a velocity of 448 m/s and 15.6 g .44 Magnum Semi Jacketed Hollow Point (SJHP) bullets at a velocity of 436 m/s

Type III(Rifles)

against 9.6 g 7.62x51mm NATO M80 ball bullets at a velocity of 847 m/s.

Type IV(Armor Piercing Rifle)

against 10.8 g .30-06 Springfield M2 armor piercing (AP) bullets at a velocity of 878 m/s

Classification of Ballistic Vests

Assam Rifles, BSF, CISF, CRPF, ITBP, NSG, SSB, BPR&D

Recently Ministry of Home Affairs finalized the technical specification of Light Weight Bullet Proof Jackets as per NIJ Standard of Ballistic Resistance of Personal Body Armour (NIJ Standard -010104) – Threat Level III A

The government has agreed to demands of the police for improved quality of bullet proof jackets but there may be problems in delivery.

"We need nearly 1,00,000 more such jackets. It will take another one year when we will have bullet proof jacket with improved qualitative requirements. It will be by end of year 2009," said Bureau of Police R& D Chief K Koshy.

Center of Excellence(Protech)

NITRA & IIT-D

Vision Statement

Committed to assist Indian textile industry to venture in technical textile manufacturing (Protech) by way of providing world class services in

• Testing• Training

• Information & knowledge sharing

Services to the industry

Facilities for testing and evaluation of products:

• The common testing facilities will be set up as per international standards such as ASTM, BS, DIN, ISO, EN etc.

• These facilities will cater to the requirement of testing the final product and also the raw material and other elements that go into the final product

National & International accreditation

The testing laboratories will get national accreditation by NABL and also get accredited by international institutes so that the test results are accepted in the international market.

Services to the industry

Resource center with IT infrastructure: • Technical & Trade related literature – Text

books, research journals & periodicals, international standards for testing & product specifications, trade magazines, directories of national and international manufacturers etc.

• Show room – display of products• Dedicated website on Protech

Services to the industry

Training of core personnel: • Textile technologists, academicians, scientists

and industry personnel.• Develop a set of core professionals (trainers) to

impart training to the complete range of persons who are engaged in the business of Protech.

• The core professional will be trained by internationally reputed consultants in the areas of knowledge, technology and application.

Services to the industry

Training of personnel from the industry:

• Facilities for regular training of technicians working in the industry.

• The CoE will also study the requirement of the training from the clusters and will set up satellite training facilities in such clusters to facilitate the technicians to attend the training programs.

Services to the industry