What is ISO/TR 21808 about?
ISO/TR 21808 document sets out guidance for the selection, use, care, and maintenance of PPE designed to provide protection for firefighters while carrying out their duties.
The PPE covered in ISO/TR 21808 is intended for firefighting personnel exposed to risks associated with but not necessarily limited to the following activities:
- Structural firefighting
- Wildland firefighting
- Incidents involving hazardous materials
- Incidents involving motor vehicle
- Urban search and rescue
The purpose of ISO/TR 21808 is to highlight the principal areas that a fire service needs to consider when providing PPE to its members. ISO/TR 21808 is a supplement to the information provided in the PPE standards or used in conjunction with them.
Who is ISO/TR 21808 for?
ISO/TR 21808 on PPE is relevant to the following:
- Fire safety departments
- Public and private firefighting companies
- Certification bodies
Why should you use ISO/TR 21808?
A personal protective item is a device that protects the wearer from hazardous situations, such as a safety helmet, gloves, eye protection, high-visibility clothing, safety footwear, and safety harnesses. Given the nature of work that firefighters tend to, PPE is crucial for their safety and protection in the event of a fire.
ISO/TR 21808 poses as a guidance document that assist firefighters, fire services, and purchasers (or the person who advises the employer) in making the necessary decisions regarding the selection, use, care, and maintenance of PPE for firefighters.
The purpose of ISO/TR 21808 is to establish a guidance document for PPE with the goal to evaluate and reduce the hazards and potential health risks associated with firefighting. This selection use, care and maintenance guideline provides basic answers, criteria, and options for the fire service personnel that are selecting or using PPE through its life cycle with respect to protection it provides related to heat and flame or damaged PPE.
ISO/TR 21808 takes you through the various steps and considerations such as risk assessment, compatibility, testing, cleaning, information to be provided with the PPE, as a result of which you can make the right management choices for each fire service.
