Uniforms and NFPA 1975

[Rigin1]

Ok I need a little help here. We are beginning contract negotiations and one item we are looking to change is a line in our contract that says... "the department shall provide all station uniforms"...to "the department shall supply NFPA compliant uniforms". Seems easy enough right? Well currently we wear Polyester pants and shirts. Most guys have a safety issue with this hence the change. Well the Chief got wind of the attempted change and basically said no problem we will switch to 100% Nomex which will be much more uncomfortable then polyester. He claims NFPA 1975 states that only Nomex can be used.

Well I read NFPA 1975 a couple times and can't find the word Nomex anywhere in it. So I am wondering if anyone here has a solid grasp on 1975 and can explain it a little better to me.

Thanks in advance for any help.

[Smoke20286]

Well I read NFPA 1975 a couple times and can't find the word Nomex anywhere in it. So I am wondering if anyone here has a solid grasp on 1975 and can explain it a little better to me.

Thanks in advance for any help.

NFPA is a minimum standard, and bare minimum in many cases. PM me I can give you the e-mail of the guy on our OH&S committee who did quite a bit of investigating on this matter.

[KenNFD1219]

You could look at this from another angle-rather than look at NFPA 1975 for product specifications, search for manufacturers who make NFPA 1975 compliant station wear.

[Dave1983]

I would stay away from Nomex. Its heavy and HOT. Look elsewhere for safety standards for your uniforms. Maybe ANSI, maybe OSHA. I know ours fall under something other then NFPA, its closer to what power companies use for thier line crews. We use a polly/cotton blend (35/65).

[Steamer]

This is the only reference as to specific materials. Note that it says "...either from flame-resistant fabrics or from
nominally 100 percent cotton or wool fabrics."

NFPA 1975
Chapter 4 Design Requirements
4-1 General.
4-1.1 Station/work uniforms shall be constructed either from flame-resistant fabrics or from nominally 100 percent cotton or wool fabrics.
4-1.2 Where station/work uniforms are constructed from flame-resistant fabrics, the garments shall be stitched with thread of an inherently flame-resistant fiber.

[mtnfireguy]

Well the Chief got wind of the attempted change and basically said no problem we will switch to 100% Nomex which will be much more uncomfortable then polyester.

We are using Nomex IIIA and it is not heavy, it is not uncomfortable and there is a newer model coming out that is even more comfortable.

Check out what is out there on the market before deciding against Nomex all together.

[cellblock]

Something similar is happening in the Security Company I work for as an EMT. Turns out someone decided the Polyester uniforms the EMTs wear, same as the regular Security Officers, might not be the best thing to wear at a Steel Plant where I'm contracted. Ddduuuhh...
So we were sent a memo telling the EMTs that we will be trading in our blue shirts and black slacks for an all black uniform which will be 100% cotton. The regular Security Officers will keep their blue/black poly uniforms.
I don't personally care what they come up with. I've never found a comfortable Class A uniform (dress shirt and slacks). The most comfortable uniforms I've worn was when I worked at the prison and was assigned to the Field crew which wore Black BDU pants and a Navy blue T-shirt. Basically the same thing I wore working for the Fire Department.
Good luck working out a resonable agreement for your new uniform.

[cellblock]

By the way, regarding Nomex....
Here's a JPG of me from my Army days, 1987-1991. I was a driver on M1A1 Abrams tanks. Tanks crews face a great danger of fires on their vehicles so, instead of the standard issue BDUs, we wore Nomex coveralls, gloves and hoods.

[GrovFire25]

FWIW, I just bought a couple pairs of 50% Nomex-50% cotton pants by Fecheimer/flying cross. These are by far the most comfortable pants I've worn on the job. I've tried them all. My dept. used to issue 100% Nomex then went to 100% cotton. The cotton does not last and the nomex are hot and expensive. We get our first 4 pairs issued then get a cash allowance. So we basically can buy what we want as long as the colors are the same.
Try to find a dealer that sells the Fecheimer/ Flying cross brand, you won't be dissapointed.