EN11612
The new flameproof clothing standard EN11612
Anyone who works in a high fire or flame risk situation, will need specialist clothing to keep them as safe as possible. So what do they need to look for?
All protective clothing needs to conform to certain safety standards to protect these workers against a short flame contact and at least one type of heat (convective heat, radiant heat, contact heat, molten metal splashes).
Until recently the safety standard for Fireproof protective clothing was EN531. This has now been replaced by EN ISO 11612 – Protective Clothing for Heat and Flame.
So, what is the new standard for? Well EN ISO 11612 not only tests the fabric used to produce the clothing, it also tests the whole fireproof garment. This is to stop an influx of sub-standard flameproof protective clothing flooding the market.
This will ensure that the wearer will have greater confidence that the specialist flameproof garment that he or she is wearing offers proper protection. Previously, there was a real danger that some manufacturers were simply buying fabric that came up to EN 531 standards, but then making cheap clothing, by using non fireproof thread, fasteners and zips etc. This meant they were actually meeting the standards set, but the garment as a whole was not tested – just the fabric. The new standard EN ISO 11612 will ensure the whole garment is up to scratch.
The new standard is targeted at the manufacturer, not the wearer, so this will only affect newly produced garments. Garments rated to EN 531 are still valid and can still be bought.
The table below shows the difference between the two standards.
| EN 11612 | EN53 |
| Heat resistance | Dimensional change |
| Limited flame spread | Limited flame spread (A) |
| Dimensional change | Convective heat (B) |
| Tensile strength | Radiant heat (C) |
| Tear strength | Molten aluminium splash (D) |
| Burst strength | Molten iron splash (E) |
| Seam strength | |
| Convective heat (B) | |
| Radiant heat (C) | |
| Molten Aluminium splash (D) | |
| Molten iron splash (E) | |
| Contact heat (F) |
Flame spread for EN 11612 is tested both before and after laundry. The old standard used to test only the flame spread after 5 cycles, but with the new standard EN 11612 all of the tests are made after 5 laundry cycles. The new standard also tests clothing after every complte wash and dry – so for example after 100 washes, it will go through 100 dry cycles.
The new standard is now targeted at finished garments. This means that the fabric, the design specifications and the garment features, such as seams, all have to comply.
EN11612 also now includes F Code for contact heat. This was not included in the old standard.
There are many companies selling safety and fire or flame retardant clothing, but to be confident in the product you need to make sure it always conforms to the new standard - EN 11612.
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