Heat and Flame Workwear Standards
EN ISO 11612
Protective clothing against heat and flame
The ISO 11612 standard refers to clothing that protects against short contact time with flame, molten metal spatter and other sources of heat.
There are four performance levels for protection against heat and flame:
- - Level 1: Indicates low risk
- - Level 2: Indicates exposure to medium risk
- - Level 3: Indicates exposure to high risk
- - Level 4: Indicates extreme exposures to radiant heat
Minimum requirements are specified for different fabrics. It is, however, vital that all fabrics meet the requirement to limit flame spread. It is optional to meet one or several of the requirements relating to heat transmission as shown in the table under section B, C and F.
As shown in the table below, certain codes are required of all materials and there are additional requirements for work with molten metal as shown in sections D and E.
Code letter and meaning
| Code | Requirements | Performance Level |
|---|---|---|
A1 |
Limited flame spread – surface ignition |
Compulsory |
A1 |
Limited flame spread – edge ignition |
A2 |
B |
Protection against convective heat |
B1-B3 |
C |
Protection against radiant heat |
C1-C4 |
D |
Protection against molten aluminium |
D1-D3 |
E |
Protection against molten iron |
E1-E3 |
F |
Protection against contact heat |
F1-F3 |
Please note that soiling, sweat/water and other contaminants will reduce the level of protection.
EN ISO 11611
Protective clothing for use in welding and allied processes
The ISO 11611 standard specifies minimum basic safety requirements and test methods for any workwear designed to be worn during welding.
Garments with EN ISO 11611 are always linked to the previous standard EN ISO 11612. This standard ensures that welder’s protective clothing is designed to prevent electrical conductivity.
As with clothing developed to confirm to EN ISO 116112, these garments are designed to protect employees in contact time with flame, molten metal spatter and other sources of heat.
Performance Requirements
- Class 1: Protection against less hazardous welding techniques with low level spatter and radiant heat
- Class 2: Protection against more hazardous welding techniques with higher levels of spatter and radiant heat
EN 1149
Protective clothing with electrostatic properties
The overall standard is EN 1149-5, with EN1149-1 being a subset of this.
EN 1149-3 refers to safety clothing where the surface material of the clothing is tested according to its electric discharge properties. This standard specifies workwear that is tested for its ability to dissipate electrostatic charge from the clothing material surface. The standard explains that the safety apparel has been tested for its ability to discharge electrostatic charges to the air and therefore won’t conduct electrostatic charges to the person wearing the clothing.
EN 1149-5 refers to the material and design requirements required to provide protective clothing with antistatic characteristics. More specifically, this refers to protecting against sudden discharges of electrostatic energy. These garments are typically worn when there is a risk that static sparks may ignite inflammable substances such as gas and oil.
The EN 1149-1 refers to the test method for measurement of surface resistivity.
ISO-9001
The Quality Management Standard
The overall standard is EN 1149-5, with EN1149-1 being a subset of this.
Unlike the other standards in this section, the ISO-9001 is a broader standard which is defined as the international standard set of requirements for a quality management system.
In brief, this standard highlights that an organisation provides products and/or services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. This standard ensures that customers receive consistent, good-quality products and/or services.
