Improving Coordination Improving Coordination and Interoperability and Interoperability through Standardizationthrough Standardization

Daniel K. Shipp, presidentInternational Safety Equipment

AssociationJune 4, 2003

ISEAISEA

• The trade association for personal protective equipment (PPE)

• Standards developer• Advocate for worker safety and

health• 70+ member companies

ISEA product coverageISEA product coverage

• Head protection• Eye and face

protection• Hearing protection• Respirators • RPEDs• Protective clothing• Gloves

• Fall protection• High visibility

apparel• Gas detection

instruments• First aid kits• Emergency eyewash

& shower• Warning devices

ISEA standards ISEA standards

• ANSI/ISEA 101 Limited Use and Disposable Coveralls

• ANSI/ISEA 102 Gas Detector Tubes• ANSI/ISEA 104 Air Sampling Devices-Diffusive

Type for Toxic Gases and Vapors in Working Environments

• ANSI/ISEA 105 Hand Protection Selection Criteria

• ANSI/ISEA 107 High Visibility Apparel• ANSI/ISEA 110 (draft) Air Purifying Respiratory

Protective Escape Devices

ISEA secretariat ISEA secretariat

• ANSI Z89.1-1997 Industrial Head Protection• ANSI Z308.1-2003 Minimum Requirements for

Workplace First Aid Kits• ANSI Z358.1-1998 Emergency Eyewash and

Shower Equipment

ISO participation ISO participation

• TC94, Personal Safety – Protective Clothing & Equipment (vice chair USTAG)

• TC94 SC1, Head Protection (secretariat)• TC94 SC4, Fall Protection• TC94 SC13, Protective Clothing• TC94 SC15, Respiratory Protection (USTAG

administrator)

ANSI participationANSI participation

• Organizational Member Council• Homeland Security Standards Panel• A10, Safety in Construction & Demolition• S12, Hearing Protection• Z10, Occupational Safety and Health Systems• Z49, Safety in Welding and Cutting• Z87, Occupational Eye and Face Protection• Z88, Respiratory Protection• Z117, Confined Spaces• Z359, Fall Protection Equipment• Z535, Safety Signs and Colors

NFPA participation NFPA participation

• Fire & Emergency Service Protective Clothing and Equipment

• Fire Service Occupational Safety and Health• Hazardous materials Protective Clothing and

Equipment• Respiratory Protection and Personal Alarm

Equipment• Special Operations Protective Clothing and

Equipment• Structural Fire Fighting Protective Clothing and

Equipment

Homeland securityHomeland security

“…if a catastrophic terrorist attack occurred today, emergency first responders – police, fire fighters, and emergency medical personnel – in most of the nation’s cities and counties are no better prepared to react now than they were prior to September 11. The tools of emergency preparedness are in very short supply.”

America -- Still Unprepared, Still in Danger

Council on Foreign Relations, 2002

Challenges for readiness Challenges for readiness

• Identifying responder needs• Defining the “responder”• Evaluating PPE for effectiveness

against terrorist agents (CBRN)• Designing and manufacturing

Emergency respondersEmergency responders

• Firefighters, EMS, Haz-mat, USAR• Law enforcement• Health care workers• Emergency response teams• Construction trades• Utilities

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SCBA/ Powered Air Supply

APRs

PAPRs

Thermal Imagers

Protective Clothing

Hi-Visibility Apparel

Gloves, Boots, Head Protection

Eye/Face

Hearing Protection

Communication Hearing Protection

Environmental Monitors

Rescue/ Retrieval

Fall Protection

Decontamination Equipment

Training Services

ISEA’s goalsISEA’s goals

• Ensure that responders have appropriate PPE, immediate access, and proper training

• Increase use of appropriate PPE in the response community

ISEA’s goalsISEA’s goals

• Ensure that federal grant programs specify appropriate PPE

• Ensure that PPE purchased through federal grants meets standards

• Ensure openness and fairness in the process of selecting PPE eligible for purchase

Standards for responder PPEStandards for responder PPE

• PPE standards are not new– Well established– Understood by user community– Necessary for testing, certification

• Set minimum requirements– Allow for customization

Standards for responder PPEStandards for responder PPE

• Developed in the open– Ensures broad representation,

consensus– ANSI process can be tedious

• Essential to the marketplace– The shorthand of commerce

Standardization issuesStandardization issues

• Need for comprehensive response standards– Threat-based– What do you wear/use?– When do you wear/use it?

• Liability issues– Ordinary products in extraordinary

circumstances

Standardization issuesStandardization issues

• Interoperability– Resist the temptation to customize– Adaptable to user needs– Standards/guidelines for use and

selection• SEL

– Make it user-friendly– On-line product links

Standardization issuesStandardization issues

• Industry participation– Use manufacturers’ expertise– Users will still make the final

decisions

www.www.safetyequipmentsafetyequipment.org.org