ANSI-ISEA 107 Update: What’s New in the 2015 Edition?

I’m too busy to read this. Please summarize the ANSI-ISEA 107-15 update.

The standard was revised to merge ANSI/ISEA 107 and ANSI/ISEA 207 to include all high-visibility safety products, including vests and accessories, under one new umbrella known as “HVSA”. Garment types were added to ease selection for type of use (Types: Off-road, Roadway, and Public safety). To accommodate smaller-size workers, the minimum area of visible material was reduced for Type R Classes 2 and 3. HVSA must be clearly labeled as either “FR” or “Not-FR.” ISO 17025 accredited laboratories must be used to test background, retroreflective, and combined performance materials (equivalents are not permitted).

What’s new in ANSI 107-15 related to FR products?

The Marking Section (11). The statement regarding flame resistance was revised to require a clear “FR” or “not FR” on the pictogram along with the garment type and performance class. For products that are not FR as defined by ANSI/ISEA 107, this statement is required to be on the label: “This garment is not flame resistant as defined by ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 Section 10.5

NFPA 1971 was removed from the list of compliant FR specifications in Section 10.5, as the standard was not being used in conjunction with high-visibility products.

Some other minor changes to marking include: photometric performance is no longer required on the label, and the product information must be provided in English, at a minimum.

For examples of compliant labels, see Appendix E of ANSI/ISEA 107-2015. Examples of labels compliant with multiple standards are shown below :Labels_Web_V2-01

Figure 1. ANSI/ISEA 107 and ANSI/ISEA 125 (Level 2) Label for a “Not-FR” ProductLabels_Web_v2-02

Figure 2.  Label indicating compliance with ANSI/ISEA 107, ANSI/ISEA 125 (Level 2), and ASTM F1506Labels_Web_v2-03

Figure 3. Label 1 of 2 for a product compliant with ANSI/ISEA 107, ANSI/ISEA 125 (Level 2), ASTM F1506, and NFPA 2112 (shown as a separate label below)

Labels_Web_v2-04

Figure 4. Label 2 of 2: separate label showing compliance with NFPA 2112

What about the Rest of the Standard?

New Terms!

In the merger of ANSI/ISEA 107 and ANSI/ISEA 207, the acronym HVSA (High-Visibility Safety Apparel) was introduced to cover all of the products now covered in the new edition. Note that this standard still does not apply to visibility requirements for Firefighter Turnout Gear; this is covered by NFPA 1971.

The Definitions Section has been updated: some changes were made for clarity and new terms were added to account for and define new products and accessories.

Updates to Types and Classes

The 2015 edition combined ANSI/ISEA 107 with ANSI/ISEA 207 (high-visibility vests) for simplification; users can now easily select garments for a particular application. Garment Types based on work environment have been added: Type O (Off-road), Type R (Roadway), and Type P (Public Safety).

Type O corresponds with Performance Class 1, and Types R and P can be either Performance Class 2 or Performance Class 3. “Supplemental” Class E added gaiters and updated descriptions, including the addition of a mandatory statement that Class E does not meet requirements if worn alone. Design requirements of each garment type are stated in Section 6.

To accommodate for smaller-size workers, the minimum area of material for a Type R (roadway and temporary traffic control zones) Class 2 or 3 was reduced for the smallest size offered.

For accessories (optional), the only construction requirement is the use of compliant materials, with minimum visible areas and minimum widths (See Table 2). Accessories are considered additional items and cannot be worn alone. Further, accessories cannot count towards meeting minimum material areas required for HVSA and supplemental items.

Identification of Personnel in Type P garments can be performed using specific names and colors (as was written in ANSI/ISEA 207):

Fire Service- Red

EMS-Green

Law Enforcement-Blue

How will Testing and Evaluation be Different?

Background, combined performance, and retroreflective materials must be evaluated by a third-party, ISO 17025 accredited laboratory (no “equivalents” permitted). There is no third-party evaluation requirement for finished HVSA, but a Declaration of Conformity (DoC, previously known as a certificate), or a document with the information required by the DoC, must be completed. There is no third-party certification (by an ISO 17065 body like SEI or UL) requirement in ANSI/ISEA 107-2015.

To harmonize with international standards, level 1 photometric requirements were removed. There is now only one level of performance for photometric requirements.

A new requirement was added for a balance of visibility design: background, retroreflective, or combined performance materials must have no less than 40% of the minimum required amount of material on both the front and back of the garment.

The test methods used for background materials are generally the same, but the editions of the methods used have been updated to reflect their current state.

The Declaration of Conformity (D6), previously known as the “Apparel and Headwear Compliance Certificate Form,” was revised for traceability of the final product to the compliant material test report. While this form itself is not mandatory, the information provided on the form IS mandatory.

Appendices- More Visuals and Information!

Appendix B was updated to include the  new garment types and classes.

Appendix C has been expanded to provide visuals of numerous acceptable design configurations. Examples of non-compliant designs are also shown.

A new Appendix E gives examples of compliant labels.

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