Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Flame Resistant Clothing for Protection Against Flash Fire Simulations Using an Instrumented Mannequin

ASTM F1930 specifies a standard process for measuring the average predicted body burn of a fabric based on a laboratory flash fire simulation.  

• The fabric is sewn into a standard coverall pattern. 
• The coverall is placed on an instrumented mannequin.  
• Sensors measure the performance of single layer garments or protective clothing ensembles in a simulated flash fire environment with controlled heat flux, flame distribution, and duration.
• Heat transmitted to each sensor location on the surface of an instrumented mannequin is converted to show the corresponding predicted degree of burn injury to human tissue.
• The sum of these values can then be converted to a percentage to show the total area of predicted burn injury.
• Use of the predicted burn injury to evaluate the heat transferred to the mannequin does not constitute a material's performance specification.
• The visual and physical changes to the single layer garment or protective clothing ensemble are recorded to aid in understanding how the burn injury results can be interpreted.
• The measurements obtained and observations noted can only apply to the particular garment(s) or ensemble(s) tested using the specified heat flux, duration, and flame distribution.

This test method is extremely complex and requires a high degree of technical expertise in both the test setup and operation.

This standard should be used to measure and describe the response of materials, products, or assemblies to heat and flame under controlled conditions and should not be used to describe or appraise the fire-hazard or fire-risk of materials, products, or assemblies under actual fire conditions.

However, results of this test may be used as elements of a fire-hazard assessment or a fire-risk assessment which takes into account all of the factors which are pertinent to an assessment of the fire hazard or fire risk of a particular end use.

This test method is a fire-test-response test method.