ISO 11999-9:2016

Overview - ISO 11999-9:2016 (Fire hoods)

ISO 11999-9 specifies minimum design and performance requirements and test methods for fire hoods as part of personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters exposed to high heat and/or flame in structural firefighting. The standard defines hood classification (Class 2 and Class 3), sizing, interfaces with breathing apparatus and turnout garments, sampling/pretreatment (laundering or dry-cleaning), and required laboratory performance tests.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Classification: Fire hoods are classified as Class 2 or Class 3, with progressively stricter performance limits for Class 3.
• Design basics: Close-fitting hood with facial opening to interface with facemask, a yoke interface to the protective garment, flexible fit, and robust seam construction.
• Sampling & pretreatment: Test specimens are subject to conditioning and, where specified, five cleaning cycles (wash: ISO 6330 procedure 2A at 60 ± 3 °C; tumble dry) or dry-cleaning (ISO 3175-1).
• Flame resistance: Tested per ISO 15025 - Class 2 uses surface ignition tests (Procedure A), Class 3 uses bottom-edge ignition (Procedure B) with limits on after-flame time (mean ≤ 2 s), char length, and absence of molten debris.
• Heat resistance: Exposed per ISO 17493 at specified temperatures: Class 2: 180 °C, Class 3: 260 °C; limits on shrinkage (≤5% / ≤10%) and no melting/dripping/ignition.
• Heat transfer performance:
  • Flame exposure (ISO 9151): HTI minimums (Class 2 ≥ 8 s; Class 3 ≥ 11 s) and secondary HTI24–HTI12 requirements.
  • Radiant exposure (ISO 6942): RHTI minimums (Class 2 ≥ 11 s; Class 3 ≥ 14 s).
  • Combined flame + radiant alternative: ISO 17492 using TTI (Class 2 ≥ 700 J/m²; Class 3 ≥ 900 J/m²).
• Mechanical integrity: Residual burst strength after radiant exposure (ISO 13938-2) - Class 2 ≥ 300 kPa at 10 kW/m²; Class 3 ≥ 450 kPa at 20 kW/m². Seam burst strength ≥ 450 kPa.
• Dimensional controls: Hood opening size retention - change ≤ ±20% and not exceed 145 mm after don/doff cycling; dimensional change after laundering ≤ 5%.
• Thread resistance: Threads must not ignite, melt, or char when tested at 260 °C (ISO 3146).

Applications - who uses ISO 11999-9

• PPE manufacturers designing and certifying fire hoods
• Independent test laboratories conducting performance verification
• Fire service procurement and safety officers specifying compliant hoods
• Regulatory bodies, standards committees, and conformity assessment organizations

Related standards

• ISO 11999 (other parts: Part 1 General; Part 2 Compatibility; Parts 3–10 covering clothing, gloves, helmets, footwear, face/eye, hearing, respiratory protection)
• ISO 15025, ISO 9151, ISO 6942, ISO 17492, ISO 13938-2, ISO 3146, ISO 6330, ISO 5077, EN 960

Keywords: ISO 11999-9, fire hood standard, PPE for firefighters, firefighter PPE testing, flame resistance, heat transfer, HTI, RHTI, TTI, seam burst strength, hood opening retention.