ISO 14460:1999

Overview

ISO 14460:1999 specifies performance requirements, test methods and design parameters for protective clothing intended to protect automobile racing drivers from heat and flame. The standard covers outer garments, undergarments, socks, gloves and balaclava hoods (shoes and helmets are excluded). It is intended to ensure garments provide flame resistance, limit heat transfer to the wearer and maintain structural integrity after fire exposure and laundering.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Scope: Outer garments, undergarments, socks, gloves and balaclava hoods for automobile racing drivers; shoes and helmets excluded.
• Design requirements:
  • Outer garment: one-piece, covers neck, close-fitting at wrists and ankles, covered closure systems, structural seams maintain integrity, lifting straps on shoulders and waist.
  • Undergarments: upper-body polo necks; lower-body boxer shorts (min inner leg 50 mm) or long underpants.
  • Balaclava: at least two layers in frontal area, combined mass ≥ 360 g/m²; limited apertures for vision; designed to tuck inside garment neck.
  • Socks: mid-calf half-hose, material mass ≥ 180 g/m².
  • Gloves: back of glove at least two layers, combined mass ≥ 360 g/m², invisible seam stitching, fit over outer garment cuffs and extend ≥ 2 cm above wrist joint.
• Testing and pretreatment:
  • Flame resistance of materials - ISO 15025 (surface ignition), tested before and after pretreatment.
  • Heat transmission (HTI) of component assemblies - ISO 9151, before and after pretreatment.
  • Mechanical resistance after flame exposure - specified flexing/bending test following ISO 9151 exposure.
  • Seam tensile strength - ISO 13935-1.
  • Dimensional change - ISO 5077 (washing) and ISO 3175-1 (dry-cleaning).
  • Pretreatment: 15 washing cycles (ISO 6330 procedure) and 15 dry-cleaning cycles (ISO 3175-1); materials unsuitable for dry-cleaning (e.g., leather) are washed only.
• Performance thresholds:
  • Mean after-flaming time ≤ 2 s; no flaming/melting debris or holes.
  • Heat Transmission Index (HTI) ≥ 11 for outer garment component assemblies.
  • Structural seam tensile strength ≥ 300 N.
  • Sewing thread must not melt or after-flame.

Applications and users

ISO 14460 is used by:

• Protective clothing manufacturers and product designers to develop compliant racewear.
• Testing laboratories for type-approval and conformity assessment.
• Motorsport governing bodies, race organizers and homologation authorities (e.g., where type approval labels are checked) for safety verification.
• Safety engineers and procurement teams specifying driver protective ensembles for competitions.

Related standards

Key referenced standards include ISO 15025, ISO 9151, ISO 13688, ISO 3175-1, ISO 6330, ISO 3758, ISO 5077, ISO 13935-1 and ISO 4675 - all relevant when implementing ISO 14460 requirements.

By following ISO 14460:1999, stakeholders ensure race driver clothing balances flame/heat protection with comfort, durability and traceable test-based performance.