ISO 17420-5:2021

Overview

ISO 17420-5:2021 - "Respiratory protective devices - Performance requirements - Part 5: Special application fire and rescue services" defines the minimum performance requirements for both supplied breathable gas RPD and filtering RPD used in fire and rescue operations. It is a specialist part of the ISO 17420 series and is intended to ensure respiratory protective devices (RPD) perform reliably under the thermal, mechanical, chemical and operational stresses encountered by firefighters and rescue personnel.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 17420-5 organizes requirements, tests and documentation to address special application needs. Major technical topics include:

• Classification overview for supplied breathable gas and filtering RPD, including requirement matrices that define applicable performance levels.
• General and basic requirements for RPD construction, materials and components.
• Thermal performance (resistance to heat and radiant energy) and resistance to flame.
• Resistance to hot particles (embers, sparks, ash) and chemical resistance of materials.
• Hazardous-materials considerations specific to supplied breathable gas systems.
• Contact with hot/cold surfaces, avoidance of frictional sparks, and visor behaviour after chemical exposure.
• Mechanical strength tests and practical performance (including eye irritation and operation during submersion).
• Communication performance (speaking/hearing) and audible warning device requirements.
• Explosive-atmosphere compatibility and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC).
• Pre-conditioning (vibration, shock, drop, corrosion exposure) and sequence of destructive vs. non-destructive tests.
• Testing and inspection specifics such as leak tightness, hose permeation, sampling air, and test equipment requirements.
• Marking and information supplied by the manufacturer (user guidance and safety data).

Practical applications and who uses this standard

ISO 17420-5 is used for:

• Manufacturers of firefighter and rescue respiratory protective equipment to design and verify products for special applications.
• Test laboratories performing compliance and type testing for thermal, mechanical, chemical and communication performance.
• Fire and rescue services, procurement officers and safety managers selecting RPDs for high-risk environments.
• Regulatory bodies and conformity assessment organizations setting policy or certification schemes for emergency-response RPD.

Related standards (selection)

• ISO 17420-1:2021 (General RPD requirements) - foundational requirements.
• ISO 17420-2 and ISO 17420-4 - filtering and supplied breathable gas RPD requirements.
• ISO 16900 series (methods of test and test equipment) - referenced test methods.
• IEC/ISO standards on EMC, environmental testing and explosive atmospheres (e.g., IEC 60079, IEC 61000 series).

Keywords: ISO 17420-5, respiratory protective devices, supplied breathable gas RPD, filtering RPD, fire and rescue, performance requirements, RPD testing, thermal resistance, flame resistance, communication performance.