Overview
EN ISO 13506-2:2024 - Protective clothing against heat and flame, Part 2 defines the calculation requirements and test cases for predicting skin burn injury when human skin (or a manikin surface) is exposed to a time-varying heat flux transmitted through or around protective garments. The document specifies the skin model, numerical procedures, verification test cases and in situ calibration requirements for the thermal energy sensor - skin injury prediction system. It is a technical companion to ISO 13506-1 (thermal manikin exposure tests) and is intended for use with manikin sensor data (the ISO 13506-1 test environment includes an average incident heat flux of 84 kW/m²).
Key topics and requirements
- Skin burn injury calculation method: Defines the skin and subcutaneous tissue model, initial/boundary conditions and the procedure to compute temperature fields and the Ω (Omega) value used to predict tissue damage.
- Manikin sensor input: Uses time-resolved heat flux from thermal sensors mounted on a test manikin as the boundary condition for skin temperature and injury prediction.
- Test cases for verification: A series of prescriptive test cases are supplied to verify calculation accuracy and numerical implementation.
- In situ calibration: Requirements for calibrating the thermal energy sensor - skin injury prediction system across the range of heat fluxes that may occur under garments during testing.
- Limitations: The methods do not include terms for short-wavelength radiation penetration (e.g., electrical arc flashes, some liquid/solid fuel fires, nuclear sources), so these exposures are outside the model’s scope.
- Reporting: Specifies required test-report content including calculated injury areas and model parameters.
Applications
- Evaluating heat- and flame-resistant garments and ensembles using manikin test data to estimate potential skin injuries.
- Supporting product development and material selection for industrial, firefighting and military personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Comparing garment designs, fit effects and ensemble configurations by predicting percentage of body area at risk of burn.
- Providing model-based evidence for certification testing, risk assessment and safety engineering.
Who should use this standard
- PPE test laboratories performing thermal manikin exposures (ISO 13506-1).
- Manufacturers of protective clothing and textile engineers.
- Test method developers, safety officers and regulatory bodies assessing thermal injury risk.
- Researchers validating skin injury models and numerical simulation tools.
Related standards
- ISO 13506-1 (thermal manikin test method)
- ISO 11999-3 and EN 469 (firefighter protective clothing, optional method)
- ISO 11612 (industrial heat and flame protective clothing)
- NFPA 2112 / ASTM F1930 (comparable methods for flash fire testing)
Keywords: EN ISO 13506-2:2024, protective clothing, skin burn prediction, heat flux, thermal manikin, skin injury calculation, in situ calibration, heat and flame PPE.