EN ISO 15384:2020 PDF

Overview

EN ISO 15384:2020 (adoption of ISO 15384:2018) defines laboratory test methods and minimum performance requirements for personal protective clothing worn during wildland firefighting. It covers garments designed to protect the wearer’s body (excluding head, hands and feet) during extended outdoor firefighting tasks. The standard is intended for lightweight, breathable clothing used in wildland environments and is not intended for fire entrapment situations, structural firefighting, rescue operations, high infrared exposure, or protection against chemical/biological/electrical/radiation hazards.

Key topics and technical requirements

EN ISO 15384:2020 specifies requirements and test methods across several technical areas, including:

• Clothing design - general construction, collars, sleeves, trousers, pockets, hardware and retroreflective/fluorescent elements to ensure practical and safe garment design for wildland conditions.
• Thermal performance - tests for flame spread, face and edge ignition, heat transfer (radiation) and heat resistance of materials and components.
• Mechanical performance - material tensile strength, tear strength and main seam strength to verify durability in field use.
• Ergonomics and comfort - limits and test methods for thermal resistance and water vapour resistance to reduce heat stress during prolonged operations.
• General requirements - dimensional change after laundering, retroreflective/fluorescent performance, ageing and sample pre-treatment.
• Marking, labelling and manufacturer information - durable labels, compliance marking and user guidance required to support safe selection and maintenance.

(The standard includes methods, uncertainty of measurement guidance and a summary table of performance ratings and classification.)

Applications and who uses this standard

EN ISO 15384:2020 is used by:

• Manufacturers and designers of wildland firefighting garments to develop and certify clothing that balances protection, breathability and mobility.
• Test laboratories and conformity assessment bodies performing standardized laboratory tests and reporting performance results.
• Procurement officers and fleet managers in fire services, forestry agencies and land-management organizations specifying PPE for wildland operations.
• Safety managers and regulators assessing compliance, labeling and suitability of garments for extended outdoor firefighting.

Keywords: EN ISO 15384:2020, wildland firefighting clothing, protective clothing for firefighters, laboratory test methods, performance requirements, PPE.

Related standards

• EN 469 / ISO 11999-3 - structural firefighting clothing (not covered here)
• ISO 16073 - PPE for head, hands, feet for wildland firefighting
• ISO 15538 / EN 1486 - high infrared radiation garments (exclusion)
• ISO 18639 - rescue clothing (exclusion)
• ISO/TR 21808 - risk assessment guidance for wildland firefighting

For full test procedures, performance values and official text obtain EN ISO 15384:2020 from CEN or your national standards body.