What is PD CEN/TR 17620 about?
The purpose of PD CEN/TR 17620 is to assist employers (or the person who advises the employer such as suppliers of PPE or services, inspection, insurance companies, etc.) in taking the necessary decisions regarding the selection, use, care, and maintenance (SUCAM) of advanced garments and ensembles of garments. These garments are those intended to provide protection against heat and flame, with integrated smart textiles and smart non-textile elements for enhanced health, safety and survival capabilities that are compliant with the European legislation.
PD CEN/TR 17620 is not exhaustive in addressing all the safety concerns associated with the use of compliant protective equipment for protection against heat and flames and other related risks.
PD CEN/TR 17620 is meant for all end users that are using smart garments for protection against heat and flame. It contains information that can also be useful to other people, such as manufacturers, designers, service providers, and educators who may be confronted with smart garments used to protect against heat and flame risks although it will focus on the first four in the list below:
- Petrochemical and chemical industry
- Welders and foundries
- Utilities (electrical, gas, water)
- Firefighters and emergency response
- Sports (motorsports, boating, etc.)
- Security forces (military, police, and private)
NOTE 1- PD CEN/TR 17620 is not intended to cover the aspects related to data security and privacy. For employers using smart garments that monitor and/or collect data. It is essential that the smart protective garments are selected, used, taken care and maintained in a way that will neither compromise the safety and privacy of the user nor the security of the enterprise or authority using the smart garment systems.
Who is PD CEN/TR 17620 for?
PD CEN/TR 17620 on smart garments is relevant to:
- Assist employers (or the person who advises the employer such as suppliers of PPE or services, inspection, insurance companies, etc.)
- Developers and manufacturers in designing and producing garments with smart textiles and smart non-textile elements
- All end users that are using smart garments
- Research and technology organizations (RTOs)
- Groups of stakeholders
Why should you use PD CEN/TR 17620?
Smart clothes, also frequently referred to as high-tech clothing, smart garments, smart wear, electronic textiles, smart textiles, e-textiles, monitor clothing, or smart fabrics, are clothing items that have been enhanced with technology to add functionality beyond that of the traditional use.
PD CEN/TR 17620 supports developers and manufacturers in designing and producing garments with smart textiles and smart non-textile elements that will meet the user’s needs during the whole life cycle of the garment and comply with standard requirements set for protective clothing on use, care, and maintenance up to and including the disposal of the protective gear.
The information may also be of interest to manufacturers for designing their products and resellers to identify the products as per their clients need.
The purpose of PD CEN/TR 17620 is to establish a guidance document for smart garments for protection against heat and flames with the goal to evaluate and reduce the safety risks and potential health risks associated with poorly maintained, contaminated, or damaged protective garments with integrated smart solutions.