NIST/OLES

Law Enforcement PPE for Use in Violent Situations

Alim Fatah, PhD

National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Office of Law Enforcements Standards (OLES)

NIST/OLES

Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES)

• OLES is a program management organization that designs and manages standards-development and research projects on behalf of agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and others. Within OLES are six program areas: – Weapons and Protective Systems;

– Detection, Inspection, and Enforcement Technologies;

– Forensic Sciences;

– Public Safety Communication Systems;

– Critical Incident Technologies; and

– Public Safety and Security Technologies.

• These program areas conduct a vast range of projects related to protective clothing, communication systems, investigative aids, security devices, traffic enforcement equipment, vehicles, firearms and ammunition, detection of concealed weapons and explosives, forensic science, homeland security, and domestic preparedness

NIST/OLES

Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES)

• Examples of Standards in place:– NIJ 0101.04 – Ballistic Resistance of Personal

Body Armor– NIJ 0115.00 – Stab Resistance of Personal

Body Armor– NIJ 0601.02 – Walk-Through Metal Detectors

for Use in Concealed Weapon and Contraband Detection

– NIJ 0602.02 – Hand-Held Metal Detectors

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Project Goals

• Define performance standards and testing methods for Law Enforcement PPE used in violent situations (Riot Gear)

• Develop a suite of standards that can be used for equipment testing certification to ensure it meets minimum performance requirements

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Project Description

• UK suite of standards serves as a model– BS 7971: Protective Clothing for Use in Violent

Situations and Training• Utilizes UK testing standards• Defines performance requirements based on attacker

capabilities– Force delivered, location of strike, method of delivery

• Base these standards on US testing standards and performance criteria– ASTM– OSHA

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Section 1: General Requirements

• Applies to all PPE• Physically innocuous

– No sharp edges– No rough surfaces– Components can

not harm user• Chemically safe

– No allergens or toxins

– Must not degrade to form allergens

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Section 1: General Requirements

• Assessment of ergonomic performance and compatibility

– Defines activities performed while wearing PPE Combinations to evaluate compatibility

– Example: Evaluation of Personal Defense Shields

– Wear the following• Shoulder Protector• Elbow and forearm protector• Gloves• Coverall

– Do the following activities• Standing with arm movements• Walking and running• Assessment of physical discomfort

and psychological irritations

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Section 2: Risk Assessment• General method of performing a risk assessment

– Stage 1: Determine who is responsible» Identify who is supposed to make relevant decisions

– Stage 2: Determine what the hazards and risks are

– Stage 3: Determine how hazards can be eliminated and the risks can be controlled

– Stage 4: Deciding what actions are to be taken

– Stage 5: Implementation

– Stage 6: Continuous evaluation» Never completed

» Establish a timetable for a full re-assessment

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Section 2: Risk Assessment• Stage 1: Determine what the

protective clothing and equipment need to do

• Stage 2: Collect information about the PPE that is available

• Stage 3: User trials• Stage 4: Establish procedures

– Storing– Issuing– Maintaining– Record keeping

• Stage 5: Introduction of the PPE

• Stage 6: Continuous evaluation

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Section 3: Personal Defense Shields

• First line of defense that prevents or reduces the risk of injury from commonly faced hazards– Metal bars– Timbers– Baseball bats– Axes– Spikes and knives– Bricks, bottles other

lofted weapons– Gasoline bombs

• Can also serve as a means of restraining an individual

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Physical Inspection and Assessment of Surface Condition

• Sample Physical requirements– All materials, fixings, fasteners and surfaces must be free of sharp edges and rough

surfaces– The radius of curvature for all edges must be greater than 0.060 in (1.5 mm)– The maximum height of any step is 0.240 in (6 mm)– The maximum height of any projection consisting of a number of steps is 0.4 in (10 mm)

Shield Blade

Bolt Head

Washer

r1

Lock Nut

Strike Face

< 240 mil

< 240 mil

< 400 mil

r2

Washer

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Shield Flame Resistance and Flame Preconditioning

• Shield is covered with flammable liquid

• Burn for 25 sec

• Pass / fail criteria

– No drips due to melting

– No excessive warping

• This is done prior to all impact testing

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Shield Blunt impact test

• Large, blunt striker– mass = 15 lb

– drop height = 6.5 ft

• Pass / fail criteria– No cracking of shield

blade

– No fragments on the splinter sheet

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Shield Impact Deformation Test

• ASTM F736• Rounded tip striker

– Mass = 6.613 lbs

– Drop height = 3.3 ft

• Pass / fail criteria– Maximum

deformation < 1in

– No fragmentation

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Shield blade cut resistance• Impactor

– Simulate machete striking top edge of shield

– 30° Blade

– Mass = 11 lbs

– Drop height = 6.7 ft

• Pass / fail criteria

– No cut or crack can extend more than 2 in from top edge of shield

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Section 4: Limb Protectors

• Shoulder

• Upper arm

• Elbow and forearm

• Thigh

• Knee and shin

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Limb Protectors Zones of Protection

• Define protection zone as a function of a control dimension

• Example: Shin protector– Length = 25% user’s

height

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Limb Protectors Impact Tests

• Impactor– 5.5 lbs– Drop height

• Determined by designated protection level of protector

• 1 ft – 4 ft

• Pass fail criteria– Maximum peak

transmitted force– Differs according to item

being tested

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Limb Protectors Blade Impact Tests

• Striker– Simulate skipped tile– Mass = 5.5 lb (2.5 kg)– Drop height 8 – 48 in

depending on protector being tested.

• Pass/fail criteria– Maximum transmitted

force– No cuts longer than 0.020

inch through all layers

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Section 5: Footwear

• Standard footwear must protect from slipping and electrical hazards

• Footwear for use in situations where violence is expected must meet relevant ASTM requirements– ASTM F 2412 Standard Test Methods for Foot

Protection

– ASTM F 2413 Standard Specification for Performance Requirements for Foot Protection

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Footwear: ASTM Requirements

• Required of all protective footwear– Toe impact resistance

• 50 ft * lbs force

– Compression resistance• 50 ft*lbs force

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Additional requirements

• Abrasion resistant non-leather outsoles

– ASTM D 1630– NFPA 1971 7.10.10

• Abrasion index > 100

• Cracking resistance of soles under flexing

– ASTM D 1052– < 0.157 in crack growth

after 30,000 flexes• Resistance of soles to fuel oils

– ASTM D 471• Slip resistance of outsoles

– ASTM F 609 – 05• Tear resistance of outsoles

– ASTM D 624

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Additional Requirements (Cont)

• Resistance of sole to hot contact– Heating element is brought into contact with

sole• 572 °F

– Pass / fail criteria• No melting or cracking in polymeric soles

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Section 6: Gloves for mechanical chemical and thermal protection

• Abrasion resistance– ASTM D4966 (Martindale Abrasion)

– No breakthrough after 500 cycles at 1.3 psi

• Blade cut resistance– ASTM F 1790

• Must be 2.5 X as resistant to cuts as canvas

• Tearing resistance– ASTM D 2261 (Tongue rip procedure)

• Must resist tearing at 11.25 lbf

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Section 6: Gloves for mechanical chemical and thermal protection

• Puncture resistance– ASTM F 1342

– Must not be penetrated with 13.5 lbf applied to probe

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Section 6: Gloves for mechanical chemical and thermal protection

• Dexterity test– ASTM F 2010 – 00 Standard Test Method for Evaluation of

Glove Effects on Wearer Hand Dexterity Using a Modified Pegboard Test

• Test of thermal protection– ISO 17493: Clothing and equipment for protection against

heat - Test method for convective heat resistance using a hot air circulating oven

– Must not allow a second degree burn according to evaluation criteria described in ASTM F 1060 Standard Test Method for Thermal Protective Performance of Materials for Protective Clothing for Hot Surface Contact

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Section 6: Gloves for mechanical chemical and thermal protection

• Impact resistance– Striker

• Mass = 5.5 lbs

• Drop height = 8 in

– Pass / fail criteria• No sharp edges

created on glove

• Maximum peak transmitted force = 900 lbf

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Section 7: Slash resistant gloves

• Must meet similar requirements as other gloves for– Abrasion resistance– Tear resistance– Puncture resistance– Dexterity

• Blade cut resistance– 20 X as resistant as canvas material

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Section 8: Blunt trauma body protectors

• Torso protectors– Equestrian

• Must comply with ASTM F 1937– Impact tests

– Defines zones of protection

– Pedestrian• Must comply with ASTM F 1937 with different

zones of protection

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Abdomen and Genital Protectors

• Specifies– Zones of protection– Impact tests

• Brick edge impactor

• Ball impactor

– Restraint tests• Defines maximum

displacement under load and after load is withdrawn

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Sections under development

• Training suits and equipment

• Coveralls