U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

StandardS 

 

March 2012
�

Public Safety Bomb Suit 

Certification Program requirements 

nIJ Cr-0117.00 

NIJ.gov
 

 

 

 

U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

810 Seventh Street N.W. 

Washington, DC 20531 

Eric H. Holder, Jr. 

Attorney General 

Mary Lou Leary 

Acting Assistant Attorney General 

John H. Laub 

Director, National Institute of Justice 

This and other publications and products of the National Institute 

of Justice can be found at: 

National Institute of Justice 

NIJ.gov 

Office of Justice Programs 

Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods 

www.ojp.usdoj.gov 
U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

National Institute of Justice 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program 

Requirements 

NIJ CR-0117.00 

March 2012 

NCJ 237910 
 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE 

John H. Laub 

Director 

Kristina Rose 

Deputy Director 

Chris Tillery 

Office Director, Office of Science and Technology 

Davis Hart 

Division Director, Operational Technologies Division 

Debra Stoe 

Physical Scientist, Operational Technologies Division 

Brian Montgomery 

Physical Scientist, Operational Technologies Division 

The National Institute of Justice is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice 

Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
 

Prevention; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART).
 
 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

Panel of Experts 

This document was developed by a panel of practitioners, technical experts, and others with 

experience in standards development and conformity assessment. Panel members, their 

organizations and their professional affiliations or expertise are listed in Table 1 and Table 2. 

Table 1. Practitioners 

Type Name Organization Affiliation 

Local 

(Retired) 

Martin 

Hutchings, Lead 

Sacramento (Calif.) Sheriff’s 

Department 

National Bomb Squad 

Commanders Advisory 

Board (NBSCAB) 

Local Tom Sharkey Metro Transit (WMATA) Police 

Department 

NBSCAB 

Local Albert Wessel Allegheny County (Pa.) Police 

Department 

NBSCAB 

Local Ursula Wiebusch Hartford (Conn.) Police 

Department 

NBSCAB 

State Christopher 

Ennis 

Delaware State Police Department NBSCAB 

iii 
 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

Table 2. Subject Matter and Technical Experts 

Type Name Organization Expertise 

Federal Rich Campbell U.S. Department of Justice, 

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, 

Firearms and Explosives 

Subject Matter Expert 

Federal Marina Carboni U.S. Army Natick Soldier 

Research, Development and 

Engineering (RD&E) Center 

Subject Matter Expert 

Federal Fred Chan U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E 

Center 

Subject Matter Expert 

Federal David Colanto U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E 

Center 

Subject Matter Expert 

Federal Gordon 

Gillerman 

U.S. Department of Commerce, 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

Conformity Assessment 

Federal Jerry Harkleroad U.S. Department of Justice, 

Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

Hazardous Devices School 

Instructor 

Federal Jeffrey Horlick 

(contractor) 

U.S. Department of Commerce, 

National Institute of Standards and 

Technology 

Conformity Assessment 

Federal Everett Johnson 

(contractor) 

U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security, Office of Science and 

Technology 

Subject Matter Expert 

Federal Rich McKee U.S. Department of Homeland 

Security, Office for Bombing 

Prevention 

Subject Matter Expert 

Federal Casandra 

Robinson 

(contractor) 

U.S. Department of Energy, 

Savannah River National 

Laboratory 

Standards, Conformity 

Assessment 

Federal Mike Zielinski U.S. Army Natick Soldier RD&E 

Center 

Subject Matter Expert 

Private Pat Gleason Safety Equipment Institute Standards, Conformity 

Assessment 

Private Richard James Lockheed Martin Corporation 

(NLECTC-National) 

Conformity Assessment 

Private Pam Kavalesky Intertek Test Laboratory Testing 

iv 
 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

Advisory Working Group 

The work of the panel was reviewed by an Advisory Working Group (AWG) made up of seniorlevel representatives from stakeholder organizations and individuals with experience in standards 

development and conformity assessment. Organizations represented on the AWG are listed in 

Table 3 below. 

Table 3. AWG Members 

Organization 

Fraternal Order of Police 

International Association of Chiefs of Police 

National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board 

National Sheriffs’ Association 

National Tactical Officers Association 

U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Technology 

U.S. Department of Defense, Technical Support Working Group 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Explosives 

Division 

U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, Office of 

Standards 

U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives 

U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hazardous Devices School 

v 
 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

Steering Committee 

The Steering Committee generally directed the effort and helped to ensure coordination among 

relevant federal programs. The following were the members of the Steering Committee (shown 

in Table 4 with their respective organizations during the development of this document). 

Table 4. Steering Committee Members 

Member Organization Title 

Ellen Scrivner, Chair U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice 

Programs, National Institute of Justice 

Deputy Director 

Bert Coursey U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 

Science and Technology Directorate, Office of 

Standards 

Director 

Mark Stolorow U.S. Department of Commerce, National 

Institute of Standards and Technology, Law 

Enforcement Standards Office 

Director 

vi 
 

______________ 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

FOREWORD 

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice 

(NIJ), has developed this document, NIJ CR-0117.00, Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification 

Program Requirements, which specifies the requirements that a certification body must satisfy in 

order to act as a product certification body for purposes of NIJ Standard-0117.00, Public Safety 

Bomb Suit Standard. 

Those seeking guidance concerning the selection and application of public safety bomb suits 

may wish to refer to NIJ Guide-0117.00, Public Safety Bomb Suit Selection and Application 

Guide, published as a separate document. 

NIJ standards are subject to continued research, development and testing, review and 

modification as appropriate on an ongoing basis. Users of this document are advised to consult 

the NIJ Standards and Testing Program webpage, accessed from www.nij.gov/standards, on a 

regular basis to determine whether the document has been revised or superseded. 

Technical comments and recommended revisions are welcome. Please send all written 

comments and suggestions to: Director, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 

U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC, 20531, ATTN: NIJ Standards and Testing 

Program. 

Nothing in this document is intended to create any legal or procedural rights enforceable 

against the United States. Moreover, nothing in this document creates any obligation for 

manufacturers, suppliers, public safety agencies, or others to follow or adopt any NIJ voluntary 

equipment standard. 

vii 
 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

CONTENTS 

1. SCOPE AND PURPOSE .................................................................................................... 1
 

2. REFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 2
 

3. DEFINITIONS ..................................................................................................................... 2
 

4. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................................... 4
 

5. INITIAL DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE ........................................................ 5
 

6. INSPECTION, AUDIT, AND TESTING .......................................................................... 5
 

7. CERTIFIED MODEL LISTING ....................................................................................... 6
 

8. LABELING AND MARKING ........................................................................................... 6
 

9.	 SURVEILLANCE REQUIREMENTS ............................................................................. 6
 

10.	 SUPPLIER’S MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ....................................................................... 7
 

11.	 REPORTS OF NONCOMPLIANCE, LACK OF FITNESS FOR INTENDED 

PURPOSE, FAILURE IN USE, OR SAFETY ISSUES ................................................... 7
 

APPENDIX A. TESTING REQUIREMENTS ......................................................................... 9
 

viii 
 

 

 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

1.	 SCOPE AND PURPOSE 

1.1	 Scope 

This document specifies requirements for compliance determinations under the National 

Institute of Justice (NIJ) Public Safety Bomb Suit Standard (hereafter, NIJ Standard0117.00). 

1.2	 Purpose and Applications 

1.2.1	 This document addresses accreditation requirements for certification bodies to (1) help 

ensure consistent application of NIJ Standard-0117.00 and this document, (2) establish 

uniformity in the certification body accreditation process, and (3) provide transparent 

criteria for the operation of certification programs and accreditation of product 

certification bodies. 

1.2.2	 To acquire or maintain accreditation, certification bodies shall meet or continue to meet 

the requirements established by this document, including any matter incorporated by 

reference. 

1.2.3	 The requirements of International Organization for Standardization/International 

Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) Guide 65 are hereby incorporated by reference, 

except as they may conflict with any provision of this document. 

1.3	 Interpretations 

1.3.1	 Requests for interpretations of these certification program requirements shall be made in 

writing to: Director, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. 

Department of Justice, Washington, DC, 20531, ATTN: NIJ Standards and Testing 

Program. Additional contact information may be found at www.nij.gov/standards. 

1.4	 Special Rules 

1.4.1	 In order to act as a product certification body for purposes of NIJ Standard-0117.00 or 

this document, it is necessary to be designated as a certification body by NIJ. In the 

ordinary course, receipt and maintenance of accreditation from an accrediting body 

automatically confers NIJ designation with no further action by NIJ required. 

1.4.2	 NIJ reserves the authority to introduce new or revised requirements and to set transition 

times for compliance with those requirements. 

1.4.3	 NIJ reserves the authority to communicate with any criminal justice agency or the public 

to address officer safety concerns. 

1 
 

 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

2.	 REFERENCES 

The following publications are referenced in this document. For publications listed 

immediately below with a date, only the edition cited applies. For undated publications, 

the latest edition of the referenced publication applies, including any amendments. 

2.1	 ISO/IEC Publications 

ISO/IEC Guide 65:1997. General Requirements for Bodies Operating Product 

Certification Systems. 

ISO 9000:2005. Quality Management Systems — Fundamentals and Vocabulary. 

ISO 9001. Quality Management Systems — Requirements. 

ISO/IEC Guide 23:1982. Methods of Indicating Conformity with Standards for Thirdparty Certification Systems.
 

ISO/IEC 17000:2004. Conformity Assessment — Vocabulary and General Principles.
 

ISO/IEC 17020. General Criteria for the Operation of Various Types of Bodies 

Performing Inspection. 

ISO/IEC 17021. Conformity Assessment — Requirements for Bodies Providing Audit and 

Certification of Management Systems.
 

ISO/IEC 17025. General Requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration 

Laboratories. 

2.2	 NIJ Publication 

NIJ Standard-0117.00, Public Safety Bomb Suit Standard. Washington, DC: U.S. 

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice.
 

3.	 DEFINITIONS 

In general, the definitions found in ISO/IEC Guide 65, ISO 9000 and ISO/IEC 17000 are 

incorporated by reference, except as they may conflict with the definitions below. Some 

definitions from incorporated matter are included below for convenience. 

3.1	 Accreditation: Third-party attestation related to a conformity assessment body 

conveying formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity 

assessment tasks. (ISO/IEC 17000, 5.6) 

3.2	 Attestation: Issue of a statement, based on a decision following review, that fulfillment 

of specified requirements has been demonstrated. (ISO/IEC 17000, 5.2) 

3.3	 Audit: Systematic, independent, documented process for obtaining records, statements of 

2 
 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

fact or other relevant information and assessing them objectively to determine the extent 

to which specified requirements are fulfilled. (ISO/IEC 17000, 4.4) 

3.4	 Certification: Third-party attestation related to products, processes, systems or persons. 

(ISO/IEC 17000, 5.5) 

3.5	 Certification body: Any body operating a product certification system. (ISO/IEC Guide 

65, 1.1, 1.2) 

3.6	 Certified product: Any unit of a compliant model. 

3.7	 Certified model listing: A publicly accessible enumeration of compliant models. 

3.8	 Complaint: Expression of dissatisfaction, other than an appeal, from any source. 

3.9	 Compliance/Compliant: The condition of a bomb suit model’s meeting or exceeding all 

applicable requirements of NIJ Standard-0117.00 as determined pursuant and subject to 

this document. 

3.10	 Inspection: Examination of a product design, product, process or installation and 

determination of its conformity with specific requirements or, on the basis of professional 

judgment, with general requirements. (ISO/IEC 17000, 4.3) 

3.11	 Manufacturer: A commercial enterprise engaged in fabricating a product. 

3.12	 Mark of conformity: A legally registered certification mark applied by or issued under 

the procedures of a third-party certification system for a product or service which is in 

conformity with specific standards or other technical specifications. (ISO Guide 23, 3.1) 

3.13	 Model: The manufacturer’s design, with unique specifications and characteristics, of a 

particular item. 

3.14	 Product: Except where the context indicates otherwise (e.g., in certain ISO documents), 

the term “product” means one unit of a particular model. 

3.15	 Safety alert: Notification to users or the public of an actual or potential safety issue with 

a specific product(s) or model(s), including identification of the product(s) or model(s); a 

description of the concern, its ramifications, and how it was identified; recommended 

actions to be taken; and/or other relevant information. 

3.16	 Supplier: The party that is responsible for ensuring that products meet and, if applicable, 

continue to meet, the requirements on which the certification is based. (ISO/IEC Guide 

65, 3.1) 

3.17	 Surveillance: Systematic iteration of conformity assessment activities as a basis for 

maintaining the validity of the statement of conformity. (ISO/IEC 17000, 6.1) 

3.18	 Suspension: Temporary invalidation. 

3 
 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

3.19	 Withdrawal: Revocation or cancellation. 

4.	 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS 

4.1	 Any determination of compliance with NIJ Standard-0117.00 shall be made pursuant and 

subject to the requirements of this document. 

4.2	 The certification body shall be accredited to the requirements of this document and 

ISO/IEC Guide 65. Accreditation of the certification body shall be issued by an 

accreditation body that is a signatory to the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) 

Multilateral Arrangement (MLA) for the scope of product certification. 

4.3	 To acquire or maintain accreditation, the certification body shall give prior written 

consent to the accreditation body’s provision to NIJ (upon its request) of information 

gained in the course of the accreditation body’s activities. 

4.4	 For conducting testing, the certification body shall use only test laboratories that are 

accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 by an accreditation body that is a signatory to the 

International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC) Mutual Recognition 

Arrangement. 

4.4.1	 The test laboratory's scope of accreditation shall include the standard or test method for 

which it is supplying data. 

4.4.2	 The test laboratory shall be independent of any supplier. 

4.5	 If the certification body elects to use external inspection bodies for conducting 

manufacturing facility inspections and audits, any such use shall meet the requirements of 

ISO/IEC 17020. 

4.6	 The certification body shall not process or provide certifications as to compliance with 

portions or segments of NIJ Standard-0117.00 and shall not allow a supplier to use any 

reference to NIJ Standard-0117.00 in any statements about its products or models unless 

the applicable model is compliant. 

4.7	 Prior to any initial determination of compliance, the certification body shall obtain: 

(1) Written consent of the supplier for the certification body to provide to NIJ (upon its 

request) information gained in the course of the certification body’s activities relating 

to the supplier or a particular product or model; and 

(2) Written agreement from the supplier to promptly provide supplier records (see 

Section 10.2 and 10.3) to NIJ upon its request. 

4.8	 The certification body shall promptly provide to NIJ (upon its request) any information: 

(1) Pertaining to the compliance of any product or model; or 

4 
 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

(2) Pertaining to its accreditation. 

4.9	 The certification body shall promptly notify NIJ of any product recall notices it receives 

under Section 10.2. 

4.10	 The certification body shall require the supplier to include, prominently, in the user 

information for each bomb suit, the following: 

“Potential purchasers and users are strongly advised to consult the NIJ Standards and 

Testing Program webpage, accessed from www.nij.gov/standards, and to review carefully 

any safety notice or other advisory that NIJ may have issued concerning public safety 

bomb suits.” 

5.	 INITIAL DETERMINATION OF COMPLIANCE 

5.1	 The certification body shall have a program for initial determination of compliance of 

models. 

5.2	 At a minimum, the program shall include inspection, audit, and testing as required by NIJ 

Standard-0117.00 and this document, including the following: 

(1) Labeling and marking as specified in Section 8; 

(2) Supplier’s applicable manufacturing facilities; and 

(3) Supplier’s management systems as specified in Section 10, and related procedures, 

records, and documentation. 

6.	 INSPECTION, AUDIT, AND TESTING 

6.1	 For both initial determination of compliance and surveillance, the certification body shall 

conduct inspection, audit, and testing as specified in this section or otherwise in this 

document. 

6.2	 Where feasible, surveillance inspections of manufacturing facilities, and related audits, 

shall be unannounced. 

6.3	 Inspection shall include the following: 

(1) Review of applicable form and fit requirements under NIJ Standard-0117.00, for at 

least one bomb suit; 

(2) Review of required product labels under NIJ Standard-0117.00, for at least one bomb 

suit; and 

(3) Review of any manufacturing facilities. 

6.4	 Audit shall include a review of the following: 

5 
 

 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

(1) Applicable form and fit requirements under NIJ Standard-0117.00; 

(2) Required user information and technical data package under NIJ Standard-0117.00; 

and 

(3) Supplier’s management systems as specified in Section 10, and related procedures, 

records, and documentation. 

6.5	 The certification body shall not use specimens (i.e., conditioned samples) or test results 

provided by a supplier. 

7.	 CERTIFIED MODEL LISTING 

7.1	 The certification body shall maintain a certified model listing of applicable models, 

including a web-based listing. 

7.2	 Any certified model listing shall display the following prominently: 

“Potential purchasers and users are strongly advised to consult the NIJ Standards and 

Testing Program webpage, accessed from www.nij.gov/standards, and to review carefully 

any safety notice or other advisory that NIJ may have issued concerning public safety 

bomb suits.” 

8.	 LABELING AND MARKING 

8.1	 The certification body shall not authorize suppliers to use any mark of conformity or 

reference to the certification body on any product other than a certified product. 

8.1.1	 The certification body shall require its mark of conformity to be part of, attached to, or 

immediately adjacent to a product label that otherwise satisfies the requirements for 

labeling in NIJ Standard-0117.00. 

8.1.2	 The certification body shall require its mark of conformity to be legibly printed. 

9.	 SURVEILLANCE REQUIREMENTS 

9.1	 The certification body shall have a surveillance program for compliant models to 

determine continued compliance, and all such models shall undergo surveillance. 

9.2	 At a minimum, the surveillance program shall include the following: 

(1) Inspection and audit as specified in Section 6, annually; and 

(2) Testing to the performance requirements for compliant models as required by NIJ 

Standard-0117.00, per Table 5 of Appendix A of this document. 

9.3	 The certification body may use products from the supplier’s production line or inventory, 

or from the open market, for surveillance inspection and surveillance testing. 

6 
 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

9.4	 The certification body shall require the supplier to submit any proposed change(s) to a 

compliant model and related documentation prior to implementation of a change. The 

certification body shall evaluate the change(s) and impact to the model and determine (1) 

which tests are required to be performed, if any, to demonstrate continued compliance, or 

(2) if the change is so significant that the change will result in a new model. 

10.	 SUPPLIER’S MANAGEMENT SYSTEM 

10.1	 The certification body shall require the supplier to be certified/registered to ISO 9001 

(with respect to manufacturing public safety bomb suits) by a certification body that is 

accredited as conforming to ISO/IEC 17021 by an accreditation body that is a signatory 

to the IAF MLA. 

10.2	 The certification body shall require that the supplier have in place a documented product 

recall process to be used in the event that the supplier decides, or is required by the 

certification body, to issue a product recall. The product recall process shall satisfy the 

certification body. 

10.3	 The certification body shall require suppliers to maintain at least the following records 

for a minimum of ten years: 

(1) Information provided by the certification body relating to the supplier or a particular 

product or model; 

(2) Information prepared in response to the certification body’s certification-programrelated activities; 

(3) Returns and complaints related to certified products and actions taken in response; 

(4) Documentation related to certified product recall. 

11.	 REPORTS OF NONCOMPLIANCE, LACK OF FITNESS FOR INTENDED 

PURPOSE, FAILURE IN USE, OR SAFETY ISSUES 

11.1	 The certification body shall establish procedures for dealing with reports (or indications) 

from any source, including surveillance, that certified products are noncompliant, are 

unfit for the intended purpose, have failed in use, or involve a safety issue. 

11.2	 When a report under Section 11.1 is received by the certification body, the credibility of 

the report shall be investigated. 

11.2.1	 When investigation reveals that the report is other than frivolous, the certification body 

shall notify NIJ promptly, providing, at minimum, supplier name(s), model number(s), 

and the substance of the allegation(s). 

11.3	 The certification body shall require the supplier promptly to notify it in writing whenever 

the supplier determines that a certified product may be noncompliant, be unfit for the 

intended purpose, have failed in use, or involve a safety issue. The certification body 

7 
 

 

Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

shall require the supplier to provide information about its review, to assist the 

certification body with its investigation. 

11.3.1	 The certification body shall require the supplier to notify it of any safety alert or certified 

product recall not initiated by the certification body, as soon as the decision to issue the 

same has been made. 

11.4	 If the investigation reveals the certified product to be noncompliant, to be unfit for the 

intended purpose, to have failed in use, or to involve a safety issue, and action is 

indicated, the certification body, with prompt notice to NIJ, shall take at minimum one or 

more of the following actions: 

(1) Require the supplier to issue a safety alert, when, in the opinion of the certification 

body, such an alert is necessary or advisable to inform users or the public; 

(2) Require the supplier to issue a product recall, when, in the opinion of the certification 

body, such a recall is necessary or advisable to protect users or the public; 

(3) Suspend or withdraw the model certification; 

(4) Remove the product from its certified model listing or to annotate its certified model 

listing entry, as appropriate, to explain the action(s); and 

(5) Take such action(s) as may be appropriate. 

The certification body shall provide a report to NIJ of its findings and related 

information, promptly upon request. 

8 
Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

APPENDIX A. TESTING REQUIREMENTS Table 5. Initial Compliance and Surveillance 

Test Method Initial Compliance Testing Requirements Surveillance Testing Requirements 

Donning and Quick Doffing One bomb suit in each of the smallest and 

largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Incapacitated Doffing One bomb suit sized to fit the test surrogate. None. Static Field of View (FOV) One bomb suit in each of the smallest and 

largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Dynamic FOV: Head Rotation Only 

One bomb suit in each of the smallest and largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Dynamic FOV: Head and Body Motion 

One bomb suit in each of the smallest and largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Coin Recovery One bomb suit in each of the smallest and 

largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Lie on Back and Stand Up One bomb suit in each of the smallest and 

largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Test Course One bomb suit in each of the smallest and 

largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Gross Body Mobility One bomb suit in each of the smallest and 

largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Fogging Assessment One bomb suit in each of the smallest and 

largest sizes offered. 

None. 

Optics: Distortion Three samples of each size face shield. None. 

Optics: Luminous Transmittance Three samples of each size face shield. None. 

Optics: Refractive Power Three samples of each size face shield. None. Optics: Prismatic Deviation Three samples of each size face shield. None. 

Optics: Haze Three samples of each size face shield. None. 

9 
Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

Test Method Initial Compliance Testing Requirements Surveillance Testing Requirements 

Flammability • Five specimens in the warp direction per 

each type of outer surface material. 

• Five specimens in the fill direction per 

each type of outer surface material. 

• Three helmets (may be reused for impact 

test) or three helmet shells. 

Frequency of surveillance testing: Upon the sale of 300 bomb suits but no more frequently than once each year and no less frequently than once every three years. • Five specimens in the warp direction per 

each type of outer surface material. 

• Five specimens in the fill direction per each 

type of outer surface material. 

• One helmet (may be reused for impact test) 

or one helmet shell. 

Electrostatic Discharge: Resistance measurement 

One bomb suit in any size. None. 

Electrostatic Discharge: Strap Intact 

Performed during test course. None. 

Head Protection: Impact Nine helmets, three each configured to fit 

three headforms (small, medium, large). 

Frequency of surveillance testing: Upon the sale of 300 bomb suits but no more frequently than once each year and no less frequently than once every three years. Two complete helmets, one each configured to the large headform and tested at extreme environmental conditions of high and low temperature. 

Spine Protection - Impact Three facsimile samples of each size. Frequency of surveillance testing: Upon the sale 

of 300 bomb suits but no more frequently than once each year and no less frequently than once every three years. One facsimile sample of each size. 

10 
Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

Test Method Initial Compliance Testing Requirements Surveillance Testing Requirements 

Fragmentation • Six facsimile samples for each 

protection area with fabric protection (including plate inserts where appropriate). 

• Six helmets (three helmets per threat 

round). 

• Minimum of three face shields. 

Frequency of surveillance testing: Upon the sale of 300 bomb suits but no more frequently than once each year and no less frequently than once every three years. Fragmentation testing shall be performed on one facsimile sample per threat round for two protection areas with fabric protection (including plate inserts where appropriate). 

• One test shall be performed on the 

protective element for one of the following protection areas: torso medial or neck medial. The area shall be selected in random order. Neither of these areas may be selected again before the other is tested. 

• The other of the two tests shall be 

performed on the protective element for one of the protection areas not listed above. The area shall be selected in a random sequence. With respect to each sequence, none of these areas may be selected more than once. 

• If the facsimile sample fails, two 

additional facsimile samples shall be tested and the procedure for calculations detailed in NIJ Standard-0117.00 shall be followed. 

Fragmentation testing shall be performed on two helmets (one helmet per threat round) and one face shield. 

11 
Public Safety Bomb Suit Certification Program Requirements 

Test Method Initial Compliance Testing Requirements Surveillance Testing Requirements 

Bomb Suit Integrity One bomb suit. Frequency of surveillance testing: Upon the sale 

of 300 bomb suits but no more frequently than once each year and no less frequently than once every three years. Bomb suit integrity surveillance testing may be performed by the supplier and witnessed by the certification body. One bomb suit shall be subjected to one explosion. 

Drag Rescue Device One suit sized to fit test surrogate. None. 

Slip Resistance Two samples of walking surface. None. Label Durability: Wear Three labels sewn onto suit material. None. Label Durability: Chemical Three labels. None. 

12 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Law Enforcement and Corrections 

Standards and Testing Program 

The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standards and Testing Program is sponsored by the 

NIJ Office of Science and Technology within the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice 

Programs. The program responds to provisions in the Homeland Security Act of 2002 that 

authorize the NIJ Office of Science and Technology to establish and maintain performance 

standards (in accordance with the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995) 

for law enforcement technologies that may be used by federal, state and local law enforcement 

agencies, and to test and evaluate those technologies. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 also 

authorizes the NIJ Office of Science and Technology to establish and maintain a program to 

certify, validate and mark or otherwise recognize law enforcement technology products that 

conform to the standards mentioned above. 

The NIJ Standards and Testing Program works to identify the needs of state and local criminal 

justice system practitioners for equipment standards and test protocols, develops voluntary performance standards for specific criminal justice tools and technologies, establishes conformity 

assessment requirements for demonstrating that commercially available equipment conforms 

to those standards, and publishes listings of product models that have been tested through one 

or more specified organizations and found to comply with the standards. The standards development process begins with the operational needs and requirements of practitioners in the field 

being defined, and, based on those needs, the standards are developed principally by a special 

technical committee led by criminal justice practitioners and including testing and conformity 

assessment experts, other technical experts, federal partners and members from practitioner 

stakeholder organizations. Manufacturers, vendors and other interested parties are provided 

with an opportunity to review and comment on draft standards prior to their publication. 

As indicated above, all NIJ standards developed through the Standards and Testing Program 

are voluntary standards. There is no requirement or obligation for manufacturers, law enforcement agencies or others to follow or adopt these voluntary law enforcement technology equipment standards. The primary intent of these standards is to provide the end user of a model of 

equipment found to be compliant with a particular standard with performance information on 

key equipment characteristics, provide a level of confidence in that particular model’s fitness for 

use in specified circumstances and allow comparison of product models based on standardized 

testing methods and performance requirements. These standards do not specify a particular 

solution but rather define what a potential solution must accomplish. The ultimate goal is to 

help ensure to the degree possible that law enforcement technology equipment is safe, reliable 

and effective. 

Publications related to the Standards and Testing Program, including the voluntary standards 

and associated documents, are available at no charge through the National Law Enforcement 

and Corrections Technology Center-National (NLECTC-National) and also are available online at 

http://www.nij.gov/standards and http://www.justnet.org. To request a document or additional information, please call (800) 248-2742 or (301) 519-5060, or send an e-mail to asknlectc@justnet.org. 

Users of NIJ standards are advised to check with http://www.nij.gov/standards on a regular 

basis to determine whether a particular law enforcement technology equipment standard has 

been revised or superseded, or the compliance status of a particular model has changed. 

This document is not intended to create, does not create, and may not be 

relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable at 

law by any party in any matter civil or 

criminal. 

Opinions or points of view expressed in 

this document represent a consensus 

of the authors and do not represent the 

official position or policies of the U.S. 

Department of Justice. The products 

and manufacturers discussed in this 

document are presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement 

by the U.S. Department of Justice. 

The National Institute of Justice is a 

component of the Office of Justice 

Programs, which also includes the 

Bureau of Justice Assistance; the 

Bureau of Justice Statistics; the 

Office for Victims of Crime; the Office 

of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency 

Prevention; and the Office of Sex 

Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, 

Apprehending, Registering, and 

Tracking.