Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

Final Report 

Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

For 

National Institute of Standards & Technology 

US Department of Commerce 

Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

By the 

Center for Research on Textile Protection & Comfort (T-PACC) 

College of Textiles 

North Carolina State University 

March 14, 2017 

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Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

Executive Summary 

The objective of this project was to develop course content and instructional approaches to increase 

the knowledge of standards for safety and performance textiles. During this phase, we incorporated 

instruction on standards into undergraduate and graduate courses taught at the College of Textiles 

at NC State University. We presented standards information in short courses, and at conferences 

and meetings of standards organizations. Key topics addressed include: 

● Requirements for reliable reference standards for personal protective clothing and equipment 

(PPE); the need to quantify test precision, reproducibility, and accepted practices for validating 

measurement and test procedures for performance and safety textiles. 

● The need for reliable reference standards for instruments and methods for testing PPE, 

including the calibration requirements of instrumented test methods. 

● The strengths and limitations of using standardized tests to predict real world performance in 

safety textile applications. We address the need for hazard assessment and risk analysis as the 

basis for test methods and performance requirements for different PPE applications. 

● The role of national and international standards development organizations, including ASTM, 

ANSI, NIOSH, NIJ, ISEA, CEN and ISO. We provide instruction on the processes used to 

develop consensus performance standards for PPE. 

● The role of performance standards and certifications in product innovation and in the marketing 

and commercialization of safety and performance textiles. 

We incorporated instruction on standards into an undergraduate course on textiles testing during 

this cooperative agreement. Appendix I shows the class outline for instructional modules 

incorporated into TE 331, a required undergraduate course for textile engineers on testing and 

evaluation of textile materials. The course includes a group project activity on standards. Appendix 

II shows a survey instrument developed to assess student knowledge about standards used in TE 

331 and in an introductory survey course on Fiber Science. 

We developed the syllabi for two new graduate level courses for the Textile Engineering 

curriculum. The focus of one graduate level course is protective gear for fire, intense heat and 

mechanical and ballistic hazards. The focus of the second course is on PPE for chemical, biological 

and medical threats. Each of these courses covers requirements for standardized tests, formation 

of performance criteria, and the basics of standardization processes for specific thermal or 

chemical hazards. These courses will use lectures and group projects to engage students in 

discussions and cooperative learning experiences. They incorporate opportunities for students to 

observe and participate in conducting laboratory-testing procedures. U-tube recordings of testing 

procedures are accessible for current students. These videos will be a key element of planned 

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distance education classes that feature standards instruction in safety and performance textiles. 

In order to build mastery, assignments require students to read material on the requirements for 

tests methods and performance standards. Case studies are used, in which students are expected to 

learn about the risks and user needs for particular workers and then to become familiar with the 

relevant performance standards for the protective clothing used for that job. Then, students discuss 

the value and limitation of existing standards. 

We have designed a new certificate program in protective and performance textiles that will 

provide additional opportunities to leverage our standards instruction modules. The certificate 

program will be open to students in any of NCSU’s graduate curricula. The certificates requires a 

set of core courses (basic knowledge of textile systems, TE550 and TE551, along with a choice of 

at least three additional courses including the new courses on Thermal Protection and Chemical 

Protection. For students enrolled in traditional graduate curricula, the certificate will provide 

evidence of additional specialized knowledge. 

We developed foundational elements for asynchronous and synchronous distance education 

versions of a course on the impact of clothing on human heat stress. We recorded this course in 

the fall of 2016 as a first step in that process. 

Finally, we have developed a survey instrument for assessing student knowledge of performance 

standards (Appendix II). We are using this survey to accumulate these data in on-going classes. 

Discussion 

Our specific achievements against stated objectives include: 

Development of course content on standards and standardization 

During this cooperative agreement, we developed the syllabi for two new graduate courses that 

focus on performance and protective textile technologies. The syllabus for a new course on 

“Protective Clothing and Equipment for Chemical and Biological Hazards” is included in 

Appendix III. This course provides instruction on risk assessments and the critical need to balance 

threat protection with physiological strain, system comfort and functional utility/ergonomics of 

the protective clothing and other gear. It instructs on the basic requirements for performance 

standards, understanding of how materials and systems are used, the reliability of measurements 

(accuracy and precision), and the need for test method validation. It provides information on 

chemical, biological radiological or nuclear hazards and on the basics of toxicology (dosage, 

physical state, toxicologically relevant end-points), routes of exposure (dermal, respiratory, 

ingestion) and core technical content for engineering solutions to reduce exposures and need for 

personal protective clothing and equipment for users in hazardous situations. It covers the 

processes for creating consensus standards for firefighter and emergency responder PPE followed 

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by the National Fire Protection (NFPA), with specific discussion of PPE Standards (NFPA 1991, 

1992, 1994). It covers the concept of providing graduated levels of protection for users depending 

on the specific environment and threat. It cover basic principles of cost/benefit analysis for 

protection versus functionality and for protection versus thermal burden. Students will critically 

examine the strengths, weakness and gaps of both current methods and performance standards. 

These elements have also been introduced in on-going graduate level courses in Textile 

Engineering: TE 550 “Principles of Human Protection and Comfort” and TE 551 “Human 

Physiology for Clothing and Wearables”. 

We have developed a second course called “Thermal and Mechanical Protection Clothing and 

Equipment”. This course provides an in-depth treatment of topics on protection against different 

thermal threats. It covers mechanical hazards, fibers and fabrics used for protection, materials 

tests and performance standards, and the costs and benefits of different materials and design 

approaches. Examples include hot work industrial garments, wildlands firefighting systems, 

electrical shock hazards, structural firefighting and proximity firefighting. In addition, gear for 

Technical Rescue (Urban Search and Rescue, extrication from vehicles, mechanical hazards and 

other industrial hazards are presented. Students will critically evaluate current test methods and 

performance standards. Standards discussed in the course include ASTM Standard test methods 

for thermal protection, physiological protection, and other relevant procedures as well as NFPA 

Standards on Firefighting (NFPA 1971, NFPA 1983, NFPA 1851, NFPA 1977) and Technical 

Rescue (NFPA 1951). Students will learn about the trade-offs between protection, operational 

tactics used for responding to incidents, and the gaps in current test methods and standards. 

Elements of this course have been introduces in TE550 and TE551, and in short courses for 

industry offered by the College of Textiles. 

We have incorporated new course materials on standards into TE 331, the textile-testing course 

required for Textile Engineering majors. This course covers the basic requirements for testing and 

evaluating textile materials. The instruction stresses the applicability of the test for the intended 

purpose and the use of testing results to set performance criteria, measurements of reliability 

(precision and accuracy), and the need for test method. We are implementing surveys of student 

knowledge of standards into two undergraduate courses (Appendix II). 

Development of new pedagogical procedures 

We are teaching an appreciation for the use of standards as an integral part of the process of 

innovation in PPE technologies. To accomplish this learning objective, we have incorporated case 

studies, mostly taken from our research in PPE, that demonstrate the critical connection between 

performance standards and the development of useful protective clothing and gear. Examples from 

research projects that have resulted in the development of new test methods and contributed to 

help establish a technical basis for standard performance requirements illustrate the central role of 

standards in developing innovative PPE technologies. 

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We are utilizing multiple methodologies for instruction to introduce information on requirements 

for standardized tests, formation of performance criteria, and the basics of standardization 

processes. We have adopted methodologies designed to address the learning styles of auditory, 

visual and experiential learners. A variety of instructional approaches, including traditional 

lectures and group projects, are used to engage students in discussions and cooperative learning 

experiences. Students have the opportunity to observe laboratory testing procedures and to ask 

questions on methods, limitations and operational details. 

We employ extensive reading and interpretation assignments that require students to interpret 

standards and put them to use for practical applications. Internet accessible recordings of testing 

procedures are available for current students. These new media will be a core element of distance 

education classes. Students will have the opportunity to participate in the analysis and 

interpretation of experimental results. We will provide data obtained from experiments shown in 

online videos to distance education students. Students will analyze the data and interpret testing 

results in the same manner as if they had conducted the experiments. In some cases, group projects 

will permit students to share their analysis of particular experiments so that they can develop 

holistic evaluations of clothing systems. 

In another approach, student teams identify protection or performance-related applications for high 

performance textiles or PPE systems. In TE551, students assume roles such as designer, 

manufacturer, testing body, standards organization, user, purchaser, labor union, or manufacturer. 

They discuss how to use tests and standards to meet the needs of the chosen application, and how 

to arrive at consensus standards for the products. They discuss how to account for diverse 

stakeholder interests, and challenges that may arise in arriving at a consensus standard. Individual 

students identify an application for protective clothing and equipment. They identify key standards 

that apply to that application. They identify key tests and performance requirements. They write a 

paper to discuss their findings. This exercise requires that the students have an understanding of 

the minimum performance to meet certification requirements. They present the results to the class 

in a 10-15 minute talk that includes a discussion of the protection provided because of the 

performance standard, as well as any limitations that they have identified. 

We are in the process of developing online versions of these courses with standards content. We 

recorded TE551in the fall semester of 2016. We are using recordings to create internet-suitable 

graphics and demonstrations. Project team members, the technology support group for the College 

of Textiles, and DELTA (North Carolina State University’s Distance Education and Learning 

Technology Applications) have joined to enable a distance education version of that course as a 

model for standards education content. We have developed videos of important test procedures, 

such as the Kawabata Evaluation System test method, as part of this effort. 

Definition of student needs and learning gaps 

We have developed a survey instrument to assess undergraduate students’ familiarity with testing 

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and performance standards (Appendix II). We have used the survey in TE331. We assess mastery 

of standards and standardization topics during this course through testing and through the 

evaluation of the group project on standards and certifications (Appendix I). The survey is also 

administered to student in TMS211 “Introduction to Fiber Science,” to begin collecting data on 

the level of standards knowledge for students entering in the College of Textiles. We are analyzing 

the results. We will use these findings to facilitate incorporation of key standards concepts into 

future introductory courses. 

Develop instruments to judge the effectiveness and sustainability of the new courses 

Student enrollments in courses that incorporate standards instruction at the graduate level (TE550 

and TE551) have doubled over the last four years, and enrollment had to be capped in 2016 (Figure 

1). Based on this success, we will add standards topics to other courses taught in the College of 

Textiles. Many students are seeking to enroll in the new graduate courses. In addition, industry, 

government scientists and students at other institutions have expressed interest in enrolling through 

Distance Education options. 

Increase awareness of Standards Education and Research Activities 

One objective of this project was to expand knowledge of standards to the broader community. 

Faculty, graduate students and staff have presented on topics at conferences and meetings, and at 

NFPA project meetings. 

We presented a progress reports on the Cooperative Agreement to the November 2014 and 2015 

NIST Standards Education workshops. In addition, we published an article on Integrating 

Standards into Courses on High Performance Garment Systems and Human Protection and 

Comfort at North Carolina State University [1]. This article describes our experience 

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incorporating standards into our educational program. We discuss the value that this cooperative 

agreement has had in furthering the objective of standards education at the College of Textiles. 

We made a presentation on the topic of addressing important gaps in the current PPE standards at 

the Tenth ASTM Symposium on Performance of Protective Clothing in January 2016. In addition 

to the presentation on Gaps in Standards, T-PACC faculty and students presented a number of 

other papers related to standards and development of new test methods were presented at the 

January 2015 ASTM Symposium [2-6]. 

William Gabler, a PhD student in T-PACC, received the Second Place Award at ANSI “World 

Standards Day,” for his paper Building Community: Innovation through Consensus [6]. This paper 

addressed the value of standards in advancing new technologies and identifying shortcomings in 

current technologies. William participated in the Standard Simulation Event for young 

professionals who are involved with standards. 

We presented at numerous short courses that included standards and testing topics. These courses 

are offered by the NCSU College of Textiles and attended by industry, military and governmental 

professionals. Examples included discussions of dyeing and finishing test methods, performance 

and sports apparel, technical textiles (sport and performance apparel, military textiles, and PPE), 

and physical testing of textiles. Over the period of the Cooperative Agreement, we have delivered 

instruction on various aspects of standards to over 350 professionals. 

Summary 

This NIST Cooperative Agreement has been extremely valuable in developing course content and 

instructional approaches to increase the knowledge of standards for safety and performance 

textiles. 

References: 

1. Thompson, D. B., Barker, R., and DenHartog, E., “Standards Engineering, v. 68, no. 1, 

January/February 2015, p. 1-6. 

2. McQuerry, M., DenHartog, E., Barker, R., and Hummel, A., “Alternative Methodologies for 

Determining the Impact of Clothing Ventilation in Structural Turnout Suits,” Performance of 

Protective Clothing and Equipment: 10th Volume, Risk through Research and Testing, STP 

1953, Brian Shiels and Karen Lehtonen, eds., ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 

2016, pp. 313-330, doi:10.1520/STP159320160003. 

3. Hummel, A., Watson, K., and Barker, R., “Comparisons of Two Test Methods for Evaluating 

the Radiant Protective Performance of Wildland Firefighting Protective Clothing Materials,” 

Performance of Protective Clothing and Equipment: 10th Volume, Risk through Research and 

Testing, STP 1953, Brian Shiels and Karen Lehtonen, eds., ASTM International, West 

Conshohocken, PA, 2016, pp. 178-194, doi:10.1520/STP159320160012. 

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Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

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4. Ormond, R.B., “Considerations for Applying Man-in-Simulant Test Methodologies for the 

Evaluation of Fully Encapsulating Chemical Protective Ensembles,” Performance of 

Protective Clothing and Equipment: 10th Volume, Risk through Research and Testing, STP 

1953, Brian Shiels and Karen Lehtonen, eds., ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 

2016, pp. 212-232, ldoi:10.1520/STP159320160010. 

5. Mekeel, C.J., and Gao, P. Development and Validation of an Alternative Chemical Permeation 

Test Cell,” Performance of Protective Clothing and Equipment: 10th Volume, Risk through 

Research and Testing, STP 1953, Brian Shiels and Karen Lehtonen, eds., ASTM International, 

West Conshohocken, PA, 2016, pp. 250-271, doi:10.1520/STP159320160016. 

6. Gabler, W. and Ormond, R. B., “Interlaboratory Variation for Permeation Test Standards and 

Considerations for Test Materials,” Performance of Protective Clothing and Equipment: 10th 

Volume, Risk through Research and Texting, STP 1953, Brian Shiels and Karen Lehtonen, 

eds., ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2016, p. 272-284, 

doi:10.1520/STP159320160022. 

Disclaimer: 

North Carolina State University prepared this report under Cooperative Agreement 

70NANB13H247 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. Department of 

Commerce. The statements, finding, conclusions and recommendations do not necessarily reflect 

the views of the National Institute of Standards and Technology or the U.S. Department of 

Commerce. 

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Appendix I: Model Assignment for TE 331 

Student Assignment and Presentation Outline 

TT331/EADH/20160330 

Class Exercise 

Standardization Committees and balancing conflicting interests 

Standardization committee on safety and health of Oil Off-shore industry workers 

Group Assignment TT331, Spring 2016 

You will be assigned to one of the interest groups and prepare your point of view, by discussing 

with your fellow group students and thinking about it yourself. Prepare a set of questions for the 

expert that are specific to your interest group. You need to think for that specific viewpoint and be 

critical of the proposed method and how it might impact your interests (business, safety, 

complexity, ...). 

During the meeting we will exchange viewpoints, ask questions and discuss the issues that exist 

and see what the major issues are for the different groups. At the end each group will verbally 

present a brief statement on what they think about the proposed method, keeping all interests in 

mind. Then, as a group you will prepare a bulleted list of: 

- Questions you still have with the proposed method 

- Positive points about adding this method to the product standard – From your groups’ perspective 

only (“Why do this”?) 

- Negative points about adding this method to the product standard – From your groups’ 

perspective only (“Why not do this” – objections) 

This can be in a word document or a brief Powerpoint; make sure you state: 

- Group – Stakeholder/interest group 

- Name of the students 

- Class TT331-Spring 2016 and date; 

Background 

In the off shore industry workers have to do their jobs at a wide range of climatic environments, 

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ranging from the Nordic/arctic seas, which can be extremely cold, to moderate regions, in which 

rain and chill temperatures are a main issues as well as very hot and humid conditions as in the 

Persian gulf (about the hottest place on earth) and the gulf of Mexico. 

That might not be a huge issue but for the multiple other, additional hazards that these workers 

face during their work, to name some: 

- Falling objects and bumping into objects (impact protection) 

- Slipping and Falling of structures and heights (slip and fall protection) 

- Chemicals being used in production sometimes, with chance of accidental exposure (skin 

protection) 

- Oils, lubricants and similar substances used every day (skin protection) 

- Electrostatic Discharge [ESD] (electric hazards and possible cause of fire) 

- Fire and flames (fire and flame protection, limited) 

- Sharp objects, on the structure or from tools (cut and puncture protection) 

This committee has done quite a good job to set requirements for fabrics to be used for these 

workers, balancing the absolutely necessary protection with some comfort. Modern Flame 

Retardant (FR) fabrics are used that provide ESD protection as well as good liquid (water an oil) 

repellency to avoid skin contamination largely. Besides that good hygiene and cleaning 

instructions are given to the workers to keep them safe and healthy. At local spots (elbows, lower 

arms and knees some impact protection is given and they have to wear helmets. 

Situation 

So far no good requirements have been set to integrate a falling protection harness into the 

requirements for the clothing. Available commercial harnesses do protect but are very abrasive in 

combination with the clothing and cause skin damages and injuries (blisters, wounds, etc.). There 

is now a proposal in this committee to set requirements for harnesses. Safety aspects and 

construction have been well covered, but testing of ergonomics, comfort and prevention of skin 

injuries not yet. Professor Comfort from Peak University, NC, USA now has a proposal for 

evaluating these skin abrasive aspects. It involves an elaborate test method that uses a measurement 

probe, basic physical properties testing of the materials as well as a human evaluation to derive 

the combined performance of the clothing plus the harness. It also sets performance criteria for 

this. He has publications that support his work and that show that results are repeatable and the 

criteria prevent skin injuries in off shore workers. 

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The committee consists of different interest groups that have a history of fierce discussions, but 

coming to a consensus every time. The basic groups are: 

- Off shore exploitation Industry: these are the actual employers of the workers and their interest 

is to make sure their work is profitable, but also have an obvious interest to reduce accidents and 

illnesses. They have to balance the cost of their operations, which includes everything related to 

their workers, with the money they receive from the oil industry, who is always trying to reduce 

prices; 

- Oil industry: these are the customers for the off shore exploitation industry and have a very strong 

interest in health and safety of off shore industry as it strongly reflects on their image to society; 

- Clothing industry: as the harnesses are worn over the clothing, the proposal is to sell these systems 

together and the requirements for that will impact what they can sell and what they need 

to test for. Thy will have to work with the harness manufacturers to comply with the requirements; 

- Labor union of the workers: the workers are fairly organized and they have been able to push 

some requirements related to safety and health, which is obviously of their interest; 

- Department of Labor: labor inspections are preformed regularly and their statistics do not show 

much of the problems that are discussed. Their statistics count mostly major accidents such that 

require hospitalization of workers (broken bones, severe head injuries, major burns and other very 

nasty things) and of course deaths; 

- Test institutes: as the clothing-harness system needs to be certified to the committee standard the 

test institutes are present to ensure it will be possible to conduct the tests in a repeatable and 

reproducible way. They have standard labs for all standard tests that exist so far, but have very 

little experience doing human subject evaluations as they are much more variable in nature. 

The Meeting 

Professor Comfort of Peak University will briefly explain more on his evaluation method, but 

some extra information is listed below. The meeting will be divided into the different interest 

groups as they are described above. Make sure you prepare questions for Professor Comfort to 

make sure your groups’ interests are well discussed and defended. 

Assignment 

You will be assigned to one of the interest groups and prepare your point of view, by discussing 

with your fellow group students and thinking about it yourself. Prepare a set of questions for the 

expert that are specific to your interest group. You need to think for that specific viewpoint and be 

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critical of the proposed method and how it might impact your interests (business, safety, 

complexity, ...). 

During the meeting we will exchange viewpoints, ask questions and discuss the issues that exist 

and see what the major issues are for the different groups. At the end each group will verbally 

present a brief statement on what they think about the proposed method, keeping all interests in 

mind. Then, as a group you will prepare a bulleted list of: 

- Questions you still have with the proposed method 

- Positive points about adding this method to the product standard – From your groups’ perspective 

only (“Why do this”?) 

- Negative points about adding this method to the product standard – From your groups’ 

perspective only (“Why not do this” – objections) 

This can be in a word document or a brief PowerPoint; make sure you state: 

- Group – Stakeholder/interest group 

- Name of the students 

- Class TT331-Spring 2016 and date; 

- Due Date of submitted document: Monday, April 25th, 2016, online, preferably as a pdf, 1 

submission per group. 

Test methods 

The method that is developed combines materials physical properties test, with a new sensor and 

a final evaluation with a human panel. Each test has a specific minimal performance requirement. 

The system, the clothing plus the harness will be evaluated and would be certified together, one 

harness will be certified with one specific clothing type. 

The physical properties tests are: 

- Tensile strengths of the harness materials, standard ASTM method; 

- Strength test of the opening/closure system of the harness, standard ASTM method; 

- Abrasion test of harness materials separate, standard ASTM test method 

- Abrasion of harness material on clothing, adapted ASTM test method 

- UV degradation test of harness material, AATCC test method 

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- Degradation of harness materials by pollutants (oils, weather, basic chemicals), adapted AATCC 

test 

The New Proposed Method 

The new Human Evaluation method that Professor Comfort proposes is an extensive human 

evaluation trial with a set of 4 tribology sensors (“Artificial Finger Sensors”) integrated into a 

measurement system between the harness and the clothing at 2 points and between the clothing 

and the skin at 2 points. At least 24 human subjects will be undergoing a human comfort evaluation 

for 4 hours wearing the equipment and being evaluated for comfort aspects as well as using the 

sensor data. Professor Comfort has proposed some movements that people could do and generates 

subjective data from questionnaires as well as objective data from physiology and the ”artificial 

finger.” 

The execution of these experiments is such that with Professor Comfort’s set up he can test 1 

human subject per day. Therefore, the full execution takes 24 days with his proposal, plus 

preparation and data analysis time. In total before getting an end report it takes at least 2 months, 

often more than 3 months. Professor Comfort charges $25,000 per evaluation of clothing/harness 

system in his University Lab. 

Assignment in class 

You are member of 1 of the 6 stakeholders’ groups that are present in the Standards Committee 

meeting. In preparation to the meeting you need to determine how this test proposal from Professor 

Comfort would impact the interests of the group that you are representing. 

The questions you may ask Prof. Comfort are many, they may be directed towards collecting more 

information on the method itself as well as to the consequence of actually putting tis into a 

standard. Think widely about the consequences (economic, safety and health, selling of products, 

logistics, product innovation, ...) 

Below a list of generic questions, some of these may be applicable to your interest (stakeholder) 

group, some may not. You may also add very different questions, it is just meant as a starting point. 

List of Possible Questions 

- What problem does this solve? 

- What is the cost of testing when I do more than 1 product? 

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- When exactly would I need to redo the testing (change to clothing, change to harness, both)? 

- How would this impact safety and health of workers? 

- Has this method been published? 

- What is the reliability/variability? 

- How many labs can execute these tests currently? 

- What would be the cost of an official test lab to do these tests? 

- What are the requirements for a lab to do these tests as part of certification? 

- What are the qualifications for Prof. Comfort on this topic? 

- Who would need to pay the cost of testing and certification for these products? 

- How do the test method and the specifications connect with the work that the off shore workers 

need to do? 

- How do we set the performance specifications? 

- How much will approved products change injuries or sick leave of workers? 

- Are the test results repeatable and reproducible? 

- What is needed for a certified test lab to set up these tests (facilities, equipment, space, ...)? 

You will be graded as a group (group grade), there will be an individual reduction of your grade 

when you are not present in class during the group discussions, unless the absence was explicitly 

approved by the teacher via an email. 

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Appendix II: Questionnaire To Assess Student Knowledge of Standards 

1. Why did standards arise? (For trade and business. (Note: Basic ideas for suggested response 

in italics. To ensure that what was being traded was what was expected and was the right 

amount) 

2. How many standards can you identify in this room? (Paint color, electronics, smart phones 

[batteries, communications, coding, information exchange..... fire and building codes, 

HVAC...) 

3. Why is it essential for manufacturers to have access to common standards and regulations? 

(For systems to work together, everyone has to know what rules they must comply with. For 

example, standard voltages and frequencies must be known to make electrical devices work; 

and makers of computers, smart devices and applications must understand the frequencies, 

languages and electronic characteristics in order to make the devices work correctly. The 

mechanical properties of materials must meet the requirements for the intended 

application.........). 

4. What is the difference between standards and regulations? (Standards are agreed-upon by 

bodies with interests in a particular area; regulations are government rules established by 

agencies who implement laws). 

5. What is the international governing body for standards and standardization (ISO). 

6. Who should be involved in creating standards? (Users, manufacturers, subject matter experts, 

the pubic, government agencies, nations or groups of nations.... Represent all viewpoints; but 

participants should make known whose views they represent)? 

7. Do standards promote or reduce innovation? (Both. Standards can be set to encourage better 

protection or performance; but changing factors can make them obsolete. Also, standards can 

prohibit entry of new technologies or be used to create unfair advantages. There is a need to 

continually review and update most standards; and the process must be open and fair). 

8. Why do OSHA rules require that employers conduct a risk assessment for all jobs? (In order 

to keep workers safe, the employer must understand what risks accompany doing the job, and 

the employer is required to make workers safe when they perform their jobs). 

9. Is personal protective equipment the first response to workplace safety? (No. The job must be 

designed so that it can be done with the minimum of risk. Next, engineering measures are used 

to reduce risk further, and then personal protective equipment is used if it is necessary). 

10. Name some characteristics of good test methods and performance standards? 

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---Designed with need or risk in mind 

--Measures factors relevant to the performance characteristic desired 

--Produces an output that can be clearly measured or defined 

--Considers conditioning and environmental factors that could affect results 

--Has a traceable reference standard for calibration 

--Includes measure of reliability (precision and accuracy) 

--For standards, establish performance criteria (minimum and maximum acceptable values) 

--Certification of compliance verified through independent testing 

--Ideally, performance criteria should be evaluated through field testing 

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Appendix III: Syllabus for Protective Clothing and Equipment for Chemical and Biological 

Hazards 

Professor: Dr. R. Bryan Ormond 

Office: 3314 

E-mail: rbormond@ncsu.edu 

Phone: 919-524-1569 

Office Hours: By Appointment 

Course Overview: 

There are many different types of personal protective equipment (PPE) that may be required in 

response to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) hazard. Each end-user 

application requires specific PPE that meets the needs and requirements for that particular hazard 

or scenario. This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to CBRN hazards and routes 

of exposure from a basic toxicological perspective. Additionally, the different types of respiratory 

and dermal protective equipment will be discussed in relation to their intended applications, design 

and protective requirements, physiological and psychological implications to the wearer, and the 

materials in which they are constructed. The course will also provide a thorough discussion of 

standard test methodologies used to evaluate different properties of CBRN PPE on the material, 

component, and whole ensemble levels. 

Learning Objectives: 

By the end of this course, students should be able to: 

● Explain the basics of a variety of CBRN hazards and identify their routes of exposure 

● Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of toxicological principles including exposure dosages, 

toxicologically relevant end-points, dermal adsorption, and basic risk analysis 

● Explain the applications and limitations for different types of respiratory protection and total 

body/dermal protection (including gloves and footwear) 

● Explain on a fundamental level, the physiological and psychological effects on the wearer 

caused by use of CBRN PPE 

● Determine which types of protective equipment can be used in different scenarios and explain 

the design and protective requirements for that equipment 

● Explain the standard test methods used to evaluated different aspects of CBRN PPE including 

material-level tests for chemical permeation resistance, liquid penetration resistance, and 

whole ensemble tests such as the Man-In-Simulant-Test and the liquid-tight integrity test 

● Demonstrate an understanding of how to identify weaknesses in standard test methods and how 

they can be addressed through professional standards committees 

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Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

Course Organization and Scope: 

1. Introduction to CBRN Protective Equipment 

2. Historical Background on CBRN Development 

3. Toxicological Principles and Routes of Exposure 

4. Overview of Respiratory and Total Body Protection 

5. Component/Ensemble Design for Appropriate Scenario 

6. Physiological/Psychological Burden Caused by CBRN PPE 

7. Setting Performance Criteria and Requirements 

8. Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry and Quality Assurance 

9. Performance Evaluation and Standard Test Methods 

10. Decontamination and Reuse 

Suggested Texts And Reading Assignments: 

1. Personal Protective Equipment for Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Hazards: Design, 

Evaluation, and Selection by Eva F. Gudgin Dickson 

2. Chemical Protective Clothing 2nd Edition edited by Daniel H. Anna 

3. National Fire Protection Association: Standards on Chemical Protective Clothing: History, 

Evolution, and Current Criteria 

Reading assignments are to be assigned to coordinate with material covered in class. Learning 

objectives will be distributed to focus study and provide review for tests. 

Calculation Of Course Grade: 

● Exams (2) = 40% 

● Course Assignments = 15% 

● Final Examination = 30% 

● Course Project/Presentation = 15% 

The grading scale will be A, B, C, D and F. As required by the University, plus/minus grading will 

be used. The following +/- grading scheme will be employed: 

97% = A+ 87% = B+ 77% = C+ 67% = D+ < 60% = F 

94% = A 84% = B 74% = C 64% = D 

90% = A- 80% = B- 70% = C- 60% = DMissed Tests/Assignments: 

If you miss a test, assignment or project deadline for a valid reason, you may take a makeup test 

at a designated time near the end of the semester, or make up the assignment. Excused absences 

require a typed memo or official notification delivered to the instructor stating the reason for the 

absence and a contact for verification. If you miss any test, assignment, project or the final exam 

without a valid excuse, a zero will be averaged into your grade. See below for notification of 

University policy on approved absences. 

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Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

Policy on Grade Changes Or Issues With Grading: 

Any student that has an issue with the grading of an assignment (homework, exam, or other) will 

have TWO WEEKS FROM THE DAY THE ASSIGNMENT WAS RETURNED to bring the 

issue to the instructor’s attention. 

Course Locker Information: 

All class documents and PowerPoint slides will be available to TC 589 students in the course 

locker that can be found at https://wolfware.ncsu.edu/login/. 

Attendance: 

There is usually a correlation between good class participation and good course performance. 

Students are encouraged to attend all class sessions and attendance will be taken. If a student 

anticipates missing a class due to an excused or accepted reason, it is the student’s responsibility 

to discuss the absence and any missed work as soon as possible with the instructor. 

The University policy on excused absences can be found at: 

http://www.ncsu.edu/policies/academic_affairs/courses_undergrad/REG02.20.3.php. 

Incomplete Grade: 

An IN grade will be assigned only in cases where make-up of the incomplete work is justified by 

an acceptable (to the instructor) excuse based on university policies 

(http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-50-03). 

Academic Dishonesty: 

Students are responsible for their behavior in accordance with the Code of Student Conduct 

(Appendix L of Handbook for Advising and Teaching (http://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-11-35-

01). You should refer to the Code of Student Conduct for definitions of cheating. In this course, 

I expect that you will talk to each other about course material, including assignments, but when it 

comes to writing, including homework, it is expected that each student will write completely 

independently. This means that you cannot agree on what was said, construct a common statement 

and then both students use the same statement in an assignment. Any sign of essentially the same 

words being used in two or more sets of papers will constitute an academic violation. There will 

be no questions asked, other than do you wish to sign the Academic Integrity Form before it is 

submitted to the Office of Student Conduct. You obviously, cannot use words from someone else 

without quoting them and giving credit to them for those words. The first instance of academic 

dishonesty, including plagiarism, will result in a zero on the homework/exam AND submission 

of the proper paperwork to the Office of Student Conduct. A repeat offense will result in an F in 

the course. Your signature on any assignment, lab report, or exam indicates you are abiding by 

the Honor Pledge and that the work being submitted is entirely yours. To be certain that you 

understand the policies Academic Integrity policies of this course, you will be asked to sign a form 

stating that you understand them and the consequences that will ensue from any academic integrity 

violation. 

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Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

NC State Policy on Working With Students With Disabilities: 

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take 

advantage of available accommodations, student must register with the Disability Services Office 

(http://www.ncsu.edu/dso) located at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 515-7653. 

For more information on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see 

the Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation at 

http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-02-20-01. 

Discrimination: 

NC State University provides equality of opportunity in education and employment for all students 

and employees. Accordingly, NC State affirms its commitment to maintain a work environment 

for all employees and an academic environment for all students that is free from all forms of 

discrimination. Discrimination based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, age, 

disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation is a violation of state and federal law and/or NC 

State University policy and will not be tolerated. harassment of any person (either in the form of 

quid pro quo or creation of a hostile environment) based on race, color, religion, creed, sex, 

national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation also is in violation of state and 

federal law and/or NC State University policy and will not be tolerated. Retaliation against any 

person who complains about discrimination is also strictly prohibited. NC State's policies and 

regulations covering discrimination, harassment, and retaliation may be accessed at 

http://policies.ncsu.edu/policy/pol-04-25-05 or http://oied.ncsu.edu/oied/. Any person who feels 

that he or she has been the subject of prohibited discrimination, harassment, or retaliation should 

contact the Office for Equal Opportunity (OEO) at 515-3148. 

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Incorporating Standards Education into Courses on Textile Protection and Comfort 

Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

Appendix IV: Syllabus for TE 589 - Thermal and Mechanical Protection Clothing and 

Equipment 

Professor: Dr. Emiel DenHartog 

Office: 3351 

E-mail: eadenhar@ncsu.edu 

Phone: 919-622-8985 

Office Hours: By Appointment 

Course Overview: 

This course will describe the structures, materials, technologies, and testing that goes into the 

development of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used for thermal protection and mechanical 

protection. The topics to be covered in this course will be: 

● Thermal Threats and Hazards: personnel who are required to wear fire resistant (FR) PPE 

can be exposed to a wide variety of thermal threats. Understanding these threats and how heat 

is transferred to the human body from fire, flames, and other heat sources is critical to 

understanding how to create/equip the proper level of protection for the wearer. This will 

include an overview of modes of heat and mass transfer through different media, including 

fabrics and the human skin. 

● Mechanical/Ballistic Threats and Hazards: these hazards include cut, stab, puncture, 

impact, ballistic, and any other forces that could cause injury to the body. These threats vary 

in intensity and severity, but understanding the impact physics and mechanics associated with 

these different scenarios will help create/equip proper PPE for personnel. 

● Fibers and Fabrics: the composition of the fibers (both inherently FR and for mechanical 

protection), formation of the fabrics, applied coatings/finishes and the material properties that 

make each of these unique and/or useful for these PPE applications 

● Textile Testing and Performance Standards: the test methods currently used to analyze the 

protective properties of thermal and mechanical PPE, the theory behind their operation, and 

their importance to the performance standards, certification requirements, and overall clothing 

design. 

Learning Objectives 

By the end of this course, students should be able to: 

● Estimate the level of protection needed based on the potential threats/hazards to first 

responders and other personnel at risk of thermal or mechanical injury. 

● Design or Compose PPE ensembles that will provide personnel with appropriate levels of 

protection without overburdening them to heat stress related injuries or fatigue. 

● Identify the appropriate test methods, standards, and certifying bodies needed in the 

design/equipping of personnel for thermal and mechanical protection. 

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Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

Course Organization and Scope: 

Topic 

1 Introduction to the Course 

2 Thermal Threats and Hazards: Heat Transfer Fundamentals, Conduction, 

Convection, Radiation, Combustion, and other Fire Science. 

3 FR Fibers, Fabrics, Garments and their Formation 

4 FR Clothing Testing, Standards, and Certification 

5 Mechanical Threats and Hazards: Mechanics, Dynamics, Impact Physics, 

Ballistics, and Fiber/Fabric Forces 

6 Mechanical Protection Fibers, Fabrics, Garments and their Formation 

7 Mechanical PPE Testing, Standards, and Certification 

Reading Assignments 

Reading assignments are to be assigned to coordinate with material covered in class. Learning 

objectives will be distributed to focus study and provide review for tests. 

Calculation of Course Grade 

● Exams (2) = 50% 

● Final Examination = 35% 

● Course Project = 15% 

Score Grade Score Grade 

≥ 97 A+ 76.9 - 73 C 

96.9 - 93 A 72.9 - 70 C92.9 - 90 A- 69.9 – 67 D+ 

89.9 - 87 B+ 66.9 - 63 D 

86.9 - 83 B 62.9 - 60 D82.9 - 80 B- < 60 F 

79.9 - 77 C+ 

Incomplete Grades, Absences, Late Assignments: 

Class attendance will be required in lectures and excessive absences may affect final grade. No 

late assignments will be accepted and no make-up tests will be given. If, due to an emergency, you 

are unable to attend a test or cannot turn in an assignment, please contact me immediately. 

Academic Integrity 

Students are to comply with the NCSU Code of Student Conduct Policy (NCSU POL 11.35.1). 

Plagiarism and cheating are not permitted and can result in penalties up to failure in the course. 

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Reference Number: 70NANB14H247 

Electronic Course Components: 

Students may be required to disclose personally identifiable information to other students in the 

course, via electronic tools like email or web-postings, where relevant to the course. Examples 

include online discussions of class topics, and posting of student coursework. All students are 

expected to respect the privacy of each other by not sharing or using such information outside the 

course. 

Students With Disabilities: 

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities. In order to take 

advantage of available accommodations, students must register with Disability Services for 

Students at 1900 Student Health Center, Campus Box 7509, 919-515-7653. For more information 

on NC State's policy on working with students with disabilities, please see the Academic 

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities Regulation (REG02.20.01). 

N.C. State Polices, Regulations, and Rules (PRR): 

Students are responsible for reviewing the NC State University PRR’s located at 

http://oucc.ncsu.edu/course-rights-and-responsibilities which pertains to their course rights 

and responsibilities. 

*No additional charges are to be assessed beyond those charged by NCSU. 

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