Home Contact Sitemap


Categories

Directory

Northwest Safety Clean's staff is ready any time to answer your questions! We are a wealth of free information!

Staff

Frequently Asked Questions

img

  1. Why is it so important to keep my gear clean? It's just going to get filthy the next time I have to use it.
    • Studies have shown that hazardous chemicals - hydrocarbons, oily residues, carcinogens, and blood - will remain active in the fabric of your turnout gear long after you've removed it from the scene of exposure. And, simply rinsing it off won't remove the toxins either. Your health and safety relies on thorough and effective cleaning practices of your gear.
  2. How often should I clean my gear, whether its been used or not?
    • NFPA 1500 sect. 5.1.5 and NFPA 1851 5.4.6 states you should Advance Clean your gear and accessories at least once every 6 months.
  3. Do I have to pay for my gear to be cleaned and inspected?
    • NO. NFPA 1500 5.1.8 explains that your fire department is responsible for the costs associated with the cleaning and inspection of your protective clothing and accessories.
  4. So, why can't I just wash my turnouts in my home washing machine?
    • There are actual several reasons why this is a very bad idea. First and foremost, you risk cross-contamination. A standard household washing machine uses an agitator to mix the laundry and loosen soils. What this does to Kevlar and Nomex is break down the protective fibers and very quickly shorten the life span of your turnout gear and decrease your safety. Also, standard washing machines do not spin at a rate fast enough to sufficiently remove moisture from your turnout. Because most gear is not put into a dryer, but is air-dryed, removing as much moisture as possible from the garment is very important with assuring the garment dries quickly and properly. Also, the wet-weight of a normal turnout coat is about the same as a heavy blanket - imagine the wear and tear on your family washing machine over time!
  5. So, why can't I use a normal household laundry detergent to clean my gear?
    • Everyday household laundry detergents work great for removing everyday kinds of dirt and grime from everyday fabrics. What they can't do is penetrate the tightly bound threads of Kevlar, PBI, and Nomex to get out the toxins and hydrocarbons. Specialty soaps, like SR-71 Turnout Cleaner, can do just that, AND they won't harm your gear or affect your warranty. Powdered household soaps should especially be avoided; be sure to only use liquids.
  6. Will washing my gear cause it to lose its water repellancy?
    • Yes, unfortunately, it will, but no more than with normal wear 'n' tear. It is recommended that you treat your gear after every 3rd washing with a protectant approved for your gear. SR-71 XR Water Repellent, when used as directed, can restore much of your gear waters repellancy.
  7. Who or what is NFPA and why should we care?
    • NFPA is short for 'National Fire Protection Association ®'. It is comprised of committees that develop a consensus of standards that are approved by the American National Standards Institute. Standards for the fire fighting industry are intended to be compatible with regulations set forth by other federal, state, and local agencies such as the CDC and DSHS (safety personnel). It is designed for use by manufacturers of protective gear, for certification organizations, for fire departments, and for fire fighters themselves. As a whole, its intention is to provide standards that will ultimately protect fire fighting personnel at every level through recordkeeping, safety best practices, and other SOP's. NFPA has been around since 1971, and its standards are the basis for many of the local and state regulations many fire departments already adhere to. Although NFPA is a law only in Texas, enforcement of its guidelines and regulations over the fire fighting industry is on the horizon. The message is clear - keep our fire fighters safe, in every regard. For more information, go to the NFPA website to learn more.
  8. Why would using Crossed Flags help our department?
    • As mentioned above, NFPA is requiring some pretty specific documentation standards to be followed by fire departments these days. And, maybe you work in a department that just really needs to keep track of its PPE assets in a more organized manner OR you need to be able to budget yourself a little tighter these days....well, the Crossed Flags tracking can help you do all of that. We used NFPA specific crieria to develop the software, and we use it ourselves everyday, so we know it works! We've done all the hard stuff for you - now recordkeeping is a snap! Call Karin at 503-775-2114 to get a demonstration of the software, or take a look through our online demo here.
  9. We have a very tight budget, and we need to do our own inspections on our gear. What do we need to do?
    • Well, the first thing is to ensure you have a certified person onsite that is NFPA approved to do inspections on your gear. Northwest Safety Clean offers free certification training at our location a few times a year. (We can also come to you for a small fee.) It takes about a half-day, but when you leave, you'll know just about everything you need to know to Advance Inspect your garments. The second thing you may want to do is subscribe to our 'Posi-Track' interface to use our ready-made NFPA Advance cleaning and inspection checklists and to have that data saved into a database that you can run reports from later on. The 3rd thing is to get familiar with NFPA and stay current on approved cleaning products and changes in standards.
  10. We have some gear that needs to be repaired. Can we save money and repair them ourselves?
    • Well, yes...and no. Technically, there are some very minor repairs that you, or your approved person, can perform, provided you are using the appropriate materials and repair procedures as prescribed by your garment's manufacturer. Of course, we recommend sending repair jobs to a verified ISP to ensure that your repairs are not only done correctly, but do not void any warranty your gear may have and to ensure that the repairs are compliant to the garments specifications.
  11. What does it mean to be 'ETL/Intertek Verified'?
    • The ETL Verified Mark by Intertek is most commonly associated with associations and manufacturers who wish to effectively differentiate their products and brands in competitive markets. Products meeting ETL Verified program criteria are published in annual or semi-annual product directories. Many companies differentiate their products and services by using independent testing to prove that they meet criteria set by industry associations or independent certification program administrators, like the ETL Verified programs administered by Intertek and are listed in proprietary product directories. A wide range of industries, companies, associations, and manufacturers have found performance and benchmark testing – and the ETL Verified Mark – to be an effective way to differentiate their products and brands in competitive markets. The ETL Verified Mark is a symbol of performance integrity of the products that bear the mark.