Inspection
A PPE Inspection Ensures Maximum Protection
A proper inspection will keep your gear performing its best and reduce your exposure to contaminants. The current NFPA 1851 Standard recommends departments have gear submitted for an inspection at least once a year.
Our professionally-trained inspection specialists diligently follow current standards to help maintain the effectiveness of your PPE and extend its longevity. Through our inspection process, we can identify contamination, residue, damage, and failure throughout the layers of equipment.
How Do Gear Wash Inspections Compare?
We perform a thorough inspection, which adheres to the guidelines set forth by the NFPA, including:
- Identify Potentially Harmful Contaminants and Residue: Firefighters are exposed to various fireground compounds, including soot, grease, heavy metals, hydrocarbons, biological contaminants, and carcinogens. It’s important to remove as many of these compounds from gear to mitigate cross contamination and protect the integrity of the fabrics. Our inspection specialists are trained to identify and report such contaminants.
- Find Defects or Damaged Materials: It’s no surprise that firefighter PPE goes through a lot of wear and tear. Common activities such as crawling or rubbing against hard surfaces can jeopardize the integrity of the gear over time and put it at risk of ripping, tearing or failing. We thoroughly inspect equipment inside and out to ensure coverage is not compromised.
- Check for Signs of Failure: Signs of degradation are not always the easiest to see with the naked eye. This is where our advanced technologies such as our Moisture Barrier Water Penetration (Hydrostatic) Test and our Boot Leakage Test play a major role in identifying unseen issues, so they can be corrected prior to failure or causing bodily harm.
Contact our experts at (866) 657-0111 for details of our tailored approach to achieving a thorough inspection for your gear.
Our services can be performed separately or packaged into discounted bundles to keep you on track with local, state, or federal standards.
What's Included In A PPE Inspection By Gear Wash?
- One annual inspection
- One annual complete liner evaluation
- A thorough review of all fabric integrity, including the outer shell, thermal liner, moisture barriers, all reflective trim and closures
- Water Penetration (Hydrostatic) Test for the moisture barrier
- A leakage test for gloves and boots
- A complete review of hood material integrity, including its particulate-blocking technology, if applicable
Want to learn more about maintaining your gear or performing in-station cleanings and inspections? Visit our NFPA 1851 Resources page.
Frequently Asked Questions