ASTM International Committee F23 on Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment has elected Thomas Neal, president and principal consultant of Neal Associates Ltd. in Guilford, Conn., as its new chairman.  The committee consists of approximately 250 members responsible for more than 40 standards related to the protective clothing industry.

An ASTM International member since 1994, Neal participates in many subcommittees within F23 and is the current chair of Subcommittee F23.95 on Planning.  He is also a member of Committees D13 on Textiles; E54 on Homeland Security Applications, where he serves as chair of Subcommittee E54.04 on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); and F18 on Electrical Protective Equipment for Workers. 

Neal spent nearly 30 years at DuPont in Wilmington, Del., where he held various management positions in the areas of end-use research, marketing, total quality and the thermal testing laboratory before founding Neal Associates Ltd. in 1999.  In his career, Neal's concentration has been on the development of new test methods and specifications to better protect workers and first responders from thermal hazards, and on research and development aimed at lighter and more comfortable personal protective clothing and equipment. 

A graduate of the University of Michigan where he received a B.S. in chemistry, Neal holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from the University of North Carolina.  In addition to ASTM International, he is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). 

Release #7892