A new publication about the performance of protective clothing is now available from ASTM International. STP 1462, Performance of Protective Clothing: Global Needs and Emerging Markets, 8th Symposium, includes 19 peer-reviewed papers that address topics related to the performance of protective clothing for government and industrial workers, first responders, and civilians.

A vital resource for safety professionals, industrial hygienists, and manufacturers, STP 1462 has five sections covering the following areas:

• Nuclear, biological, and chemical protective apparelprovides information on how to effectively evaluate material choices for chemical protective apparel using established test methods as well as the latest developments in the field of electronic textiles and their use in protective apparel assemblies for hazardous or combative environments.
• Thermal comfort--covers testing and measurement of thermal and evaporative resistance as it relates to worker comfort, methods to measure human perspiration using a thermal manikin, and use of cooling vests to combat heat stress.
• Predicting product performance--outlines various factors that influence the performance of protective apparel. For optimum worker benefit, protective garments should be designed to provide a high level of protection without limiting worker performance on the job. Nondestructive test methods for predicting the service life of the apparel are also described.
• Standards and test method development--discusses how to improve existing test methods and reviews data for establishing new test methods.
• Assessment of thermal protection--highlights modeling, manikin testing, and the performance of various clothing systems for providing thermal protection.

Copies of STP 1462, Performance of Protective Clothing: Global Needs and Emerging Markets, 8th Symposium (237 pages, soft cover, ISBN: 0-8031-3486-6; stock # STP1462) are available for $63 from ASTM Customer Service (phone: 610/832-9585; fax: 610/832-9555; or https://www.astm.org/contact), or online at http://www.astm.org.

Release #7333