NCJ Number
228697
Date Published
October 2009
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This paper presents the objectives and features of the National Institute of Justice's (NIJ's) Bomb Suit Standard for Public Safety, NIJ Standard-0117.00, which is currently being developed.
Abstract
The standard will be a minimum performance standard for bomb suits worn while conducting procedures that render bombs safe for disposal. The standard will specify minimum design and performance requirements for equipment as well as test methods for assessing equipment performance, balancing the requirements against a bomb technician's need for mobility, clear vision, and dexterity. A standard for the bomb suit ensures that it will provide the protection and mobility needed by bomb technicians. In applying the standard to various bomb suits that are manufactured, optics and ergonomics capability will be tested through donning and doffing, field-of-view, and mobility tests. The standard will also address fragmentation, flame, impact, and overpressure protection. Minimum blast pressure protection will be addressed through a bomb suit integrity test, which will determine whether the suit remains intact during an explosion. Blast overpressure will be tested in a subsequent version of the standard once additional research provides NIJ with a better understanding of the threats posed by blast overpressure. The standard will not address chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protection. This may be addressed in the future after additional research.