scope:

This standard shall specify the minimum design, performance, testing, and certification requirements for USAR ensembles and ensemble elements, including garments, helmets, gloves, footwear, and eye and face protection devices designed to provide emergency response personnel limited protection from physical, environmental, thermal, chemical splash, and bloodborne hazards during USAR operations.

This standard shall apply to the design, manufacturing, and certification of new protective ensembles or new individual protective ensemble elements.

This standard shall not apply to protective ensembles or protective ensemble elements for personnel assigned to or involved in search, rescue, recovery, or site stabilization operations that require the functional capabilities for water or wilderness incidents.

This standard shall not apply to protective ensembles for any fire-fighting operations or hazardous materials emergencies. This standard shall not apply to protection from radiological agents, protection from all biological agents, or protection from all hazardous chemicals.

Certification of the USAR ensemble, or ensemble elements of the protective ensemble, to the requirements of this standard shall not preclude certification to additional appropriate standards where the protective ensemble or ensemble elements meet all the applicable requirements of each standard.

The requirements of this standard shall not apply to accessories that could be attached to any element of the USAR ensemble unless specifically addressed herein.

Nothing herein shall restrict any jurisdiction or manufacturer from exceeding these minimum requirements.