Codes and standards published by NFPA are displayed as read-only under license from NFPA solely for use within this system. NFPA material may not be downloaded, printed, reproduced, or transferred.

Provide public safety dive teams with protective clothing and equipment in compliance with all-new NFPA 1953.

Public safety dive teams encounter inordinate hazards during contaminated water dive operations. To help mitigate these risks, NFPA® introduces first-time NFPA 1953: Standard on Protective Ensembles for Contaminated Water Diving. This Standard presents minimum design, performance, testing, and certification requirements for protective clothing and equipment items; including dry suit, dry suit gloves and dry suit footwear designed to provide limited protection from physical, environmental and certain chemical and biological hazards.

Suits in compliance with NFPA 1953 provide a vital minimum threshold of safety for divers.

This first-edition specifies requirements for any accessories or enhancements built into, attached to, or sold with contaminated water dive operations protective clothing and equipment by the protective clothing and equipment manufacturer for later attachment. It contains:

• Clear definitions of moderate and severe contamination and contaminated water
• Recertification schedule table
• Test and performance requirements for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear warfare (CBRN); chemical degradation; hood to full-face diving mask; and chemical penetration resistance

NFPA 1953 is a vital document for manufacturers and for response agencies responsible for public safety diver personal protection.