Protective Hood Materials and Performance
topic
Firefighter protective hoods cover the face, neck, and head areas not protected by helmet or SCBA facepiece, manufactured from flame-resistant knit fabrics including meta-aramid, FR Modacrylic blend, or PBI knits at 180 to 280 grams per square metre providing inherent flame resistance and thermal protection for the highly vulnerable face and neck skin areas, with EN 13911 specifying minimum heat resistance, flame spread, and thermal shrinkage requirements for hood fabrics.
Role
Protects the critically vulnerable face and neck areas from burns that represent disproportionately severe injury from their impact on respiratory function, vision, and quality of life, with hood material selection requiring careful balance between thermal protection and breathability for SCBA exhaust air passage, and the contact area with facial skin requiring materials with low irritancy and adequate moisture management for the high sweat rate area around the face.