Navy sailors at sea to wear flame-resistant coveralls
Published on HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com
Sailors at sea will soon be required to wear flame-resistant coveralls, relegating their blue camouflage working uniforms to events on land, the Navy announced Thursday.
In a joint message, the commanders of the Atlantic and Pacific fleets said that while major shipboard fires are uncommon, they can be dangerous or even fatal and the new coveralls can improve protection.
“We operate in an environment that contains inherent risks,” Adm. Bill Gortney, the head of the Navy’s Fleet Forces Command, said in a news release. “We are trying to make shipboard environments safer,” he said, adding that the coveralls will “help reduce the risk of injury aboard a ship.”
In late 2012, tests of the Navy’s Type I working uniform that revealed that it goes up in flames from a single match, melts and drips when burning and won’t self-extinguish. Initially, Navy officials said they were aware that the uniform was not fire resistant, but they did not think it endangered sailors.
But images of the burning uniform sparked outrage and prompted the service to review its requirements for specialized clothing.
Under the new policy, sailors at sea will be required to wear coveralls made from a 100 percent cotton fabric treated with flame retardant. The new coveralls will follow the same pattern as the existing utility coveralls.
The coverall will not replace specialized clothing for specific operational environments like the flight deck or electrical work.
Each sailor will be issued two sets of coveralls, said Lt. Cmdr. Tommy Crosby, a spokesman for the Norfolk-based Fleet Forces command.
The first shipments will be distributed in December, for crews of ships scheduled to deploy in early 2014, Crosby said. The Navy hopes to complete distribution of the coveralls to all sailors assigned to ships by Oct. 2014.
The coveralls are considered a stopgap until a final product is developed. The Navy ultimately plans to create coveralls that are not only flame-resistant, but also resist electrical arc and produce less lint. With its high lint content, the current coverall will not be suitable for use on submarines, Crosby said.
The final product should be ready in three years, he said.
The service is also reviewing whether the existing working uniform and utility coveralls should be replaced with flame-resistant versions, Crosby said. That review is almost complete, he said.
A few exceptions will be made for ceremonial purposes, according to the news release: Polyester and polyester blend uniforms will be permitted instead of the new coveralls for special events aboard ships such as change of command ceremonies, receptions held at anchor, and manning the rails.
Dianna Cahn, (757) 222-5846, dianna.cahn@pilotonline.com
http://hamptonroads.com/2013/10/nav...stant-coveralls
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24-01-2014, 16:49
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