The "Complete Liner Inspection" is a detailed examination of the garment lining system where the liner system is opened to expose all internal surfaces for inspection and testing. Liners are inspected for:
• Loss of seam integrity
• Broken or missing stitches
• Loose or missing moisture barrier seam tape
• Moisture barrier delamination as evidenced by separation of film from substrate fabric, flaking, or powdering
• Material physical integrity
• UV or chemical degradation as evidenced by discoloration, significant changes in material texture, loss of material strength,
• Loss of liner material
• Shifting of liner material
• Physical damage to all layers and each side of the individual layers

Complete liner inspections are applied to garments after three years of service (after two years for garments that are part of ensembles with the CBRN option), and then annually thereafter. This inspection can only subjectively evaluate the appearance of the moisture barrier, but the inspection of the film side can show damage that would otherwise go undetected.

Water Penetration Barrier Evaluation
In the "Water Penetration Barrier Evaluation," which is part of the Complete Liner Inspection, a hydrostatic tester is used to evaluate the integrity of selected portions of the barrier layer. The tester applies water pressure to the substrate side of the moisture barrier and if the moisture barrier is damaged, leaks appear on the film side of the barrier. This evaluation is applied to the same areas as described for the leakage evaluation above. The test constitutes the most precise evaluation of the moisture barrier and is fully capable of discerning holes in the moisture barrier layer.

All of these evaluations are capable of showing problems with the moisture barrier which can lead to the unwanted inward penetration of liquids. In many cases, these problems will be obvious, particularly if there is a hole in the moisture barrier cause by a puncture or tear from some outside source (such as a sharp pointed object). In other cases, the damage may be less discernable as the damage can be caused by repeated rubbing in a particular area, as a result of equipment such as the straps of the firefighter’s SCBA, a harness, or a tool belt. Still there are other circumstances where there is no visible damage and yet a pinhole in the barrier is discovered by the hydrostatic test during the complete liner inspection.

When a field evaluation does show damage, the department is required to determine whether the damage can be repaired or if the liner must be replaced (or the garment retired). The increasing field inspection of moisture barriers is causing further attention to liquid barrier issues. In the last part of this article series we will show how both laboratory testing and field evaluations translate into expectations for protection of firefighters in the field.

by Jeffrey O. and Grace G. Stull

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