PFAS & Chemical Compliance Steering Group
PCIAW® acts as the industry’s interpretative authority, providing an evidence-based Technical Validation Framework that audits the performance gap between new chemical regulations and the safety requirements of high-hazard workforces.
Steering Group Leadership & Governance
This group is chaired by John Murphy, representing Hohenstein as a PCIAW® Director. John provides mandated Board-level oversight and a strategic standards and data validation perspective required to ensure the industry navigates the safety gap without compromising the life-saving nature of PPE.
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The group is capped at 11 voting members to ensure agile decision-making and clear accountability.
Appointment Criteria
Members can nominate senior leaders and technical experts, including raw material specialists, fabric manufacturers, and test houses, vetted by the Chair to ensure technical depth and market viability.
The Strategic Implementation Roadmap
The PFAS Steering Group audits the critical safety gap between environmental mandates and omni-phobic performance to deliver the frameworks required for a secure transition.
1. The Safety Gap Anchor
Challenge: PFAS-free fabrics often fail the "omni-phobic" (oil/chemical) tests required for high-hazard workforces.
Deliverable: Interpretive Performance Matrix.
Objective:To identify safe- to-pivot applications versus high-risk zones where current alternatives fail safety benchmarks.
Deliverable: Interpretive Performance Matrix.
Objective:To identify safe- to-pivot applications versus high-risk zones where current alternatives fail safety benchmarks.
2. The Procurement Framework
Challenge: Procurement teams lack the technical expertise to understand the performance impact of PFAS-free solutions.
Deliverable: PFAS-Free Operational Transition Framework.
Objective: To provide technical evidence and "Clause Banks" (e.g., No Intentionally Added PFAS) for defensive purchasing.
Deliverable: PFAS-Free Operational Transition Framework.
Objective: To provide technical evidence and "Clause Banks" (e.g., No Intentionally Added PFAS) for defensive purchasing.
3. The Circular Compatibility Audit
Challenge: Recycling legacy PFAS garments risks contaminating the circular supply chain with "forever chemicals".
Deliverable: Clean Loop & Circular White Paper.
Objective: To identify which PFAS-free finishes are "Recycle-Ready" and compatible with textile-to-textile systems.
Deliverable: Clean Loop & Circular White Paper.
Objective: To identify which PFAS-free finishes are "Recycle-Ready" and compatible with textile-to-textile systems.
The PFAS Evidence Base: Synthesizing Cross-Sector Intelligence
While this steering group is a newly formalised mandate, the critical challenges of chemical compliance have surfaced as a primary technical barrier across most PCIAW® sector Round Table held since 2024.
Data gathered from Firefighter, Defence, Emergency Services, Airlines and Circularity forums has confirmed a significant performance gap in oil and chemical repellence for PFAS-free alternatives. This universal evidence has mandated the creation of this specialised group to move beyond "problem identification" into Functional Benchmarking and Evidence-Based Advocacy.