Common Misconceptions about Flame Resistant FR Clothing
Compliance to safety standards is very important for industrial workers as this helps keep workers safe from harm. Since there are so many factors to consider when building an FR clothing program, it is possible for people to forget the basics or believe some of the common myths about FR clothing.
Let’s discuss some of the most common misconceptions regarding FR Clothing.
- Any fabric clothing can be worn as under garments
In order to ensure protection, industrial workers should still wear protective clothing underneath the FR garment. Since FR clothing does not block 100% of heat energy and heat can still be transferred to the person’s skin it is important for the worker to pay close attention to the clothes worn underneath the FR clothing. Certain fabrics, such as rayon, nylon, and polyester, can still get melted when exposed to high heat and can cause injuries to the worker. At the very least, wear only clothing made of natural fiber such as cotton or better yet another layer of arc rated protective clothing.
- FR garments block 100% of the flash fire or arc flash energy
This is probably the most common misconception regarding FR clothing. Flame resistant does not equal fireproof. FR garments can provide protection against arc flash and flash fire but they do not block 100% of the heat energy. The FR clothing might protect against death and injury but the heat and energy that impacts the outside fabric can still affect the temperature inside the clothing.
Do note that fabrics used in FR clothing are tested for various properties including resistance to flash fire, arc rating, thermal shrinkage and heat transfer among other things. The tests determine how much heat can be applied before the fabric gets charred, breaks open or the person wearing the fabric sustains burns.
- FR garments are stiff and uncomfortable
FR garments have come a long way in fabric design and there is now available a wide range of FR clothing on the market and many of them provide protection and comfort without sacrificing aesthetics. You can get jeans, shirts, coats and other PPE that are moisture-wicking, provide breathability characteristics and are of course flame resistance. They also often look good enough to be worn beyond job sites as every day regular clothing and have the soft feel of cotton.
- FR clothing is all the same wherever you buy it
All industrial workers can benefit from properly rated and properly worn FR clothing. To ensure that you are getting the best level of protection from your flame resistant clothing you need to ensure that you understand the risks involved in your specific job and get the appropriate PPE.
You need to understand the distinctions between the different ratings. All PPE needs to come with an arc ratings in the form of a calories per centimeter squared (cal/cm²) or an ATPV rating. FR fabrics are put through rigorous testing and different fabrics can handle different hazardous situations. See, electrical arc flashes are different from heat and flame.
Do note that all clothing with arc ratings are also fire-resistant although not all FR clothing provides the same level of protection from electric arc flash.
For this reason a workplace analysis needs to be performed in order to determine the amount of exposure and the labels on the garment tag will inform you of the (cal/cm²) or ATPV rating to ensure you are protected.
Terry Smeader
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Tags: arc flash, ATPV rating, cal/cm², Flame Resistant, Flash Fire, FR Clothing
July 22nd, 2019 at 12:05 pm
I thought it was nice that you mentioned that flame resistant safety apparel has come a long way in its fabric design and there is a large variety of clothing on the market for it. My brother is a firefighter and has said that flame-resistant clothes are really nice especially when camping just cause you never know what can happen around a campfire. Maybe I should consider getting some flame-resistant clothes and see how they work for me.