How to Determine the Useful Life of Flame Resistant Clothing
The service life or work life of FR clothing varies greatly from product to product. Some FR clothing can lose their flame resistant properties after many industrial washings while there are those that can last for the entire life of the garment, usually several years.
The garment used is the biggest determining factor in how long the FR clothing would remain resistant to flames.
There are two categories of FR garments—treated and inherent. Inherent FR garments are synthetic textiles engineered at the molecular level to be flame resistant. Treated garments are materials that come from natural fibers such as cotton that were treated to become flame resistant. While some FR distribution companies have taken advantage of the terms “treated” and “inherent” to market their products claiming inherent FR garment is superior to treated garment, this is not exactly true.
The FR properties of the garment and how long these properties last are determined by how the garment was engineered. For both categories, there are brands that are guaranteed to last for the entire life of the garment as long as the prescribed laundry and care procedures are followed.
To ensure that the FR clothing will last as long as expected, it is best to purchase products from reputable suppliers. This way you can get the pertinent information about the FR clothing you are purchasing (including test results and certifications) and can be sure that the information provided are truthful and reliable.
Terry Smeader
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