subject: 4 Essentials For Selecting Fr Apparel [print this page] For some people, going to work every day can mean facing potential life-threatening events due to hazardous working conditions, from possible electrical arc flashes to enduring extreme heat. While these professionals are usually trained to know exactly how to react should an accident occur, they may not always be aware of the different options available to them for preventing or minimizing their levels of risk in the workplace.
One simple way in which these workers can protect themselves from workplace hazards is by wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, such as flame resistant (FR) clothing, and selecting garments that not only offer basic protection from flames but also deliver additional benefits to ensure they can focus on their work tasks rather than whether or not their clothing is comfortable. The following four essential factors in selecting appropriate fire resistant clothing can contribute to the safety and effectiveness of flame resistant workwear while improving worker compliance with safety regulations.
Permanent Flame Resistance:
When working in conditions that put people at risk of serious burn injuries, flame resistant apparel is essential to keeping them safe and avoiding catastrophic injuries. Workwear for these situations should be self-extinguishing and made of fabrics that will not drip or melt onto skin, should it be exposed to open flames or fire. While a range of flame resistant options exist in the market today, the most advanced products have flame-resistant properties that are inherent to the yarns used to make the garments rather than using topical treatments or flame retardants to impart these properties onto a finished garment. This means that the flame resistant qualities of the garment will not degrade with use or laundering, giving workers longer-lasting protection and greater peace of mind.
Comfort:
To ensure workers perform their best even in hazardous work environments, flame resistant workwear needs to be comfortable enough for all-day wear. Research has shown that as many as 15 to 30 percent of people who need to wear flame-resistant clothing or uniforms don't do so due to lack of comfort. While comfort may be a subjective quality, heat, sweat, and skin irritation are common complaints among these workers that lead them to either not wear FR garments at all or modify how they wear them to increase their comfort. Workers may open their shirt collars or roll up their sleeves for comfort, rendering the garments significantly less effective and exposing wearers to increased risks of bodily harm.
Heat and sweat can be distracting and prevent workers from performing at their best and they can also present an added level of risk if heat and moisture become trapped between garments and the skin, putting wearers at increased risk for steam burns. Effective flame resistant uniforms are lightweight and breathable, engineered to combat moisture build-up and designed to maximize worker mobility and overall comfort.
Layering:
Not all work environments require the same level of protection against flame and fire, and workers can face various levels of risk depending on the range of activities they are expected to perform. For these reasons, it is important to select clothing options that give wearers the flexibility to achieve higher levels of protection by layering garments while maintaining the same level of comfort.
An effective flame resistant clothing system may include FR undergarments that are soft and lightweight, long sleeve shirts and long pants to add warmth in colder environments, and flame resistant outerwear shirts, pants, and jackets that provide a first layer of defense in hazardous conditions. This type of layering allows workers to add or remove garments to accommodate their comfort and safety needs, and leading brands of comfortable flame resistant apparel offer products that work well together to ensure ultimate protection and comfort. It is also very important not to underestimate the need for flame resistant base layers or underwear even when wearing FR outer layers.
While outer garments offer a strong layer of protection in a range of situations, arc flashes can break through outer layers of clothing. For a worker wearing a non-FR cotton t-shirt or polyester garment underneath their outer layers, this can spell disaster as their garment ignites or melts and drips onto their skin, leading to significant injuries. Wearing flame retardant underwear that self-extinguishes and does not melt or drip can mean the difference between minor, easily treatable injuries and severe injuries where treatment is further complicated due to garments that have fused to a wearer's skin.
HRC Ratings:
When selecting FR garments, buyers should always consider the regulations or recommendations relevant to their specific industry. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has a system used to determine the Hazard Risk Category (HRC) levels relevant to different industries and jobs, and most of today's FR wear manufacturers label their garments according to their HRC protection level. Being aware of the HRC level necessary for a particular workplace setting and selecting clothing pieces that meet the appropriate level of protection is vital step to ensuring the safety of workers.
