While many things can cause a fire in the workplace, it is often clothing that serves as the origin of these fires. Flame resistant workwear is designed to reduce the risk of flashover, which is when a piece of clothing catches on fire and spreads flames to other pieces of clothing. Understanding how flame resistant clothing works and what factors affect its performance can help you make better purchase decisions for your workplace.
Standards Of Flame Resistant Clothing
The private sector has long been the primary source of research, development and innovation in the field of protective clothing. A number of regulations and standards have been issued by government to help ensure that the public is protected from the hazards of fire. All employers are required to maintain a program of workplace hazard analysis to identify and correct hazardous conditions in their workplaces. The standard for fire retardant clothing is the NFPA 1971-2011 Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. Since the inception of NFPA 1971, it has been common practice for manufacturers to choose fabrics that pass test.
Clothing that meets the standards of flame-resistant clothing is created from a special blend of fibers and materials. These special fabrics are resistant to heat and flame, so they provide protection against fire. Flame-resistant clothing is designed to reduce the risk of serious burns. By adding a protective layer between your skin and an intense heat source, firefighters' clothing can help prevent burn injuries. Whether you are a firefighter or work in another industry that exposes you to the possibility of burns, you should wear flame-resistant clothing every day.
Choose Right Quality Flame-Resistant Clothing
There are many types of Flame resistant workwear, and each is designed to protect you in different ways. The right clothing for your job will depend on the specific hazards you're working with, and how much protection you need. Since this can be a confusing topic, we'll start with an overview of the different types of flame-resistant clothing and then dive into the details. The most common type of flame-retardant clothing is made from Nomex or Kevlar fabrics. Some garments are made from a combination of these fabrics.
Fire-retardant clothing is usually more expensive than regular clothing, but it is often required by law for people who work in certain industries that are considered to be high-risk. Firefighters and welders are two examples of the people who work in the high-risk fields.