Posted by Tara Smith on Fri, Jul 29, 2011 @ 02:56 PM
Many companies have team members working in situations that could easily lead to a fast disaster should they not be armed with the correct protective garments. Flame resistant (FR) garments provide a shield against clothing ignition and sustained flame spread. The characteristic of the fabric is to resist ignition and self extinguish if ignited. Here are some common causes of ignition of work apparel where team members would need to be protected with Flame Resistant Garments:
- Flammable liquids and gases
- Combustible dusts
- Slag from flame cutting
- Electric arc events
- High energy electrical discharges
- Flammable soils
- Molten metals
- Open flames
- Welding
- Sparks
Check out this video created by Bulwark Protective Apparel to show the difference in ignition on a flame resistant garment versus and non flame resistant garment.
After watching the video above it is easy to see the importance of having the right gear for the job. Employers are responsible by law to identify risks and hazards in the workplace and seek out appropriate protective garments and equipment to ensure the safety of all workers. When an ignition risk is present, flame resistant protection can become a key to addressing problems and carrying out an action plan in life threatening situations.
Click here to view Flame Resistant Garments offered by SITEX.
Posted by Lori Riffe on Mon, Oct 11, 2010 @ 09:46 AM
There are many things you need to know about flame resistant garments but here are the top 5:
1. How do normal fabrics react to ignition?
Normal fabrics and garments will burn away from the point of ignition with an increasing rate of flame spread and continue to burn after removal of the ignition source. Normal fabrics will continue to burn until are extinguished or all flammable material is consumed.
2. How do flame-resistant garments react to ignition?
Flame-resistant (FR) fabrics and garments are intended to resist ignition, prevent the spread of flames away from the immediate area of high heat impingement, and to self-extinguish almost immediately upon removal of the ignition source.
3. Do FR garments prevent burn injury?
FR garments will not provide significant protection from burn injury in the immediate area of contact with the ignition source. However, flame-resistant garments do provide protection against clothing ignition and sustained flame spread.
4. Are FR garments still effective if contaminated with flammable substances?
Flammable substances on FR garments will ignite and continue to burn on the surface of the FR garment. Flame-resistant garments should be immediately removed and replaced with clean FR apparel if they become fouled with flammable material. If laundering cannot remove flammable contaminants, the contaminated garments should be removed from service.
5. Is 100% cotton fabric "flame-resistant"?
There is a common perception that untreated 100% cotton fabric is somehow "flame-resistant". This is simply NOT true. While heavyweight untreated 100% cotton fabrics may be more difficult to ignite, they can and will ignite and continue to burn if exposed to an ignition source.
Posted by Lori Riffe on Thu, Oct 07, 2010 @ 11:15 AM
There are many professionals out there that work in hazardous environments, sometimes even life threatening environments. Even though these people are trained on worst case scenarios and safety procedures, there is still the risk of WHAT IF...
Just recently, OSHA set a new policy in place requiring certain industries to wear flame resistant garments (FRC garments). Under paragraph 5a1, the General Duty clause of the federal OSHA Act, it is the employer's responsibility to identify risks and hazards in the workplace and seek out appropriate protective garments and equipment for the protection of workers.
In making this hazard assessment, the employer must consider the risks present and the most appropriate means of addressing those risks. Where ignition risks are present, flame-resistant protective garments can become a prudent part of an action plan to address these concerns.
You might ask the questions: How do I choose the correct Flame-Resistant Garments?
Any flame and thermal protective fabric must provide the wearer with the expected degree of protection for the useful life of the garment. Garments are specified based on the employer's evaluation of workplace hazards. Protective garments, which function as wearing apparel for normal work activities, must be comfortable and durable while achieving appearance that is acceptable to both the employer and the wearer. In addition to these general considerations, there may be other hazards present such as chemical or molten substance exposure. Finally, these multi-use garments must be able to withstand laundering to remove soils and flammable contaminants and be returned to service without excessive color loss, fuzzing/pilling (surface appearance change) or excessive shrinkage.
There have been numerous cases recently where OSHA has fined companies for not assessing their work environment and employees are not wearing FR garments. These fines aren't for small amounts either...
So the big questions is...Do you take the risk of getting sued or pay the extra money to protect your employees?
For more information on the OSHA policy:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=27296