Sources
Answer
Flame-resistant (FR) clothing is essential for welders to protect themselves from the hazards of their work. Here are the key pieces of FR clothing that welders should consider:
- Welding Jackets: These should be made of flame-resistant materials like treated cotton or specialized fabrics such as WeldX. Welding jackets protect the upper body and arms from sparks, heat, and molten metal splatter15.
- Welding Pants or Overalls: Like jackets, these should be made of flame-resistant materials to protect the lower body. Some welders opt for bib-style overalls for additional coverage1.
- Welding Gloves: These are crucial for protecting hands and wrists. They come in various materials and designs suited for different welding applications. Look for gloves that offer a balance of heat resistance, dexterity, and comfort5.
- Welding Hoods: While not clothing per se, hoods are essential for protecting the head and neck area from sparks and UV radiation1.
- Leather Accessories: Items like leather sleeves or a leather coat can provide additional protection, especially for overhead welding or gouging operations4.
- Material: FR cotton, leather, and specialized fabrics like WeldX are common choices. Each has its advantages in terms of protection, comfort, and durability15.
- Standards Compliance: Look for clothing that meets relevant safety standards such as EN ISO 11611 and EN ISO 116121.
- Fit and Comfort: Proper fit is crucial for both protection and mobility. Some modern FR clothing is designed with improved ergonomics and breathability5.
- Durability: High-quality FR clothing should maintain its protective properties even after repeated use and washing2.
References
1. Welding protection clothing | ASATEX2. Do You Need Flame-resistant Clothing? - Welding Supplies from IOC3. Choosing the Perfect Welding Apparel - Elliotts Australia4. Is FR clothing good for welding? - Reddit5. How to Choose the Proper Welding Apparel for Safety | MillerWelds
Author: Albany County Fasteners
Key insights
- Portwest manufactures all their own products, ensuring high quality and adherence to the highest ratings.
- FR products are not meant to save your life from fire, but to get you out of there within 3 seconds to save your life.
- ️ Fasteners 101 carries a wide range of FR related garments, from Cat2 to CAT 4 with arc rated 8 Cal to 100 Cal, including coveralls, jackets, and head protection.
- The industry has come a long way in terms of knowledge and availability of flame-resistant safety apparel.
- Flame resistant safety apparel has evolved to embed rules and regulations to ensure people's safety.
- The cost of losing personnel to incidents drives up the cost of doing business nowadays.
Video Full Text
- Hi folks, my name is Don Lyons. I'm the sales manager here for Albany County Fasteners. Just wanted to grab a few minutes with you today to talk about something near and dear to my heart. Which is, of course, safety. One of the reasons why Portwest is near and dear to my heart: their products are superior in terms of FR, which is what we're gonna talk about today. Some of the product that we sell, this FR related product, is from Portwest. Portwest is a great product line with great garments. Based out of Ireland, they manufacture all their own products and are held to the highest ratings.Read More
- ANSI ratings also. I just wanted to show you the balaclava here. This is an FR treated balaclava Arc 2 rated. The whole idea here is, and any electrician will tell you, FR products are not meant to save your life from fire. Anything arc related, it's meant for you to get the heck out of there within 3 seconds to save your life. That being said, you can look at a product like this... Flame Resistant. Wonderful. It'll save your life right? Again it's not meant to prevent fire, it's meant for you to get out of Dodge as quickly as possible. That's the goal, that's the case to save your life.Read More
- You know people get into FR related garments... It's changing the industry for a few different reasons. Number 1: OSHA's come in and is saying that it's mandated in most of your ports, anywhere, that you need class three FR rated products. That being said, they will not let you into a facility in most cases without that type of product. To you safety H & S folks, purchasing, who live in this area of FR: Cat2 to CAT 4 with arc rated 8 Cal. To 100 Cal and that includes your coveralls, jackets, and head protection. We carry it all. Just about anything that you need in terms of FR related garments, specific to your applications, please feel free to call me.Read More
- Call us here at Albany County Fasteners and we will work with you to partner up and put a program together. So that when you need our product, it's always gonna be there for you. We can do kits. Whatever works best for you. It's pretty amazing nowadays how far the industry has come, and how knowledgeable we are nowadays. When it gets into FR related product versus the applications that a lot of your electricians, a lot of these folks that work in these facilities, in these plants, you go back 20 or 30 years, I'll tell you what, there was really no rhyme or reason to even have FR related product.Read More
- It did exist, but people were getting hurt. Nowadays, it's just great to see that we've embedded certain rules and regulations. To make sure that people are safe, people are, you know, abiding by the rules.Read More
- Now there's great garments like this to protect people out there. It's the cost of losing personnel to incidents that, you know, drives up the cost of doing business nowadays. So if you're safety HMS and you're procurement, please make sure your folks are wearing the right gear for the right applications. And if you're looking for the FR, we have a huge, huge line of garments that can fit every application. This is a true story: when I was first learning about FR garments I asked, I said: "You know what?Read More
- Why aren't there any short sleeves?". Then I thought to myself, I'm like "short sleeves, burnt...oh. Oh. Yeah, okay.". You don't want any flesh hanging outside of the garment. You want to make sure it's long sleeve all the time. So the person buying that garment from me just started laughing and kind of said, "Oh, you you're pretty green at this.". I said, "What makes you say that?". He said, "Well think about it. Don, you know, why would you want to have a short sleeve FR garment?". So I just put my head between my legs and said, "okay, I get it.". That's my funny story for the day.Read More
- Sorry, and I'll leave it at that. So if you're looking to purchase our FR gear, click on the link up in this area. Or just, you know, check on the description down here below and we should be good to go. Thanks for watching our video. Remember to Like, Share, Subscribe, hit the bell, and leave a comment. Thanks.Read More