Sources
A Brief Overview of Flame Resistant Clothing Standards and Practices
amerisafegroup.com
·
1
Flame Resistant (FR) Clothing General Standards | Tyndale USA
tyndaleusa.com
·
2
Flame Resistant (FR) Clothing Standards & Test Methods
tyndaleusa.com
·
3
eTool : Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution
www.osha.gov
·
4
Answer
Flame-resistant (FR) clothing is governed by several key industry standards to ensure worker safety in hazardous environments. Here are the main standards for FR clothing:
OSHA 1910.269 requires employers to ensure that workers exposed to electric arc or flame hazards wear appropriate FR clothing1. This standard applies specifically to workers in electric power generation, transmission, and distribution.
NFPA 2112 is a key standard that specifies minimum requirements for FR fabrics and garments designed to protect industrial personnel against short-duration thermal exposures from fire5. To comply with NFPA 2112, garments must pass specific testing requirements, including limiting body burn injury to less than 50% when exposed to a standardized fire test.
ASTM F1506 outlines performance specifications for textile materials used in FR clothing for electrical workers exposed to momentary electric arc and thermal hazards3. This standard ensures the fabric meets minimum requirements for flame resistance and arc thermal performance.
ISO 11612 provides minimum performance requirements for protective clothing against heat and flame hazards5. It specifies different performance levels based on the intensity of heat exposure (radiant, convective, or contact heat) and includes optional testing for protection against molten metal splashes.
NFPA 2113 complements NFPA 2112 by providing standards for the selection, use, care, and maintenance of FR garments5. It emphasizes the importance of proper hazard assessment and quantifying energy levels for various work tasks.
ASTM F1449 provides guidelines for the industrial laundering of FR clothing to maintain its protective properties23. This standard is crucial for ensuring FR garments retain their effectiveness over time.
In addition to these primary standards, there are several others that may apply depending on the specific industry or hazard, such as NFPA 70E for electrical safety, ASTM F1891 for arc-resistant rainwear, and ASTM F1930 for evaluating FR clothing using an instrumented manikin3.
It's important to note that proper selection of FR clothing should be based on a thorough hazard assessment of the specific work environment and tasks performed15. Employers are responsible for providing appropriate FR clothing at no cost to employees when required by these standards1.
References
1. A Brief Overview of Flame Resistant Clothing Standards and Practices2. Flame Resistant (FR) Clothing General Standards | Tyndale USA3. Flame Resistant (FR) Clothing Standards & Test Methods4. eTool : Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution5. Norms & regulations for heat & flame protection - DuPont UK
Author: WorkriteFR
Key insights
- The most important criterion for selecting an FR garment is the integrity of its flame-resistant properties.
- The focus is on providing key information and criteria in an objective and straightforward manner to help companies select protective apparel that meets their own criteria of comfort, protection, and overall value.
- 🩹 Second and third-degree burns can be fatal and result in scarring and a very long recovery period.
- FR clothing will put itself out when removed from the thermal source, unlike regular street clothes that can continue to burn and cause more severe injuries.
- ️ Implementing an FR program requires identifying workplace hazards, knowing applicable regulations, and understanding testing data for evaluating clothing protection levels.
- Employers need to conduct a hazard assessment to determine the potential level of exposure and the appropriate protective equipment required, including FR clothing.
- ASTM, NFPA, and OSHA are key organizations in developing standards and test methods for worker protection in the industry.
- ️ OSHA can cite companies for failing to follow reasonable precautions to keep their workers safe, emphasizing the importance of adhering to safety standards.
Video Full Text
- Everyone knows the old adage don't judge a book by. It's cover well that couldn't be more true when it comes to evaluating flame-resistant apparel look. At these garments. They all pretty much look the same don't they well. Today's program is about providing you the information you need to help you judge the difference in our last video FR evaluation basics. We talked about how all FR is not created equal that it is important to consider garments that exceed minimum standard requirements. The most important criterion for selecting an fr garment is the integrity of its flame. Resistant properties do you trust. The garment will protect your employee after being used in the field over time and after many laundering the reality is flame-resistant. Fabrics and garments can differ substantially in terms of protection comfort and overall value setting up and maintaining a flame resistant or fr. Apparel program involves reviewing a lot of technical information and understanding regulations that might apply to your industry. So today. Let's step back and outline the basic landscape in terms of national consensus standards and test methods and apply to fr. Clothing.Read More
- This will help you understand all that data. The suppliers are going to throw at you data which isn't always straightforward or necessarily. Comparing apples to apples will call this segment FR standards and test methods 101. It doesn't cover everything. I don't think we keep you here long enough to do that. But it provides an initial framework covering the key hazards. Most of you are dealing with arc flash flash fire or thermal hazards after we launched our FR evaluation basics. Video industry suppliers including our competitors asked us why are we spending our resources on developing online seminars that don't outline the specific benefits of our fabrics and garments. After all westex and work right are two of the largest suppliers in this marketplace. It comes down to our basic belief that if we can provide you with key information and criteria and present it in an objective and straightforward manner. Then you will have a better understanding of how to judge the varying quality and integrity of fr. Apparel. So you can make the best possible decision for your company in terms of selecting protective apparel that meets your own criteria of comfort protection and overall value. Today we're going to focus on the protection part of the Comfort protection value spectrum.Read More
- We will be reviewing the most common hazards in the industrial workplace. Then we will align those hazards with the relevant test methods used to evaluate how a fabric or garment will perform in the field and finally we will review the key industry standards that reference these test methods but let's start at the beginning what is the functionality of a flame resistant garment. Simply stated flame. Resistant or fr. Clothing is industrial garments that don't ignite and continue to burn the objective of wearing a flame. Resistant garment is to minimize second and third-degree burn injury and provide the wearer a few seconds to escape. First degree burns generally heal within a few days or weeks. Second-degree burns can blister and take weeks to heal. Third-degree burns can penetrate through skin layers require skin grafts result in scarring and a very long recovery period depending on how much of the body surface it burned. Both second and third-degree burns can be fatal.Read More
- The term flame resistant does not guarantee that a worker will not sustain any burns in the event of an accident but unlike regular street clothes FR clothing will put itself out when removed from the thermal source sources like an electric arc flash flash fire or radiant heat. The whole idea is to put employees who are exposed to known workplace hazards in clothing that doesn't become a hazard in itself which is what can happen when conventional. Non FR catches fire and continues to burn or worse yet when that clothing can melt into the skin like polyester like this shirt here which is nice and light but you don't want to be wearing it in the event of an arc flash wearing the wrong kind clothing can actually extend the burn to other areas not initially exposed to the hazard here's another comparison using 100-percent cotton based shirts. This one is fr and this one is not. They look quite similar but when exposed to a thermal source or flame they perform quite differently. These mannequins are being exposed to an arc flash as you can see the hundred percent. Cotton clothes on the left immediately ignite and burn intensely likely to cause severe burn injuries while the fr garments on the right extinguish rapidly and do not continue to burn minimizing the workers injury like regular work where flame resistant clothing is worn every day but fr. Workwear provides protection against accidental hazard exposure so it needs to be practical and functional. Actually. Today's FR is pretty updated in styling and fabric options. If your workers want to wear a traditional 5-pocket jean and a t-shirt. They can get that in fr. Look over there looks pretty similar to the non. Fr version doesn't it.Read More
- It might sound a bit counterintuitive that flame resistant clothing does not necessarily mean it won't burn but again it's about minimizing the burn you need a whole different level of protection if you're going to try to completely avoid the risk of burn injury. It's a matter of primary protective clothing as opposed to secondary protective clothing. For example firefighters wear heavy duty bunker gear because they face fire as a primary hazard but lineman who wear flame resistant clothing are using it as secondary protection. In the event of an accidental exposure they may or may not face and they hope they don't ever have to face one in their career. Some of you might be looking to implement an fr program at your location for the first time. The overall goal is to develop a clothing system that provides the right level of protection that is in line with the level of Hazard. Your workers face sounds. Pretty straightforward doesn't it but in order to determine what is right for your company's employ ease you will need to identify your workplace. Hazards know the applicable regulations and standards of those hazards and finally understand the testing data that is used to evaluate f our clothing protection levels. Let's start with the first first step in developing. Neff our clothing program is to know what protection level you need to provide. This is usually determined by conducting a hazard risk assessment.Read More
- This is a careful examination of what in your workplace could cause harm. It will allow you to weigh whether you have taken enough precautions or need to do more to prevent. Harm workers have the right to be protected from harm caused by failure to take reasonable control measures. This stems from federal regulations governing workplace safety. This is outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Act which was passed in nineteen seventy. There is a section in the regulation that covers all industries in a section 5a one which is commonly referred to as the general duty clause in short. This section states that employers shall furnish employees a place of employment free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm. Typical steps and a hazard assessment include identifying the type of hazards determining the potential level of exposure determining if controls can eliminate or reduce the risk to workers and then determining the PPE performance requirements. Some companies conduct this assessment themselves. Others outsource this job to consultants. Once armed with an understanding of your workplace hazards. You can move on to evaluating the appropriate protective equipment required including FR clothing. During this process you will need to know any standards that might be applicable to your industry whether you work for a utility refinery or manufacture.Read More
- So next let's review. Some key organizations that develop standards and test methods three organizations you will hear referenced in industry when talking about worker protection are ASTM nfpa and osha ASTM stands for the american society for testing and materials. This organization's purpose is to develop test methods standards and specifications using a consensus process. ASTM supports thousands of volunteer technical committees. These committees draw their members from industry for example folks involved in safety just like you. They also include consultants and suppliers people just like me. There are two committees most applicable to industrial protective clothing. The first is ASTM f23 which is the Committee on personal protective clothing and equipment there. F 2380 focuses specifically on flame and thermal exposure protection more flash fire oriented. The second is ASTM f-18 which focuses on electrical protective equipment. More arc flash oriented next we have the NFPA or national fire protection association. They develop codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility of injury during fire and other thermal exposures. Like ASTM.Read More
- Nfpa committees are made up of representatives from industry and while nfpa develops their own test methods. They also use test methods developed by ASTM and then there is OSHA. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA is the main federal agency charged with the enforcement of safety and health legislation. I don't think I have to tell this audience much about OSHA as you know they are able to cite companies for failing to follow reasonable precautions to keep their workers safe. Sometimes there is an actual osha regulation that applies to a situation and it is federal law. Otherwise OSHA often references applicable industry standards like those established by nfpa. Yes. It is up to these organizations to set the standards for industries to abide by but you may be asking yourself. How are these standards defined we'll stay tuned because on our next chapter we will begin to answer that very question by looking at the vertical flame test. See you.Read More