The concept of flame-retardant material is quite simple. It protects the wearers from thermal exposures and flames. These items do not catch fire that easily, and even if it does, it will self-extinguish itself.
It gives valuable time to the wearer to escape the unsafe situation. It prevents the fire from spreading and protects the user from burn injuries. The regular materials do not give you these advantages and hence must be avoided in these types of environment.
For whom?
If you, an employee is working in an environment, where there is a possibility of a fire outbreak, then it is a must item for that person. These environments include- heat, fire and electrical departments.
For further details pay a visit to FROutlet There are three major categories of worker, who needs to wear these clothing, based on the type of activity he or she is doing.
The hazardous workers, under electric arcs, are directly exposed to electricity, the flash fire includes workers of refineries, pharmaceutical and chemical departments and others. The workers of the pulp, paper and food processing plants fall under the combustible dust category.
Materials used to make it:
All types of FR clothing are not made from the same type of fabric, and each has its own pros and cons. Most of these fabrics are generally a mixture of multiple other materials, which are mostly synthetic in nature.
The self-extinguishing feature is enforced and makes the material slow to ignite. Some of the popular fibers used to make Fr clothing are- Kevlar, modacrylic and Nomex. Kevlar besides being a flame retardant is also very tough, and can also be used to create other items.
Modacrylic is the most popular fiber and is used to make the blend. Nomex is a type that has FR qualities but cannot stand alone and needs to be mixed with others.
Benefits:
Like it is said before, FR materials allow the employees to work potentially in the perilous or precarious environment, by reducing the risks of injury. There is no FR clothing which guarantees to prevent every injury throughout.
These materials generally lower the risks and are definitely better than everyday wearing. It is not that it will never catch fire. They are designed in such a way that will resist ignition. The main advantage is that these garments will prevent the fire from spreading.
Therefore, even if the garment catches fire, it is most likely to extinguish itself. This lessens the chance of burns on the skin.
Durability:
It is nearly impossible to exactly determine the longevity of an FR material because every single piece is different from each other.
The lifespan of the product may be affected by several factors, like, the type of fabric used, the quality of the garment, manufacturer and how much wear and tear the product is experiencing.
Some of the good quality items even last for five years, while the cheaper ones will not last more than nine months.
When the item is completely damaged, and no repair is possible, you need to replace it, as it will not be functional. Try always to buy long-lasting clothing, not only for the quality but you will spend less in the long run.
Care:
The best thing is that the clothing can be washed normally, using a general dryer and washer. Try not to use chlorine bleach as it may damage the item.
Follow the washing instructions at the back. You can also dry clean these materials if you want. As FR items have the ability to endure a lot of wear and tear, you can wash it often.
FR materials are always preferred under hazardous working areas, but you also need to have self-awareness. Before choosing any FR material go through the instructions behind the back of the product.
As every material is different from each other, it is not necessary that, if an item is working perfectly for someone, it will also work for you. As it is a matter of life, you should not compromise any factor and choose the best one for you.
