The Importance Of Flame-Retardant Workwear

For many industries, the importance of flame-retardant workwear cannot be underestimated.

From electricians and those that work in the oil and gas industries, to chemical and pharmaceutical plant employees, there is a wide range of professions that rely on flame-retardant clothing to enable them to safely carry out their job daily.

In this article, we explore the life-saving importance of utilising flame-retardant workwear across a variety of industries.

How does flame-retardant workwear protect those that wear it?

Flame-retardant (FR) workwear is specially designed to protect the wearer from thermal injury, which usually comes in the form of a burn to the skin caused by flames, sparks, steam or extremely hot liquids.

It is made using non-conductive fibres that do not ignite easily when exposed to extreme heat. The clothing is also engineered to extinguish as soon as the fire source has been removed.

One of the most important functions of FR workwear is its inability to melt and stick to the skin, protecting the wearer from lasting effects caused by thermal injury.

Flame-retardant workwear can greatly mitigate the risk of burn-related injuries in the workplace

Unfortunately, accidents are part of the job for those working in environments where potential hazards are located around many corners. While protective workwear is seen as the last line of defence for such individuals, it provides a crucial barrier against extreme injury.

Flame-retardant clothing achieves this as a result of its self-extinguishing nature, which buys the wearer integral time to flee from the fire source, mitigating lasting or more severe injury.

A key way to increase the capabilities of FR clothing is to avoid wearing synthetic garments underneath, such as vests, t-shirts and underwear, which can be highly flammable and pose a great risk to the skin if an extreme level of heat is applied to the material.

What type of flame-retardant clothing should be worn to prevent injury?

Because the level of thermal injury risk varies from role to role, different levels of protection will be required for different tasks. A specific rating system, known as arc rating, is used to inform this.

Arc ratings are applied to garments depending on which Hazard Risk Category they fall into. So, for example, if your role falls into HRC 1, which is the lowest risk category, your FR clothing will require a rating of at least 4 cal/cm². The ratings increase along with the categories, with HRC 4 – the highest risk category – demanding a rating of 40 cal/cm²at a minimum.

It is possible to purchase FR clothing without an arc rating, so to ensure you and your company are in adherence with relevant safety practices, you can check the status of the clothing by searching for the rating on the label. This is a crucial one to remember, as you will want to ensure that you choose the correct rating for the job at hand.

Feel comfortable and secure in the highest quality flame-retardant workwear courtesy of Ark Safety

One of the most important benefits of wearing flame-retardant PPE daily is the peace of mind it offers.

With your well-being at work foremost in mind, Ark Safety offers a competitive range of quality PPE and workwear solutions to customers across Ireland and the UK. While we specialise in the food and aerospace industries, we offer head-to-toe protection to clients across all sectors, including manufacturing, engineering, catering, construction, healthcare and facilities management.

Ensure your team is fully protected from all fire-related hazards by getting in touch today.