Flame Resistant Clothing Care And Maintenance
As your flame resistant (FR) clothing is meant to be your last line of defence for protection when a flash fire or electric arc occurs you need to ensure that the PPE is maintained in good condition.
One of the main causes of degrading your flame resistant clothing is by the use of chlorine bleach. Bleach can not only fade the colour of the garments but it also will ”breakdown” the flame resistant properties of the fabric.
Another very common issue we see is that ppe gets contaminated by flammable substances such as oil and gas and then the garment becomes a fuel source on its own. In the event that your FR clothing is substantially soiled by flammable substances the garments must be thoroughly cleaned before being returned to service. Regular washing of coveralls does not remove grease, oil and gas very good but the dry cleaning process does.
What can happen if the protective clothing does not have these substances removed is that if you are subject to a flame source these fluids will ignite and burn until the fuel source is used up. The fabric against your skin should be okay but exposure to the heat source could cause a person to get burned right through the protective fabric. A good run of thumb is that any containments larger then a credit card should be removed.
There comes a time when FR clothing reaches a point where it is time to be retired from service. Indications are signs of fraying, very thin fabric and areas that have a torn hole with the thread showing through. These are all indications that the fabric has lost its strength and has seen better days. These areas can be repaired using the same FR fabric and thread although if there is nothing to sew on to except weak fabric the hole will reappear in no time.
It is up to you as an employee and employer to ensure the flame resistant protective clothing is inspected on a regular basis to ensure employees are adequately protected.
Damaged FR coveralls
Terry Smeader
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August 23rd, 2022 at 6:36 pm
My friend is a lineman. He often suffers from heat exhaustion. He may spend up to three hours in his bucket.
He needs a fire-resistant fanny pack or such to keep water and snacks with him.
All the clothing he wears is fire resistant. He cannot wear anything else.
What do you have to offer?
August 24th, 2022 at 11:26 am
Hi Frederick
I am sorry but I cannot locates FR fanny packs this would be something that is customer made although we do sell a lot of FR clothing if that interest you.
Terry