How to choose FR work clothes / Flame retardant work clothes

How to choose FR work clothes / Flame retardant work clothes?

Is that necessary to buy FR work clothes (flame retardant work clothes) fo you? Many employees in the oil and gas industry must wear FR work clothes on a regular basis. Flame-retardant clothing is the standard work clothes of many companies, and companies have the responsibility to provide their workers with appropriate workwear to protect their safety.

There are many FR workwear and workwear manufacturers on the market to choose from, which brings us difficulty in choosing. You need to understand the exact dangers that employees face. You must also consider comfort and durability. But the first step is to distinguish the difference between AR and FR clothing.

Set purpose: AR or FR ?

AR : Arc level

The purpose of AR clothing (arc protection clothing) is to protect workers from arc flash hazards. Arc flash is a sudden and intense release of heat and energy. It’ll occur when electrical equipment fails.

Electricians often need to wear arc protective clothing. They are most likely to be affected by arc flash hazards. Arc protection clothing helps protect these workers. The work clothes are constructed to resist ignition. They will not burn or catch fire.

FR : flame retardant

FR clothing is designed to protect workers from fire-related hazards. FR clothing is not as resistant to ignition as AR clothing. If exposed, FR clothing will catch fire. But its purpose is to self-extinguish. So it will not continue to burn after the initial event.

AR and FR clothing are very similar. The difference is that AR clothing can provide you with a higher level of protection. All AR clothing is flame-retardant, but not all FR clothing is arc-proof. When buying an FR suit, you need to know whether your employees need AR- level protection.

According to " DL / T 320-2010 General Technical Requirements for Personal Arc Protection Equipment", the protection level of arc protection clothing generally adopts the ATPV value. The ATPV value of the layer is 4 , the second layer is 8 , the third layer is 25 , and the fourth layer is 40 .

FR clothing material

When you know whether you should choose FR flame-retardant clothing or arc-proof clothing, you also need to understand that there is a difference between chemical flame-retardant and intrinsic flame-retardant fabrics. At present, the main flame retardant fabrics are: chemically treated flame retardant fabrics, such as pure cotton, polyester cotton, etc.; intrinsic flame retardant fabrics, such as aramid, acrylic cotton, DuPont Kevlar, NOMEX , Australia PR97, etc. In general, intrinsically flame-retardant fabrics are more expensive than chemically flame-retardant fabrics, but work clothes made of intrinsically flame-retardant fabrics are more durable than chemically flame-retardant fabrics. Intrinsically flame-retardant fabric work clothes will not lose their flame-retardant properties after repeated washing.