What is theWorking and Effect of Fire Resistant Fabric?
A number of questions have been raised lately in order to understand what Fire Resistant Clothing really is? Why they have become a necessity in a workplace where employees are in constant contact with fire and electrical hazards.
In this article, we will discuss the particular clothing line on basic grounds so that we erase the rising levels of curiosity.
What is Fire Resistant Fabric?
We should give you the clarity at the very beginning if your mind keeps on hitting the idea that these clothing are actually about being fireproof. The answer is bluntly NO so that you won’t be misinformed. This is the workwear for employees working under risky conditions of fire and electrical hazards to protect themselves from thermal explosions and fire flames.
In simple words, FR (Short Abbreviation for Fire Resistant) Clothing does not let the worker catch fire that easily. They have a tendency to resist fire and when they reach their highest limit to resist; they simply self-extinguish as they are designed that way. With such comfort, the risk of burn injury reduces to almost zero and if the environment is out of control regarding; the employee wearing Fire Resisting Clothing gets an ample amount of time to escape away from the dangerous situation.
To give you more clarity, examples of thermal problems, electric arc, and flash fire situations can help you understand very easy to leave the affected premises without any injuries due to Flame Resistant Clothing. This difference of coming out unharmed or severely injured marks the importance of FR Clothing in the particular line of work.
Target Market of FR Clothing
Who requires such clothing? Now that’s a question to be understood for a clearer picture. According to our research, there are three areas whose workers require the Fire Resistant Fabric to avail protection from critical incidents at the workplace. These are as under:
- Flash Fire: The workers in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry along with the ones working in refineries.
- Combustible Dust: The workers hired in the industry of Pulp, Paper and moreover in the food processing plants.
- Electric Arc: Last but not least, the ones working as electricians and specific utility workers and are exposed to hazards in the particular line.
Benefits
You already got the idea of why this clothing is beneficial for the employees and workers in the respected industry. Now, we will discuss the benefits and uses of Fire Resistant Clothing with fine details on a basic surface level.
For convenience, the benefits and uses are listed as under:
- Lower the risk of injury in potentially hazardous areas
- Resists igniting in the extreme conditions
- Prevents fire from spreading
- Extinguishes fire once its caught
- The worker is still safe if the particular clothing has caught fire
These five benefits can really drive every employee to ensure their safety by wearing Fire Resisting Clothing overwork.
Furthermore, one should clearly get the idea that wearing FR Clothing on an upfront level is not enough. Though, the specific line of clothing ought to provide the worker with protection mentioned above. To make it more reliable, one should wear non-melting garments underneath to ensure greater safety. This act brings two more benefits to the consumer:
- By doing so, you basically add up a second layer to Fire Fabric Protection. Even if the outer layer is completely demolished (that usually never happens); there will be a second base to protect you from further injury.
- The second benefit is more important than the first one. If you’re working in extreme conditions and you are wearing anything else as underclothing besides the non-melting garment; due to higher temperatures than non-required fabric will burn out and will cause serious injury to your body on an instant note.
Concluding with Primary & Secondary Levels of Protection
In the end, as a worker or as an employer; one should differentiate the need to use the Fire Resistant Fabric n a Primary Note or on a Secondary Note. Fire Resistant Clothing is made by keeping in mind the fact whether the worker will be required with the fabric made up on a primary level or on a secondary level. Primary protection is required when the employee is in constant contact with danger. To understand this situation we can take the example of a firefighter who is in constant contact with flames and fire while cooling it off.
Secondary protection is required where there is no constant danger. We can take the example of radiant heat, molten substance splash and fire-flames in refineries and other oil and gas industries. To be clearer, we can easily say that the workers wearing secondary protection FR Clothing are a lot more on a safer side than the ones working in primary protection gear by default.