Flame Resistant Clothing. What Are the Key Things to Know?

Posted by James Cooper on February 1st, 2021

Those who work in the oil & gas industry know how important it could be to wear flame-resistant clothing for the job. Even if flame-resistant clothing is something you need for a specific task, you would want to wear it at all times.

Fire Resistant Clothing

The clothing is a special kind of personal protection equipment designed to protect you from fire hazards. While the wear is not entirely fireproof as you might be thinking, the fire-resistant work pants or other clothing significantly reduce the risk of getting burnt while on the job.

 When the clothing is exposed to a flame, it catches fire almost immediately. However, these are designed to self-extinguish almost immediately. Hence, it would continue to burn even if it is ignited. There are two main kinds of flame-resistant clothing. These are flame-resistant and flame-retardant. While both of them are safe to use, there is a difference.

 The flame-resistant clothing is made from a material that is inherently resistant to the flames and the embers. It also means that the threads and fibers will extinguish on their own.

On the other hand, flame-retardant clothing is made from materials that have been treated chemically to get similar self-extinguishing properties.

The critical difference between the two is the material of the garment from which the cloth is made. Wearing either of them reduces the likelihood and the severity of the burns. Either of the options can protect from fire-related hazards—it challenging to identify the difference between the two. You should check the tags and the details of the clothing maker.

Choosing the right clothing

The laundering and the maintenance requirements can help you decide which clothing is the best.

• Maintenance requirements. The chemically treated and the flame-retardant fabrics retain their qualities for a certain number of washes. The guidelines are also strict for laundering the flame retarding clothing. The flame-resistant fabric has specific guidelines as these clothes are made from flame-resistant material.

• Cost is another factor. The flame retarding clothing is less expensive as compared to flame-resistant clothing.

• The level of protection is also essential. All types of flame-resistant clothing come with a label that specifies the degree to which it is going to protect you.

Finally,

Whether you are buying fire resistant work pants or some other clothing, consider these details, and you can make the best decision.