THE LEADING EXPERTS IN DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE CUSTOM GARMENTS
2024-02-21 09:22:56
What functions do flame-retardant protective clothing (FR) and arc resistant clothing (AR) need to have as the final protection for high-risk industry practitioners?
1： Thermal hazards
When facing opponents (heat hazards), we need to know the harm they can cause. Ordinary workwear cannot effectively reduce the extent or severity of burns, while FR/AR clothing has a dual function. These fabrics are designed to limit heat exposure time and provide insulation performance to reduce burns.
A common characteristic of short-term heat hazards is that the fire source is strong but fleeting. The self extinguishing performance of FR/AR clothing can be said to be the most important function, which ensures that the wearer is protected after eliminating the source of fire. If you are not wearing FR/AR clothing, your clothes will become fuel and continue to burn. Self extinguishing performance is the most critical component of FR/AR clothing - no matter what thermal hazards you face. When wearing verified FR/AR fabric, the protective performance has been directly woven into the clothing. As long as it is properly maintained, it will maintain flame retardant performance throughout the service life of the clothing.
Although the main function of FR/AR clothing is to limit exposure to heat hazards, it also has insulation properties that can reduce the severity of burns in accidents. According to different industries, FR/AR clothing (or fabrics) must meet different standards.
2： Arc hazard
The arc resistance level of flame-retardant fabrics reflects their ability to isolate arcs, indicating their performance in preventing secondary burns in arc accidents. These levels are measured in cal/cm2 units.
The arc protection level of the correct personal protective equipment should be greater than or equal to the expected accident energy of the task, which will help effectively insulate the wearer.
3： Detonation hazard
Three second exposure test according to ASTM F1930, evaluating deflagration isolation by body burn percentage: hot body model test. Fabric must have a human burning rate of 50% or lower to comply with NFPA 2112 standards. The lower the burn rate of the human body in three seconds, the stronger the insulation properties of flame-retardant fabrics.
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