For many people in essential occupations, flame-resistant clothing means the difference between an incident-free workday and serious injury. How do these garments protect high-risk workers against serious burns? CHARNAUD® explains everything you need to know about flame-resistant clothing.
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What Is Flame-Resistant Clothing And How Does It Work?
Flame-resistant (FR) clothing is an indispensable part of the average workday for many professionals around the world. For workers at constant risk of burns from flash fires, electric arcs and others, FR clothing is the only barrier they have against these dangers. FR clothing is any type of garment specifically designed to protect the wearer from injury caused by the thermal effects of open flames, heat and electric arc flashes. The garments resist igniting when they come into contact with flame. As soon as the source of the heat or flame is removed, FR garments will self-extinguish, preventing any heat or flame reaching the wearer’s skin. In this way, burns from both initial exposure and residual heat transfer can be avoided.
FR clothing is designed to make it less likely to ignite when exposed to high temperatures. If the fabric does ignite, it will not continue to burn once the heat source is removed, giving the wearer a chance to escape. An important point: fire-resistant does not mean fireproof. All FR clothing will burn if, the source of ignition is not removed.
CHARNAUD’s Flame-Resistant PPE
CHARNAUD® produces several ranges of flame-resistant clothing for different industries, including emergency services, electrical and metalwork. The FIRE-SAFE® range includes head-to-foot protection for various applications in industries such as oil and gas, mining, wildland firefighting, structural firefighting and emergency services.
SURVIVE-ARC® has been developed especially for workers at risk of arc-flash. These garments are made from certified, comfortable, flame-resistant and arc-rated material to protect against the thermal effects of arc flash.
Products in the METAL-SAFE® and ALU-SAFE® ranges are designed specifically to protect workers against risks associated with radiant heat as well as molten metal splashes involved with the handling of hot metals.
Read our blog for more tips and advice on all varieties of PPE.
Trust CHARNAUD® for Quality Firefighting Gear
CHARNAUD® is a supplier of quality firefighting equipment, as well as other safety gear. Contact us for advice and quotations on quality PPE, including hot metal safety gear and safety wear for a host of other professions.
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