First of all, what is flame-retardant, flame-retardant or flame-resistant clothing? Are they synonyms? A literal interpretation could lead us to believe that we are dealing with fireproof clothing, but this is not the case. This type of personal protective equipment is intended to protect the wearer when they are exposed to high temperatures. The material of this protective clothing has the ability to extinguish the spread of the flame when it comes into contact with the fabric, as long as the heat source is removed. However, if the item in question is exposed to fire for a long period of time, it will eventually burn.
Flame-resistant (flame-retardant) clothing is clothing in which the materials are naturally flame-resistant, i.e. they independently have the ability to extinguish the spread of flame, while flame-retardant material, in order to offer the same protective characteristics, needs to be chemically treated beforehand.
It’s common to believe that a 100% cotton garment naturally offers protection against heat and flame. It’s true that cotton fabric melts less than polyester, for example, but it doesn’t have the ability to extinguish the spread of flame. When it comes into contact with a heat source, it burns completely like any other fabric that is not prepared for such conditions.
Protective suits against heat and flame must fully cover the upper and lower parts of the body (including wrists and ankles) and can take the form of a full suit (overalls) or two pieces (jacket and pants). The closure systems must be quick-release so that the worker can quickly remove the protective equipment in the event of an emergency.
All accessories (pockets, zippers and seams, for example) must also be tested for their ability to withstand high temperatures (at least 175º) for 5 minutes. So if you damage your flame-retardant clothing, you should be thoroughly informed about what materials you can use for a home repair.
The standard governing the manufacture of flame retardant workwear is ISO 11612. This is just one of the standards developed for protective clothing against heat and flame. For example, protective clothing for firefighters is covered by another standard, ISO 11613. ISO 11611, on the other hand, specifies the minimum safety requirements for protective clothing to be used in welding to protect workers from molten metal splashes
In industry, risks often don’t appear in isolation and sometimes a particular risk can generate another potential hazard. An example of this is the risk of explosion. For this reason, flame retardant clothing is often also anti-static to prevent sparks, which is essential in ATEX environments (explosive atmospheres). In many workplaces there are large machines, cranes and motorized vehicles (e.g. forklifts) and in these cases, it would be wise to invest in high-visibility clothing that offers greater visual prominence and protection. This can be done by combining several protection standards in the same garment, giving the worker the highest degree of protection.
Steelworks, zinc smelting, copper smelting, glass smelting, aluminum smelting, cement factories, electricity companies, electronics laboratories, white rooms, oil rig workers, gas industry, chemical industry
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UNIFARDAS® collaborates with Espaço T, promoting inclusion and expanding employment opportunities for young people with special needs or those marginalized in the labor market, focusing on safe working conditions, exceeding minimum standards, and fostering continuous training programs for skills development.
At UNIFARDAS®, we stay up to date with new technologies and the latest innovations that can optimize our production process, making it more efficient and closer to zero waste.
UNIFARDAS® is a partner of Espaço T, an inclusive organization for everyone, with our common goal being to increase employment opportunities for young people with special needs and/or who, for some reason, have been excluded from the labor market. In this space, immigrants will also find a support network in their search for work and housing.
UNIFARDAS® demonstrates its ecological commitment by organizing beach cleanups on World Cleanup Day and collaborating with Seaqual to transform marine waste into upcycled plastic, later used in the production of sustainable fabrics, reinforcing its environmental responsibility.
UNIFARDAS® demonstrates its ecological commitment by organizing beach cleanups on World Cleanup Day and collaborating with Seaqual to transform marine waste into upcycled plastic, later used in the production of sustainable fabrics, reinforcing its environmental responsibility.
