Page 24 - Occupational Health & Safety, December 2018

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
Requirements for garment labeling have ex- panded to account for all FR items specified in NFPA 2112, including the newly added shrouds, balaclavas, and hoods. Now, labels must clearly state: “This clothing item meets the requirements of NFPA 2112-2018. NFPA 2113 requires upper and lower body coverage.”
6. Revised garment labeling
Requirements for garment labeling have expanded to account for all FR items specified in NFPA 2112, including the newly add- ed shrouds, balaclavas, and hoods. Now, labels must clearly state: “This clothing item meets the requirements of NFPA 2112-2018. NFPA 2113 requires upper and lower body coverage.”
NFPA 2112 5.1.9 also now includes key information regarding garment manufacturer and specific fabric in reference. Critical in- formation, such as manufacturer’s garment identification number, lot number, or serial number, helps with the traceability of FR fab- rics to ensure they are from quality lots.
The following information has been updated for clarification and is required to be legibly printed on FR product labels:
(1) Model name, number, or design
(2) Manufacturer’s name, identification, or designation (3) Manufacturer’s address
(4) Country of manufacture
(5) Manufacturer’s garment identification number, lot number, or serial number
(6) Size
(7) Fiber content for each primary fabric layer, including cold weather insulation materials but excluding interlinings and labels
(8) “DO NOT REMOVE”
With all its updates, it is still important to know that NFPA 2112 specifies the minimum performance requirements of FR items. Any FR fabric that provides less than 50% body burn can be cer- tified to the standard, and that leaves a large variance in passing body burn percentage results for common FR fabrics (7% and 49% both pass, for example). Trusted manufacturers will provide NFPA 2112 third party certification via garment labeling and can provide, upon request, the actual certification report along with body burn percentage data for that specific certified FR garment.
Changes to NFPA 2113, the companion standard to NFPA 2112 with guidance on the selection, care, use, and maintenance of FR garments, are expected to be published in 2020.
Scott Francis is the Technical Sales Manager for Westex by Milliken. Involved in the safety industry since 1991, Scott has extensive expe- rience with protective apparel fabrics, as well as protective apparel programs. He participates in a number of industry organizations and frequently addresses trade associations and groups regarding relevant safety topics.
Building a Better Protective Market
Since our beginning in 1904, TexTech Industries has become one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of performance-driven materials. Our global distribution platform and in-house engineering, testing, and manufacturing capabilities have enabled us to be innovative, creative, and on the cutting edge in expanding our product portfolio to meet the requirements of a broad range of difficult and demanding industrial applications.
Professionals across numerous industries have come to rely on our signature brands:
CarbonX® non-flammable fabrics and apparel ResistX high-comfort, flame-resistant fabrics Core MatrixTM ballistic technology PunctureXTM composite products
Contact TexTech at ppeinfo@textechindustries.com or (207) 756-8606, or visit www.textechindustries.com, for a high-performance, customized solution for your protective application.
BUILDING A BETTER PROTECTIVE MARKET
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