Page 38 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2019

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
all aimed at reducing weight and improving comfort. Tri and quad blend fabrics are be- coming the norm, taking advantage of the best properties of multiple fibers.
In addition to softer, more supple fabric, these blends have reduced weight in stan- dard woven shirts; knit versions are now being used as base layers and are actually lighter and softer than a standard tee shirt. Knits in general were historically a chal- lenge for FR garments, but the new technol- ogy has allowed FR henleys, tee shirts, and polos that rival anything in your local sport- ing goods store. Soft, breathable FR versions are now available in similar weights and styles. Two other notable comfort innova- tions new to FRC are quick dry and flex or stretch fabrics. The sum of these technology advances is high-performance FRC that can finally match non-FR in weight, flex, soft- ness, and moisture management.
The FRC world is in the midst of a great evolution: from 2-3 fabric options and 3-4 garment brands, little to none of which looked or felt like regular cloth-
ing, to dozens of fabrics, dozens of gar- ment brands, and hundreds of styles . . . many of which are indistinguishable from everyday clothing. There have been major improvements across the board in fabric properties such as weight, softness, breathability, stretch, and quick dry. Pair that with the entrance of lifestyle brands and the dramatic expansion of styles, and the world of FRC in 2019 bears about as much resemblance to the old FRC market as the cell phone you own now does to the one you had 10 years ago.
If you haven’t been to an industry trade
show recently, be prepared to be shocked by the number of FRC booths and the comfort of the garments being shown. This evolution has spawned a huge expansion in options, and many FR programs are tak- ing full advantage. Harnessing the power of choice may be the missing link to cre- ating comfortable, satisfied, safer wearers, improved compliance, greater worker sat- isfaction, and a hassle-free FRC clothing program for management.
Scott Margolin is Vice President—Techni- cal for Tyndale Company. He has 30 years of experience with FR fibers, fabrics, and gar- ments and has conducted and presented re- search on flash fire, arc flash, and combusti- ble dust hazards across the United States and around the world. He has authored dozens of technical articles and white papers, given countless presentations, and led webcasts on these subjects. He serves as Subject Mat- ter Expert to OSHA, NFPA, NJATC, ASSP, NECA, and others, as well as serving on and chairing multiple standards committees.
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