Page 23 - OHS, September 2020

represent products as flame resistant or protective in ways that are outside the scope of their intended use and may, in some cases, be a complete misrepresentation of the product’s protective capabilities. When looking at FR products, there are two common examples that may be listed, but these do not ensure compliance with NFPA 70E for arc flash and 2112 for flash fire hazards. Two common examples include:
Some manufacturers infer that clothing meeting the Consumer Product Safety Commission requirements in Title 16, CFR 1610 (Standard for Flammability of Clothing Textiles) is protective against flame exposure. This regulation applies to all clothing sold in the United States and simply helps organize textiles into classes based on how quickly they burn. Textiles that have a flame spread between three and a half to seven seconds are considered normal flammability and are acceptable for use in clothing. Standards noted above only allow for a two-second maximum after flame. When every second means precious escape time for a worker, which standard do you want your FR workwear to pass? Limits are set to exclude unreasonably dangerous fabrics from being used in the general U.S. clothing industry.
Other manufacturers may cite an incorrect standard, such as NFPA 701 (Standard Methods of Fire Tests for Flame Propagation of Textiles and Films) or NFPA 702 (Standard on Flammability of Wearing Apparel), to base claims of their product’s flame resistance
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characteristics. NFPA 701 clearly is intended to address home and industrial furnishings such as draperies and wall coverings. NFPA 702 was withdrawn in 1986 and was never intended to cover protective clothing applications. It also has several other standards that provide requirements for specific types of flame and heat resistant clothing.
It is always best to check with the manufacturer to see what claims are being made and, if there is a question, to ask for documentation that demonstrates the claim of a particular product meeting a standard or specification. The product label should clearly state all standard compliances.
Conclusion
When exposed to a situation with the potential for flame or high heat, ordinary clothing can quickly ignite, burn or degrade, which can cause serious second or third degree burn injuries and potentially death. For those applications where exposure may occur, it is critical that workers are provided with proper PPE. Equally important is that workers are trained to correctly wear their PPE. When every fraction of a second counts, you want to be sure that you and your workers are covered with the best possible equipment available.
Chris Cota is a Senior Product Manager for Ergodyne.
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