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Fire Retardant Clothing Requirements

Electricians, firefighters, military personnel and police officers all conform to a different dress code than the usual suit and tie. Their hazardous occupations require fire-retardant clothing that complies with OSHA regulations and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards. Several clothing manufacturers specialize in fire-retardant apparel products, but to comply with these regulations you must first know what they are.

  1. OSHA Regulations

    • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published the following requirements for the use of fire-retardant clothing in the work place:

      OSHA's 1910.269 Maintenance Standard: Requires workers in pre-existing power plants who provide maintenance for parts or machinery that could expose a person to electrical arcs and open flames to wear fire-retardant clothing.

      OSHA's 1910.132 General Duty Clause: Requires employers to identify hazards in the workplace for their workers and provide proper safety equipment. While this normally applies more to safety helmets and reflective vests, it has been used to cite employers for failure to protect workers with fire-retardant apparel.

      OSHA's 1910.119 Process Safety Management Regulation: This regulation operates on the same premise as the general duty clause. Employers are expected to recognize hazards in the manufacturing process that could expose workers to flames or other sources of ignition. According to Laura Kinney, CEO and Executive Vice President of the Workrite Uniform Company, "OSHA has used this standard more frequently than the General Duty Clause as the basis of citing employers for not requiring FR clothing."

    NFPA standards

    • The NFPA uses two standards for fire-retardant clothing:

      NFPA 2112i Standard on flame-resistant garments for protection of industrial personnel against flash fires.

      NFPA 2113 Standard on Selection, Care, Use, and Maintenance of flame-resistant garments for protection of industrial personnel against flash fire.

    Fire-Retardant Clothiers

    • There are several prominent fire-retardant clothing companies that can ensure you, your employees, or your co-workers comply with all standards and regulations concerning fire-retardant apparel:

      Drifire: Offers fire-retardant clothing for firefighters, police officers, electricians and military personnel.

      Workrite Uniform Company: Bills itself as the leading fire-retardant clothing provider in the industry for 30 years.

      Munro's Safety Apparel: Offers a variety of fire-retardant clothing options that range from blue jeans to cover-alls.

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