What Is the Purpose of Flame-Resistant Clothing?

In 2008, the United States Fire Administration reported that fire took the lives of more U.S. citizens than all natural disasters combined. Efforts made to minimize fire-related fatalities and injuries include taking fire safety courses, installing smoke and fire detectors in buildings and making certain fire exits exist in public buildings. Some instances require an extra measure of fire safety such as the use of flame-resistant clothing.

Definition

• Flame-resistant clothing as defined by 3PCMedia.com is clothing that self extinguishes or does not ignite, limits burn injury and reduces recovery time from a burn injury.

Purpose

• Flame-resistant clothing protects the wearer from burn injuries caused by fire and extreme heat.

Uses

• Firefighters wear flame-resistant clothing for fire safety.

  Garments sold as children's sleepwear for children over nine months old that are not snug fitting must be flame resistant according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Flame-resistant clothing use in the workforce exists in occupations where fire and electrical hazards are present such as firefighters, electrical workers and miners.

Types

• Flame-resistant clothing consists of flame-resistant fabric. Alternatively, a chemical on the garment can make it flame resistant. The Electricity Forum names Nomex, Indura, Indura Ultra Soft and Banwear as being effective for such fire hazards as arc flash, which is a spontaneous release of electrical energy resulting in extreme heat as high as 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Regulations

• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) includes flame-resistant clothing under the category of personal protective equipment (PPE) and is regulated by the general requirements for PPE under OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.132. The CPSC Children's Sleepwear Flammability Standard regulates the standards for flame resistance in children's sleepwear.