Workers in the power industry frequently wear specially designed clothing to keep them safe from fire hazards. These garments are treated to resist catching fire and to minimize damage if exposed to flames.
How are these protective clothes made?
The process involves treating fabrics in such a way that they become resistant to fire, offering essential protection for workers in high-risk environments.
Flame Retardant Clothing: Explained
Flame retardant clothing is treated with fire retardant chemicals to provide them with resistance against fire. Other varieties of fire retardant clothing are made from fabrics that have a natural resistance to fire. Some fabrics are made by utilizing both of these methods. This clothing is utilized in various ways but mainly for utility workers that require protection from fire hazards. It’s also used in children’s products and clothing.
Bedding and clothing, especially intended for military workers and infants, must meet governmental fire-related safety standards. Fire retardant chemicals are used by coating them onto the fabric to give them fire resistance. Most FR clothing is coated with chlorine, borax, or boric acid. These chemicals can resist flames and won’t burn like ordinary clothing.
Anyone wearing clothing that has been treated with these flame-retardant chemicals will be protected against fire for a longer time compared to someone wearing ordinary clothing that is not flame resistant.
Not all fire retardant garments offer the same protection, though; some offer more protection than other FR clothes, and some provide less. This is because there are heavy-duty flame-retardant clothing items for the sole purpose of working under very high-risk situations. So, for anyone working in these situations, their FR clothing will be more resistant than most other FR clothes. High-risk situations are for the military, factory workers, and rescue workers (medical emergency teams and fire department workers).
How Do Flame Retardant Clothes Work?
Flame-retardant clothes can stop the fire from reaching the clothing and the person wearing them. The chemicals that are utilized for making clothing resistant to fire release either chlorine or bromine which mix with atoms in the fire.
This slows down the reactions necessary for flames to occur and, thus, breaks the burning cycle. These chemicals generally get rid of some elements or compounds required to sustain the fire.
Why Are Children’s Products And Clothing Made Flame Resistant?
Children’s clothing and products are often designed to resist fire.
Infants and young children may not move quickly or may be unable to escape in emergencies like house fires. Adding flame-retardant materials to their clothes and toys helps protect them.
This special treatment aims to stop fires from spreading swiftly across their items, giving more time for rescue. Such safety features are vital in protecting kids who cannot react as fast as adults.
Concerns Related to Fire-Resistant Bedding
Bedding often includes materials designed to resist flames. This has sparked worries about the safety of using these materials because they may release fumes that can be harmful.
These fumes come from the chemicals used to make the bedding fire-resistant.
It is still unclear if these pose a significant health risk.
Recommendations:
- Wash Thoroughly: Cleaning fire-resistant bedding and clothes before use is advised.
- Infant Care: This step is especially important for items used by infants to reduce the chances of skin irritation and inhaling these gases.
Taking these precautions may help minimize potential risks associated with such materials.
Natural Fire-Resistant Materials
Some fabrics are naturally resistant to fire, meaning they slow down the burning process without needing chemical treatments.
Inherent flame-resistant fabrics are created from materials such as wool and cotton. The thick fibers in these materials help to smother flames.
Wool and cotton stand out because they burn more slowly than many other fabrics. This is due to the structure of their fibers.
Besides natural materials, certain synthetics like aramid fabrics, commonly used in body armor, show resistance to flames. Though they naturally resist fire, these materials are sometimes treated with additional chemicals to boost their fire-retardant properties. Despite these enhancements, they still rely primarily on their natural resilience to fire.
bottom line
Something being fire resistant doesn’t mean it’s immune to fire. Similarly, fire-retardant clothing and items are not fireproof but rather resistant, meaning fire takes longer to spread and burn them. The better the materials are, the more effective the clothing will be, so ensure you always purchase flame-retardant clothing made from the best quality materials.