While protection from fire becomes a hot topic at this time of year, for some, fire and extreme heat are a year-round danger. Every year, thousands of injuries occur due to inappropriate or insufficient provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and fire retardant protective clothing. And those working in industries such as aviation and utilities are among the most at risk.
To properly protect a worker from arc flash of intense heat or prevent a garment from catching fire, clothing must meet stringent guidelines to be deemed fire retardant. FR clothing should also meet the following criteria:
- ISO 11612:2015 – specifies performance requirements for protective clothing made from flexible materials, which are designed to protect the wearer’s body, except the hands, from heat and/or flame.
- ISO 141116:2015 – specifies the performance requirements for the limited flame spread properties of all materials, all material assemblies and protective clothing, in order to reduce the possibility of the clothing burning when in occasional and brief contact with small flames and thereby constituting a hazard.
- IEC 61482-2 is the overall standard covering protective clothing against thermal arc hazards of an electric arc. This standard also covers various aspects of the garment design. Garments complying with all of these requirements should be marked with the IEC 61482-2 symbol as well as the level of protection it meets.
Assess the risks to your workforce
When the working environment is particularly hazardous, for example, where workers are exposed to fire or extreme temperatures, the need for a thorough and rigorous health and safety risk assessment becomes imperative.
As an experienced and expert safety clothing and equipment supplier, Contego Safety Solutions can help keep your workers safe from harm by helping to identify the risks they face and advising on the best safety solutions.
Workwear and PPE designed to protect
Flame retardant clothing is designed not to melt on to the wearer’s skin or break open and expose the skin, while also providing insulation from the heat. Quality flame retardant clothing will also incorporate features designed to ensure the wearer can move freely when working. Our flame retardant clothing is either made with highly protective inherently flame retardant fabrics or in treated cotton material, which offers good protection levels and comfort, making it useful for a wide variety of applications.
Contego Safety Solutions stocks a wide range of PPE, workwear and safety equipment, which is perfect for hazardous conditions, offering effective protection for those who are exposed to chemicals, fire or extreme temperatures. The range includes flame retardant coveralls, flame retardant jackets and flame retardant trousers.
For protection against extreme heat, we have an extreme heat radiant coverall made from specially developed Meta-Aramid and Para-Aramid fabric, and featuring a carbon felt layer and inner layer of Aramid Viscose. The seams are also sewn in Kevlar thread for added strength and heat resistance. This suit also features a rear pocket to accommodate breathing apparatus. Optional extras include an extreme heat radiant hood, extreme heat radiant gloves and extreme heat radiant overboots, to provide full body protection.
Discover Contego’s extensive range of protective clothing and PPE – download the Contego Catalogue now or contact our friendly team on 0800 122 3323 or sales@contegosafety.co.uk for advice on fire retardant protective clothing, footwear and accessories.
