FR Clothing

Basics

• Often Abbreviated as “FRC”
• Stands either for Fire Retardant or Fire Resistant
• All in all it is Work Clothing that is either Treated in such a way (With Flame Retardants etc) that it is and/or is Intrinsically Resistant to Fire and Arc Flash caused melting/fires
• While not necessarily REQUIRED in “ Cold Work “ Only construction, it is increasingly becoming the norm
• This page aims to lay out information on FRC to allow for informed purchasing and also potentially even Open Source FR Clothing
• Note that while this may not always be the case, most FRC also contains High Visibility Clothing Colors / Retroreflective Elements such as Retroreflective Tape etc
  • This mag impact Flame Resistance and/or Washability / Durability (re Design for Washing )

Types

Unofficial FR

• Ask any welder etc, and you will know that wearing synthetics is a no-go as if hit by MIG Spatter etc, even if they don’t ignite, it can melt onto your skin and give you burns in a manner akin to Napalm
• Thus HISTORICALLY short of Turnout Gear / Fire Proximity Suits / Arc Flash Suits etc specialized equipment and standards weren’t really the norm
• Cotton and Denim / Linen were though however
• SO
• If you need “work wear”; Jeans and a Long Sleeve 100% Cotton and/or Rayon (or Viscose etc) shirt will work well
  • Note that Cotton/Rayon Blends are Fine, but Cotton/Synthetic (Such as Polyester ) are not

Treated FR

• The next “step up” in terms of FRC is Treated FR
• On the low end this is FR Treated Polyester and should be avoided
• FR Treated Cotton and FR Treated Tencel are common
• (Add in what specific chemicals are used here)
• It depends on the treatment, but one potential issue of TFR is that after a certain amount of use and/or washes, the FR Treatment Wears Off
• While it is not AS MUCH of an issue compared to Direct Exposure in AFFF or Manufacturing Dust, or especially Groundwater Contamination etc, exposure to some Fire Retardants especially older Bromine based ones has some health concerns which make it a bit undesirable as well

Intrinsically FR

• These are materials that by their very nature either do not melt and/or burn
• ”Nomex” is a brand name for a Meta-Aramid Fiber which does not melt or burn, but will Char at high temperatures
  • This is SORT OF the “gold standard”
  • One issue of this material is it isn’t very Breathable which can add to Heat Stress concerns
  • Less discussed is the Sustainability of it’s Production, and it’s Product End of Life Plan
    • Furthermore if the Fiber isn’t Biodegradable it is likely leaving a stream of Micro/Nano-Plastics
    • These MAY be inert, further research required and all that, but yeah
• Also Asbestos (despite now being known to be VERY Carcinogenic etc) was used for this role and in Heat Resistant Gloves etc

External Links

• The OSHA . gov page on FRC
• Tyendale - “ Fire Retardant and Flame Resistant: What’s the Difference?”
  • Part of a series on FRC supposedly
• A 2024 Post by WesTex Titled “ The Intersection of Sustainability and Flame-Resistant Fabrics: A Closer Look”
  • TLDR: “ Westex® DH Air™ is made with TENCEL™ Lyocell fiber* and is a top choice for sustainable arc flash and flash fire protection. It provides excellent breathability and moisture management while maintaining color consistency.”