Flame resistant (FR) pants and other outer clothing is essential for people who work in the various hazardous environments that deal with electricity, chemicals, fires, refineries and more. For example, electricians, linemen, factory workers, pharmaceutical workers, paper and pulp industry workers and food processing jobs may all require FR clothing during any number of different tasks.
What It Does
Flame resistant pants have resistance to flames and can extinguish themselves once the ignition source has been removed. They usually have an ATPV number, which describes how they perform when exposed to various electrical arc discharges. The higher numbers mean you have more protection. These ratings should be supplied by the clothing supplier you select or may be on the tags of the items if buying them in a store.
What You Need
The level of flame resistant pants or clothes you need will be determined by the job at hand and the employer’s regulations and rules governing such matters. Many companies will provide you with the clothing you will need to ensure it is to the right standards, especially if you don’t need to wear them frequently. However, if you’re required to purchase FRC out of pocket, you may want to talk to your employer and find out which level is right for your needs and your job.
Category One means you must have an ARC number of four, but you can select a higher number to get maximum protection.
Laws
Technically, no law would require employees to wear flame resistant pants, even if it were recommended. However, OSHA’s terminology states that the clothing used on the job cannot cause more harm to the person wearing it during an accident. Once the fire is gone, the clothing automatically puts itself out, whereas the clothing could continue burning if it wasn’t FR. Contact MPE a website for more information.