FR clothing is fire resistant clothing. While buying these clothes, we should be sure that these clothes are made of cotton and wool. These materials are flame resistant. They do not catch hold of fire easily, and when they do, it spreads slowly. So it’s necessary to take special care of these clothes. You must be thinking about how! Let’s put some light on the maintenance of Fire Resistant Clothing:
It should be kept in reasonable condition always so that it doesn’t wear out. Tearing out of the clothing can be hazardous to the employee. So you need to extend the life of fire-resistant clothing by maintaining it and regularly cleaning it.
Do not use chlorine bleach: All the FR clothing has instructions on the garment labels try to follow those. Treated fabric is one of the critical materials used which undergoes a manufacturing process and produces a reaction that results in permanent flame resistance. Therefore, chlorine bleach is harmful to this type of clothing.
Use of chlorine can break the chemical bonding that was produced for flame resistant and base fabric. This can reduce or hamper the color and strength of the clothing. As long you avoid chlorine laundering and follow the instructions on the label your cloth is safe for fire resistant.
Do not wear flammable contaminants soiled clothes: These are harmful to wear if your cloth catches fire even though the fire self extinguishes. Try to avoid gas, grease and oil staining in your cloth. It can catch arc flash anytime against your skin which can be harmful to you.
These flammable contaminants are hazardous for people who get in touch with these, and the result can be massive fire and burnt. So if your FR clothing is soiled with these flammable items, then it is advised to remove all the oils, grease and gas entirely and then only wear it.
If it is difficult to remove, try applying detergent directly on the area and rewash it. Wash it as many times required and get it confirmed that all the inflammable items are removed before wearing it. Warning, do not wear the garment unless and until you are sure of the stains are entirely removed.
FR clothing should not have any wear and tear: This cloth is required to prevent you from fire, arc flash, electrical wirings, etc. They keep you safe and help you to work even in these hazardous situations. Therefore do not take the risk of wearing any clothing which has some wear or tear.
You must have thought with this small tear nothing will happen, but this can become dangerous for you. Get it repaired. Unless it is repaired, do not wear them. Repairs don’t mean using thread and needle you sewed the wear and tear area of the garment. Repair it with FR fabrics and components only. Many suppliers also provide repairs for garments. They also offer FR garment repair kit so that your maintenance of clothing becomes much more manageable.
Employers should check for the repair, tear, wear, cleaning or replacement of the clothing every day as per OSHA requirement and standards. Employers should also verify all the clothing is FR labelled or not and if it is a proper fit. It enhances employee safety during the job. Any loose, oversized or undersized garments are not allowed because it will increase the danger on the work site.
Home laundering is suggested in comparison to industrial laundering as because it is safe. Home laundering also cost-effective and give a longer life to the FR clothing. While washing at home, you can take care of them from getting spoiled or damaged.
