If your business involves fire, electricity, or dangerous chemicals, you need flame-resistant (FR) clothing. Sense of safety and company confidence go hand in hand. FR clothing is ideal Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for industries where workers are regularly exposed to fire hazards. Employees in the following industries and workplaces can experience fire and electrocution hazards from the products and the equipment that they handle:
Flame Resistant Clothing is any wearable material designed to protect its wearer against extreme heat and other dangers. Some obvious professions that need this kind of protection include firefighters, police officers, and forestry management. There are, however, many industrial and maintenance professionals that could also benefit from the protection.
Oil and Gas Industry: In the presence of oil and gas, flash fires are an ever-present danger. The smallest mistake or unknown spark can turn any average shift incredibly dangerous. With proper flame-resistant uniforms and other PPE, your workers can do their jobs protected from these variables.
Electricians: Electricity is an enormously powerful force that has deadly effects on the body in relatively small quantities. Due to the possibility of “arc flash,” where an enormous release of energy can cause temperatures in excess of 35,000℉ and a vaporizing of metal conductors the arc originates from, wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential. Wearing the right uniforms can make the difference between taking a ten minute break or a ten-day stay in the hospital.
While electrically-resistant gloves, protective eyewear, and hard hats are standard PPE for the job, they don’t account for the flammability of clothing. The National Trauma Data Bank estimated that around 4,300 serious clothing-related burns occurred annually between 1997 and 2006. Unfortunately, clothing flammability isn’t an issue you can overlook.
Aside from electrocutions, electric arc flashes are one of the biggest risks that electrical utility workers face. Arc flashes are electrical discharges resulting from a temporary connection between two points of voltage. Additionally, they can reach temperatures of 35,000℉, which can burn clothing, cause severe burns, and generate explosions. The right FR garment can serve as a crucial barrier between these dangerous elements and your employees.
Industrial Food Processors: Precooked dinners are innocuous enough when sitting on the shelf, but the story of their creation is filled with heat, pressure, and danger. In rare cases, these forces get out of control and have deadly consequences.
While technological and safety-standards have helped decrease injuries in modern times, the danger of fire in processing plants will always be present. Having the right uniforms for your employees will help reassure them and yourself that their lives aren’t in danger just by coming into work.
Paper Processing: When paper processing plants catch fire, they catch fast. All the alarms and sprinkler systems won’t help workers caught next to it trying to find a way out in their flammable clothing. It’s important to keep these workers safe from that dangerous scenario.
Chemical Plants: Similar to paper processing plants, chemical processing plants are powder kegs that just take a small series of mistakes to ignite explosions and fires that can last for days at a time. Your employees are probably aware of the risks they take every time they walk through the door.
Having extra PPE in the form of FR clothing for them to wear at all times or in especially dangerous positions can go a long way in making them feel comfortable and cared for.
Pharmaceutical Plants: Personal Protective Equipment is an absolute must in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. With flammable chemicals and liquids, pyrophoric materials, and corrosive solutions, a flame retardant, non-cotton uniform is necessary.
Metal Processing: Working with metals involves not only working around high temperatures, but also molten metal. The right FR uniforms can save your specialized workers from severe injury and medical issues and expenses.
Petrochemical: Combustible materials, flammable solids and gases, as well as reactive chemicals are ever present in the petrochemical industry. For those working in the petrochemical industry, the risks of accidents and flash/fire are always present. As a result, the need for employers in these industries to provide FR garments for their employees is tremendous.
Can you trust your fire retardant uniforms? Employers in these industries largely have legal obligations to provide flame-resistant uniforms for their at-risk employees. But do you have the right items for the job?
However, not all flame-resistant uniforms are created equal. Measuring the quality and reliability of these special protective garments rests on their crafted integrity and continued maintenance.
Like a lot of industrial and PPE uniforms, FR uniforms are made of special and specific materials that give them their fire-resistant qualities. Under poor or improper laundering procedures, these protective barriers could be damaged or broken down and lose their protective capacities. You need one with expertise that goes beyond providing high-quality products, but also in maintaining them.
Knox Performance Fire Resistant/Retardant Clothing: This is exactly what Knox can bring to your business! Not only do we have the state’s best selection of FR uniforms, but we’re also experts in maintaining the cleanliness and integrity of those uniforms. With us, your FR uniforms will stay reliably functional and safe for everyday use.
Knox Has You Covered: We know what it takes to protect your employees from the dangers they could face on the job. With years in the professional uniform industry, there’s no better source of quality, secure, and reliable products and service than us. Protecting your employees isn’t a job to be left to anybody. You need local ownership, personalized service, a professional staff, and a company with the technology and experience to get you what you need before you need it.