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Personal Protective Fire Retardant Clothing, and the types of fabrics or textile materials used to manufacture them, are of great importance when we consider how we can protect users from thermal hazards and fire.
For selecting the correct type of Personal Protective Fire-Retardant Clothing for the task at hand, there are some standards that should be consulted for further enhancement of your task-specific fire hazard risk assessment. These include:
- NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace
- OSHA 1910.269 The Operation and Maintenance of Electric Power Generation, Control, Transformation, Transmission and Distribution Lines and Equipment.
- ASTM F1506 Standard Performance Specification for Textile Material for Wearing Apparel for Use by Electrical Workers Exposed to Momentary Electric Arc and Related Thermal Hazards
- ASTM F1891 Standard Specification for Arc Resistant Rainwear
- ASTM F1958 Standard Test Method for Determining Ignitability for Clothing by Electric Arc Exposure Using a Manikin
- ASTM F1959 Standard Test Method for Determining Arc Thermal Performance (Value) of Textile Materials for Clothing by Electric Arc and Related Thermal Hazards
- NESC – National Electrical Safety Code
- CSA Z462 – Canadian Standards Association Standard for Workplace Electrical Safety
- National Fire Prevention Council, Singapore – Fire Risk Assessment Guide
Standards That Standout
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) develops and publishes more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to eliminate death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical, and related hazards. Two of these standards, NFPA 2112 and NFPA 2113, are of special importance in guiding the design, manufacture and consumer selection of flame-resistant (FR) garments.
NFPA 2112 Standard on Flame Resistant Clothing for Protection of Industrial Personnel against Short Duration Thermal Exposures from Fire specifies the minimum design, performance, certification, and testing requirements for flame-resistant fabric and garments for use in areas at risk from flash fires.
“NFPA 2112 and NFPA 2113, are of special importance in guiding the selection of flame-resistant (FR) garments”
NFPA 2112 establishes specific criteria for testing garments using primarily the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F1930 manikin test and the ASTM D6413 (vertical flame) test. In total, NFPA 2112 outlines 17 tests, including four pass/fail tests: flame resistance, manikin testing, thermal shrinkage resistance, and heat resistance. The other tests are report-based only; that is, data is collected and reported, but it is not used to pass or fail a fabric.
ASTM D6413/D6413M is the defining test method for compliance with OSHA 1910.269 and one of the most commonly used tests on flame resistant fabrics. Adopted from Federal Test Standard No. 191A, method 5903.1, the vertical flame test has been used for many years. The purpose of this test is to determine whether a fabric will continue to burn after the source of ignition is removed. A 12” specimen of fabric is suspended in an enclosed chamber (secured on three sides). The cut edge of the fabric on the bottom is exposed to a controlled methane flame for 12 seconds. After exposure to the flame, after flame, afterglow, and char length are measured. Five tests are performed, and the results are averaged and reported as the test result. ASTM D6413/D6413M is used to determine a pass/fail criterion for ASTM F1506, which requires a maximum char length of 6 inches.
Note: ASTM F1506 requires a maximum char length of 6 inches under this test method, whereas NFPA 2112 requires a maximum of 4 inches. A 6-inch char length is more universally accepted as the maximum. Char length of Fire Resistant (FR) fabrics does NOT correlate to thermal protective performance in the manikin test. As long as the fabric sample does not ignite and continue to burn (called BEL for Burn Entire Length) char lengths at or below 6” are not meaningful predictors of thermal protective performance of the fabric in flash fire. In other words, some fabrics with relatively low char lengths have significantly higher body burn percentages in the manikin test than other fabrics with relatively higher char lengths. We do not recommend inclusion of char length in specifications for this reason.
NFPA 2112 requires the following:
All garments must have a product label or labels permanently and conspicuously attached to each flame-resistant garment. All garments labelled as compliant with NFPA 2112 must meet or exceed all applicable requirements specified in this standard and shall be Underwriter Laboratories (UL) certified. The UL certification organisation’s label, symbol, or identifying mark shall be attached to the product label, be part of the product label, or be immediately adjacent to the product label.
The most recent update to NFPA 2112 is the 2018 edition. Changes of note related to flame resistant protective apparel include:
Updated and New Terminology
The term “flash fire” was changed to “short-duration thermal exposure from fire” throughout the standard, including the title. According to the standard, short-duration thermal exposure from fire is defined as “A period of egress from or accidental exposure to thermal events, including but not limited to, vapour cloud fires, jet flames, liquid fires (pool fires or running liquid fires), solids fires (fires of solid materials or dust fires), or warehouse fires. The term “inherent flame resistance” has been added to the standard from NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting. Inherent flame resistance is defined as “Flame resistance that is derived from the essential characteristic of the fibre or polymer,” according to the standard.
“some fabrics with relatively low char lengths have significantly higher body burn percentages”
On top of flash fire, there are many other fire hazard risks in process industries that handle flammable materials. These fire hazards occur from unplanned equipment failures that release, with subsequent ignition, process gases, liquids and solids from spills or pressurised line breaks. Many of these fires begin when a flash or vapour cloud fire burns back to the source of the release. Overall, industrial fire hazards were generally classified as:
Vapour cloud fires, with:
- no explosion
- resulting from explosion
- resulting in explosion
Fireballs (instantaneous release and ignition of liquefied gas above boiling point), jet flames (directed fire from flammable materials escaping under pressure), flammable liquid fires, forming one or both:
- pool fires
- running liquid fires
Solids fires, in the form of:
- dust fires
- fires of solid materials (i.e. pyrophoric metals), structural fires (i.e. fires of warehouse, office and support buildings) and fires associated with oxygen
Head, neck, and hand protection are also included in these standards. NFPA 2112-18 now applies to the design, manufacturing, and certification of shrouds/hoods/balaclavas, defined as items intended to protect the head and/or neck, and gloves, defined as garments designed to protect the hands and wrist.
Shroud, hood, and balaclava fabric should not melt and drip, separate, or ignite during the heat resistance test and should also comply with the following requirements:
- Spaced method Heat Transfer Performance (HTP) > 6.0 calories per centimetre, and Contact method HTP ≥ 3.0
- Char length ≤ 4.0 inches (as received and after 100 industrial laundries)
- After flame time ≤ 2.0 seconds (as received and after 100 industrial laundries)
- Thermal shrinkage ≤ 10.0%
FR gloves should meet all of the criteria above and may not exceed 5.0% of their original weight in consumed material.
It is important to note that the ASTM F1930 Thermal Manikin Test is not required for fabrics for use in shrouds, hoods, balaclavas, and gloves.
Cold Weather Insulation Guidance
The standard now provides guidance for FR cold weather insulation. The standard states that a flame resistance test is performed according to the ASTM D6413 Vertical Flame Test, and the NFPA 2112 performance criteria require the fabric to self-extinguish, not melt and drip, result in a char length of fewer than 4.0 inches, and have an after flame of fewer than 2.0 seconds once removed from the direct flame.
Non-FR Emblems
Annex A.7.1.2.1 was added to specify requirements for non-flame resistant (non-FR) emblems. No more than five non-FR emblems may be attached to the exterior of a garment, individual emblems may not cover an area exceeding 16 square inches and combined, the non-FR emblems are limited to covering an area of 40 square inches per garment.
Fire-Resistant Clothing
General Understanding of the Risk Categories
First thing first, the choosing of the Fire-Resistant Clothing is to assess the risks present in the workplace. Chemical or gas fire, flammable liquids, molten slags and electrical arc fire are some examples of fire hazards. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) cites four fire hazard risk category levels as below:
Certification Mark / Label – How Does CE Differ from UL Certifications?
Even if we aren’t familiar with UL, you might have seen other similar logo seals in other countries. For example, CE is a similar organisation in the EU that sets standards for common electronics. CE stands for Comformité Européenne which is French for “European Conformity”. CE is similar to UL, the main difference being the country in which it is manufactured and sold.
Much like UL, CE gives companies an advantage by being able to sell anywhere within the EU, while also being able to market the CE logo in much the same way. For these reasons, many companies opt to get CE certified to expand their marketing capacities.
Understanding NFPA 2113
NFPA 2113 Standard on selection, care, use and maintenance of flame-resistant garments for the protection of industrial personnel against short-duration thermal exposures from fire.
NFPA 2113 is a companion standard to NFPA 2112 and describes the selection, care, use, storage and maintenance of clothing used to protect against flash fire. It offers recommendations on best practices to follow and is a helpful guide for users and administrators of FR clothing programmes. The standard was updated in 2015.
As indicated in NFPA 2113, the first step in the selection process is to conduct a thorough hazard assessment to establish the need for FR clothing. Next, you should investigate the types of Fire Retardant (FR) clothing designs available to determine which type will offer workers the best protection against the risks identified in your hazard analysis. Finally, use the results of the two previous steps to develop specifications to guide the selection and purchase of appropriate FR clothing for your workforce.
Ascertaining the duration of a fire is usually important in understanding potential damage to infrastructure and fire escalation factors, as has occurred in large industrial incidents. However, when selecting Personal Protective Clothing and/or Equipment, the duration of the thermal exposure a person might experience during escape is the important factor. This is normally determined through a site and task hazard analysis. Several tools can assist in this process. The Centre for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (CCPS) and the NFPA 2113 standard have been recognised by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) as guides to assist with this process and selection of the appropriate thermal-protective PPE.
As indicated in the NFPA 2113, a hazard assessment must be conducted that will deliver a quantified energy level for the various tasks that workers perform. To conduct a proper hazard assessment, you must answer the following critical questions:
- What materials are burning?
- What is your fuel source?
- How much air is available to mix with the fuel to support combustion?
- How long does it take a person to identify that they are in trouble and do something about it?
- Are workers wearing other safety gear that will slow them down?
Once FR clothing had been purchased and distributed to your employees, they need training in the proper use, care, and maintenance of the garments to ensure they provide full protection. This includes things like:
- Wearing the garments properly to ensure full coverage
- How to launder the garments to preserve their FR properties
- Instructions for repairing damaged garments
- How to know when a garment can’t be repaired and needs to be retired from use
Manufacturers and suppliers of FRC provide much of this information through garment labeling and additional materials.
The NFPA 2013 standard provides further, specific guidance on what information and training you need to provide to your employees. But in the end, it is your responsibility to train your workers and to monitor their compliance with proper use and maintenance requirements.
Latest chronological changes to NFPA 2112
Changes to the 2023 edition of NFPA 2112 include:
- New certification requirements to properly document testing laboratories where fabric components are tested
- Addition of annual recertification requirements for samples of products compliant with this standard
- Updated test methods to include specific requirements for testing specimens from whole knitted gloves, as well as new requirements on the standard garment design and updated procedures for the manikin test
- New requirements to ensure barrier face coverings are certified, labelled, and listed in the same manner as other clothing items covered in the standard
It is essential for users, manufacturers, and certifying agencies of fire-resistant garments for industrial personnel to understand the requirements in NFPA 2112, Standard on Flame-Resistant Clothing for Protection of Industrial Personnel against Short-Duration Thermal Exposures from Fire.
“employees need training in the proper use and care of garments to ensure full protection”
NFPA 2018 Edition
Reduce the severity of flash fire burn injury, and increase survival odds for industrial personnel, by following the latest rules for flame-resistant clothing in the 2018 edition of NFPA 2112.
Tentative Interim Amendment 12-2 was issued to address cold weather insulation and interlining, and the 2018 edition of the Standard incorporates these allowances for the performance and testing requirements. Typically, these materials serve as internal insulation when used in garments in the field, and therefore not directly exposed to fire. However, during testing, the materials had been directly exposed to fire, which resulted in restricted use of cold weather gear without adding additional safety to the garments.
Other changes in the 2018 edition of NFPA 2112 include:
- Updated terminology that refines the term flash fire to short duration thermal exposure from fire, and adds the term inherent flame resistance for alignment with NFPA 1971: Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting.
- Added coverage for garments including shrouds/hoods/ balaclavas as one item, and gloves.
- New two requirements to the testing apparatus that address variability. First, the lab must verify sensor response to a heat flux before the sensors are mounted on the manikin. Second, the lab must test standard reference garments and attain results within a predisposed range before the lab can certify results for the manikin test.
It is essential for manufacturers and certifying agencies of fire-resistant garments for industrial personnel to understand the requirements in NFPA 2112.
Conclusion
Importantly, we need to further strengthen our in-depth knowledge and understanding on the technical aspects and material science of textiles materials for garment manufacturing with focus on:
- Textile-reinforced composite materials
- Waterproof breathable fabrics
- Textiles in filtration
- Technical textiles for ballistic protection
- Technical textiles for knife and slash resistance
- Technical fibres for heat and flame protection
- Technical textiles for personal thermal protection
Quality Assurance and Quality Control from the raw materials procurement to manufacturing process, Testing & Accreditation standards for FR Clothing, and consumer’s monitoring for wear and tear on replacement of FR Clothing, plays an important mechanism in the chain of Personal Protective Clothing. Look out for a part two on more standards for Protective Clothing in the March issue.
References
Flame resistant (FR) clothing arc flash standards (2022) Tyndale USA. Available at: https://tyndaleusa.com/fr-safety-resources/technical-library/standards-and-test-methods/arc-flash-standards/.
NFPA standards for FR clothing. Dupont. Available at: https://www.dupont.com/personal-protection/nfpa-standards-fr-garments.html.
Fr safety protective C&G. Available at: http://frsafety.chengge.com.cn/showroom/fire-resistant-clothing-standards-nfpa-2112/.
NFPA 2112, standard on flame-resistant clothing for protection of industrial personnel against short-duration thermal exposures from fire (no date) Buy NFPA 2112: Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel. Available at: https://catalog.nfpa.org/NFPA-2112-Standard-on-Flame-Resistant-Clothing-for-Protection-of-Industrial-Personnel-Against-Short-Duration-Thermal-Exposures-from-Fire-P1494.aspx.
ASTM F903 10 ASTM – CTCIC. Available at: https://www.awahapp.co/astm-f903-10-astm/.
Textile Technology Center (2022) Physical testing, Textile Technology Center. Available at: https://www.gaston.edu/textile-technology-center/product-testing/physical-testing/.
TyndaleFRC (2019) ASTM D6413: Vertical flame test for flame resistance of textiles, Tyndale USA. Available at: https://tyndaleusa.com/blog/2014/02/10/
astm-d6413-vertical-flame-test-for-flame-resistance-of-textiles/.
NFPA 2112 Standard explained. TenCate Protective Fabrics. Available at: https:// us.tencatefabrics.com/blog/nfpa-2112-standard-explained.
Standard on protective ensembles for structural firefighting … – NFPA. Available at: https://www.nfpa.org/Assets/files/About TheCodes/1971/Errata1971-13-1.pdf.
c3controls. What is UL certification? the difference between UL recognized and UL listed, v2. Available at: https://www.c3controls.com/white-paper/difference-between-ul-recognized-ul-listed/.
Johnson, D. (2019) Selection, care & use of Fr garments, ISHN RSS. ISHN. Available at: https://www.ishn.com/articles/110013-selection-care-use-of-fr-garments.
NFPA 2112, standard on flame-resistant clothing for protection of industrial personnel against short-duration thermal exposures from fire (no date) Buy NFPA 2112: Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel. Available at: https://catalog.nfpa.org/NFPA-2112-Standard-on-Flame-Resistant-Clothing-for-Protection-of-Industrial-Personnel-Against-Short-Duration-Thermal-Exposures-from-Fire-P1494.aspx.
Singapore Standard ISO/TR 2801:2007 Clothing for protection against heat and flame – General recommendations for selection, care and use of protective clothing
Singapore Standard ISO9151:2016 Protective clothing against hear and flame – Determination of heat transmission on exposure to flame.
