What is FR clothing? Types, treatments, and more

FR Clothing is a major necessity for those working in places that are prone to hazards like a flash fire. While they aren’t fireproof, fire-resistant (FR) clothing means these garments won’t melt on your skin and you’ll have the time to get them off for personal safety. Below is more about what is FR clothing so you can pick the type you need for your team at work or so that you know more about what you’ll be wearing on the job.

FR clothing types: Inherent and treated

There are mainly two types of FR clothing – Inherent and treated. These terms are majorly used for explaining the types of FR fabrics and fibers.

These two types of fibers and fabrics are both quality and reliable. But according to some people, the difference lies in the duration of their longevity.

With redone tests and experiments, people have come up with the idea that Inherent FR clothes are much more long-lasting than treated FR clothing. That explains why the price of the inherent ones is much higher than the treated ones.

It is true that the time duration varies as to how much you can wear it, but at the same time keep in mind that none of the above will stay intact forever. So it is important that you act wisely.

What about FR clothing guidelines?

All those FR Jeans, shirts, t-shirts, coveralls, etc. that you get in the different FRC Outlets all over the world have passed through certain treatments and reactions to having reached there. FR fabric or clothing is needed to be made and manufactured with a lot of chemicals and all. They aren’t available in a natural form like other clothing materials.

Not only that, when it comes to what is FR clothing, the items need to fit within the guidelines of several globally acclaimed institutions. One of those organizations is OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) in the United States.

How are FR clothes treated?

The two types of FR clothes have different procedures for manufacturing them.

Inherent FR clothing treatment

Firstly, the inherent FR type is synthetic in the first stage of treatment. When a company makes FR clothing, this statement means that fibers of flame-resistant items are knitted or woven together to create the FR garment.

As said before, these are the fibers that are treated with engineering procedures to form this type of cloth. The products offer resistance to high temperatures. That is, they offer greater Thermal Protective Performance.

They are also lightweight. Furthermore, they contain raw materials associated with petrochemicals to help keep first responders and other people safe in the line of duty.

Treated FR garments

As for treated FR clothing, the procedure is obvious from its given name. Substances like cotton and cellulosic are treated while creating an FR product. One more way of making a treated FR item is by first manufacturing the product like any other jeans or shirt and then subjecting it to a series of chemical treatments to make it Flame Resistant.

It is for this reason that the treated ones can’t offer such services as the former kind. It is less expensive too, in comparison to inherent.

Also, there are a few homemade techniques for giving your clothes a flame-resistant feature. The primary method is to mix borax, boric acid, water, and other ingredients in different percentages.

Lastly, soak the fabric into the mixture. Let it dry completely before use.

Wrapping up the topic of what is FR clothing

A few final pieces of info:

Firstly, don’t overuse your FRC. If it is damaged beyond its ability to safeguard you or your employees on the work front, then immediately change it. Compromising your team’s protection isn’t worth the risk of injury!

Finally, if you’re not sure about the resistance of the attire you’re using for daily activities then ask the manufacturer. Don’t be shy as they can help you sort out the basics. Watching out for yourself and your team is what makes for a quality company, especially if there are on-the-job hazards.