Where we share our perspective on current trends, best practices, and the future of FR safety.
Are you a March Madness fan? Chances are, you’ve never contemplated the similarities between zone defense of your favorite basketball team and the “defense” that flame-resistant (FR)/arc-rated (AR) PPE plays in mitigating thermal hazard risks in workplace settings. In either case, solid zone defense and FR/AR PPE do more than just one job.
Westex Launches Mobile App to Streamline FR/AR Product Selection Process
The first-to-market tool matches products to global safety standards
SPARTANBURG, SC (Feb. 9, 2021)—Westex: A Milliken Brand, announced today the launch of a new product selection app, the Westex App, developed to provide users a way to custom build a FR/AR uniform based on their workforce’s individual safety standard requirements. The free mobile app is available for iOS and Android mobile devices.
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Westex and Polartec Debut Polartec Flame Resistant Collection
Two category leaders collaborate to produce flame resistant/arc-rated knits
certified for the job with overtime comfort.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Two Milliken & Company textile businesses—Westex®, a leader in dual-hazard protective textiles, and Polartec®, the premium provider of innovative and sustainable textile solutions—announce a new collection of flame-resistant (FR), arc-rated (AR) knit fabric. Known as the Polartec FR Collection, the collection introduces three unique Polartec fabric constructions engineered with Westex FR/AR fabric technology that provides trusted thermal hazard protection. The products span shirting, insulation and weather resistance fabrics that meet or exceed worldwide protection standards for even the most demanding industries, including oil & gas, electrical, construction, and military use.
Those who work in the industrial environment face multiple threats. In this instance, we’ll focus on intense electric-related hazards, specifically electric arcs. During an electric arc, temperatures can reach up to 35,000°F, or 20.000°C (that’s hotter than the surface of the sun), so wearing the proper flame retardant (FR) PPE is paramount. Let’s take a look at how you can help make sure your team is up to standard and adequately protected—and how your location globally plays a critical role in doing just that.
If you’ve been waiting to complete a few of the bigger tasks on your agenda, use this season to do some much-needed spring cleaning—especially if your facility faces combustible dust hazards.
Per the NFPA® 652 Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust (2019), you’re required to complete a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) by September 7, 2020; or, you must be able to show strong progress toward completion.
We’re passionate about educating the electrical industry on safety standards that address short-term thermal hazards, like arc flash and flash fire. It’s how we know we’re helping equip you with not only the industry’s leading flame resistant/arc-rated (FR/AR) textiles for personal protective equipment (PPE), but also helping apply these methods to provide maximum protection for your employees.
Throughout the electrical industry, consensus standards provide critical information advising how to safeguard employees facing arc flash hazards. These standards—NEC, NESC, and NFPA 70E—are all meant to guide safety initiatives, but which one is relevant for you? We break down each standard and what they mean for your workplace.
Combustible dust is a significant concern across various industries and with good reason. Combustible dust incidents can lead to serious property damage and cause life-threatening injuries. Analyzing your work environment and enacting preventative measures, such as robust housekeeping and engineering control protocols, can make all the difference. Even with these safety precautions in place, incorporating FR/AR PPE as the final layer of defense can help mitigate the risk of injuries should the worst happen.
While properly wearing flame resistant (FR), arc-rated (AR) personal protective equipment (PPE) helps protect employees facing arc flash and short duration thermal exposures from fire, like flash fires, it is equally important to clean and maintain these protective garments. Proper care practices help ensure a PPE garment’s safety properties remain intact during its serviceable life. While there are a host of considerations when formulating a proper care routine, we share three key takeaways everyone—from your safety manager to your newest employee—should keep in mind.
The FR industry certainly has its share of jargon, and especially when that jargon has little scientific background, it can lead to muddled and complicated decisions. In our white paper, What’s in a Word: Inherent Fabric, Treated Fabric, and What They Mean in the World of Flame Resistant Fabrics, we discuss two major industry terms—“inherent” and “treated”—and cover how these flame resistant (FR), arc-rated (AR) fabric classifications have evolved over time.
