FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING FOR PROTECTION AGAINST FLASH FIRE HAZARDS

1
FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING FOR PROTECTION AGAINST
FLASH FIRE HAZARDS
2
WHY FLAME RESISTANT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING?

• IN NORTH AMERICA, THERE ARE MORE THAN 7,000
  CLOTHING-RELATED WORKPLACE INJURIES EACH YEAR DUE
  TO FIRE.
• THE MOST SEVERE BURNS ARE CAUSED BY IGNITED
  CLOTHING, NOT BY THE ORIGINAL FLASH FIRE.

3
WHY FLAME RESISTANT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING?
(Continued)

• CLOTHED AREAS CAN BE BURNED MORE SEVERELY THAN
  EXPOSED SKIN.

4
CLOTHED AREAS CAN BE BURNED
MORE SEVERELY
5
THE IMPORTANCE OF THERMAL PROTECTIVE APPAREL

• Thermal Protective Apparel
• Maintains a Barrier to Isolate the Wearer From
  the Thermal Exposure
• Traps Air Between the Wearer and the Barrier to
  Provide Insulation From the Exposure
• Reduces Burn Injury and Provides Escape Time
• Does Not Burn, Melt or Drip

6
THE IMPORTANCE OF THERMAL PROTECTIVE APPAREL
(Continued)

• Survival, Extent of Injury, Recovery, and Quality
  of Life Depend on Protection Provided by Thermal
  Protective Apparel

7
DATE OF TOTAL
RESERVE ACCIDENT PAID
AMOUNT
07/29/93 618,301.81 978,928.00
Medical 562,677.78

250,000.00 Indemnity
52,182.14
721,437.00
Vocational
2,510.36
7,438.00 Expenses
931.53
0.00

07/12/94 217,128.98
124,999.00 Medical
184,572.12
124,999.00
Indemnity
30,143.43
19,226.00 Vocational
2,393.43
7,606.00
Expenses
20.00
0.00
06/01/95
40,682.21 4,564.00
Medical 32,707.38

4,564.00 Indemnity
6,035.28
0.00 Vocational
1,903.55
0.00
06/01/95 12,309.92
0.00 Medical
9,213.25
0.00 Indemnity
1,890.57

0.00 Vocational
1,195.40
0.00

8
FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING

• Flame Resistant Clothing Will Not Ignite and
  Continue to Burn From Exposure to Flame.
• Examples of Flame Resistant Clothing Products
• Products With Flame Retardants
• FR Rayon Blends with Nomex
• Firewear Modacrylic Cotton Blend
• Flame Retardant Treated Cotton

9
FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING (Continued)

• Inherently Flame Resistant Products
• Kevlar/PBI Blends
• Nomex/Kevlar Blends
• Nomex IIIA

10
BURN INJURY PRINCIPLES

• BURN DEPTH IS A MEASURE OF SEVERITY
• FIRST-DEGREE SKIN BECOMES RED, NO BLISTER
• SECOND-DEGREE SKIN BLISTERS, EPIDERMIS MUST
  REGENERATE (100-MICRON DEPTH)

11
BURN INJURY PRINCIPLES (Continued)

• THIRD-DEGREE FULL THICKNESS DESTROYED, SKIN
  CANNOT REGENERATE, SCAR TISSUE FORMS
  (1,000-MICRON DEPTH)
• EXPOSURE TO AN ELECTRIC ARC OR FLAME CAN RAPIDLY
  EXCEED HUMAN TISSUE TOLERANCE AND CAUSE SECOND-
  OR THIRD-DEGREE BURNS

12
CHANCES OF SURVIVALFROM BURN INJURY
100
25 Body Burn
80
50 Body Burn
75 Body Burn
60
Chance of Survival,
40
20
0
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59
Age Range, Years
Source American Burn Association (1991-1993
Study)
13
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FLASHFIRE TEST

• Realistic Exposure Conditions That Simulate Real
  Life Hazards
• Exposures Like Real Flash Fires
• Fabric Sample Configuration Like Clothing on a
  Human Body

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CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FLASHFIRE TEST
(Continued)

• Meaningful Results
• Clear Direction on Clothing Choices
• Clear Differences Between Materials
• Reproducible
• Test to Test, Lab to Lab
• Flash Fire Manikin Test Provides an Excellent
  Match for These Characteristics

15
EXPOSURE ENERGY

• Exposure Energy is Expressed in Cal/Cm2
• Copper Calorimeters Are Used to Measure Exposure
  Energy
• 1 Cal/Cm2 Is Equivalent to the Energy Produced by
  a Cigarette Lighter in One Second
• An Exposure Energy of One or Two Cal/Cm2 Will
  Cause a Second-Degree Burn on Human Skin

16
EXPOSURE ENERGY (Continued)

• Heat Flux Is the Flow Rate of Energy Onto a
  Surface
• Exposure Energy Heat Flux X Exposure Time
• Typical Values for Industrial Flash Fire
• Heat Flux 1-4 Cal/Cm2-Sec.
• Exposure Times 1-5 Sec.
• Exposure Energies 1-20 Cal/Cm2

17
EXAMPLES OF ESTIMATED TOTAL INCIDENT ENERGY OF
VARIOUS HAZARDS
EXAMPLES OF EXPOSURE ENERGY. HAZARD WAS
DETERMINED FROM DAMAGED GARMENTS IN THESE
INCIDENTS.
18

THERMO-MAN Nomex Coverall
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MANIKIN TESTING

• Realistic Flash Fire Exposure Conditions
• Controllable Heat Flux and Exposure Time
• Results Reflect Actual Industrial Exposures
• Full Size Instrumented Manikin With 122 Thermal
  Sensors Measures Heat Transfer Through Garment
• Amount, Degree, and Location of Predicted Burn
  Injury Calculated From Sensor Data

20
MANIKIN TESTING (Continued)

• Bottom Line Provides a Prediction of Burn
  Injury for Specific Garment Over a Full Range of
  Flash Fires

21

THERMO-MAN Nomex Coverall Initial
Torch Ignition
22

THERMO-MAN Nomex Coverall Full Flash
Fire Exposure 2 cal/cm sec
2
23

THERMO-MAN Nomex Coverall After Torches
Extinguish
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THERMO-MAN EVALUATION
Conditions 5X Home Launderings 100
Cotton Underwear Heat Flux of 2 cal/cm2
sec Average of 3 Data Points
Nomex IIIA (4.5 oz/yd2)
Predicted Body Burn Injury,
Nomex IIIA (6.1 oz/yd2 )
Nomex IIIA (7.5 oz/yd2)
25

THERMO-MAN Flammable Coverall Full
Flash Fire Exposure
26

THERMO-MAN Flammable Coverall
Continues Burning After Torches
Extinguish
27
THERMO-MAN SIMULATED FLASH FIRE EVALUATION
100 Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
Conditions 5X Home Launderings 100
Cotton Underwear Heat Flux of 2 cal/cm2
sec Average of 3 Data Points Data
Acquisition Time 60 sec.
Predicted Body Burn Injury,
Nomex IIIA (6.1 oz/yd2)
28
THERMO-MAN EVALUATION
100 Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
Conditions 5X Home Launderings 100
Cotton Underwear Heat Flux of 2 cal/cm2
sec Average of 3 Data Points
Firewear (10.2 oz/yd2)
Firewear (6.1 oz/yd2)
Predicted Body Burn Injury,
Nomex IIIA (6.1 oz/yd2)
29
THERMO-MAN EVALUATION
100 Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
Conditions 5X Home Launderings 100
Cotton Underwear Heat Flux of 2 cal/cm2
sec Average of 3 Data Points
Indura FRT Cotton (10.2 oz/ yd2)
Indura FRT Cotton (6.1 oz/ yd2)
Predicted Body Burn Injury,
Nomex IIIA (4.5 oz/ yd2)
Nomex IIIA (6.1 oz/ yd2)
30
THERMO-MAN EVALUATION
Conditions 5X Home Launderings 100
Cotton Underwear Heat Flux of 2 cal/cm2
sec Average of 3 Data Points
100 Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
Banwear (11.5 oz/yd2)
Banwear (7.7 oz/yd2)
Predicted Body Burn Injury,
Nomex IIIA (6.1 oz/yd2)
31
ESTIMATED THERMO-MAN PREDICTED BURN INJURY FOR
STATION UNIFORMS/TURNOUT SYSTEMS
POLY/COTTON OR COTTON STATION UNIFORM WITH
UNDERWEAR
PREDICTED BODY BURN INJURY.
NOMEX OMEGA TURNOUT SYSTEM
NOMEX IIIA STATION UNIFORM W/UNDERWEAR
NOMEX IIIA STATION UNIFORM W/ UNDERWEAR
EXPOSURE TIME, SECONDS
32
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE
GUIDELINES

• Proper Wearing Procedures
• Protective Clothing Selection Must Be Based on
  the Probable Worst Case Exposure for a Task.
• Flame-Resistant Workwear Should Provide a Good
  Functional Fit for Protection and Comfort. Loose
  Fitting Clothing Provides Additional Thermal
  Protection Due to Increased Air Spaces.

33
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE
GUIDELINES (Continued)

• Sleeves, Shirt, and Outerwear Should Be Fully
  Buttoned.
• Appropriate Protective Neck, Face, Head, Hand,
  and Foot Coverings Should Be Worn.

34
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE
GUIDELINES (Continued)

• Outerwear Must be Flame Resistant
• Flammable Outerwear Can Ignite and Continue to
  Burn Essentially Eliminating the Protection of
  Flame Resistant Clothing Worn Underneath

35
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE
GUIDELINES (Continued)

• An Ignited Flammable Outer Garment Creates a
  Heat Source Close to the Skin, e.g., A Nylon Wind
  Breaker Worn Over an Flame Resistant Coverall.
  Although the Flame-Resistant Coverall Will Not
  Burn, the Wearer Can Be Burned by the Additional
  Heat Transfer From the Ignition of the Flammable
  Outerlayer.

36
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE
GUIDELINES (Continued)

• Under Garments (Underwear Worn Against the Skin)
  Should be Non-Melting
• Non-Melting Undergarments, I.E., Cotton, Wool,
  Silk, Rayon, Can Be Worn to Increase Thermal
  Insulation and Protection.
• Meltable Undergarments Can Increase Burn Injury
  Severity Due to Melt Adhesion to the Skin.