This document summarizes a webinar on protective clothing. It discusses evaluating workplace hazards, selecting protective clothing standards like NFPA 70E and ASTM F1506, and managing protective clothing assets. Key topics covered include hazard assessment goals and practices, an overview of common protective clothing standards, factors for apparel selection like cost effectiveness, and considerations for rental vs purchase programs and home washing vs industrial laundry. The document provides guidance on steps to establish a protective equipment program and questions to ask clothing suppliers.

1. Protective Clothing
Webinar

2. Craig Howell
• Director of Clothing Sales
• 25 Years Industrial Health
& Safety Experience
• Specialty in assisting customers
with NFPA 70E Compliance
• Member ASTM – F18 committee

3. Protective Clothing Topics
• Evaluating Workplace Hazards
• Protecting Your Employees
– Work clothing and FR apparel standards
• Science vs. Real World
• Managing Your Clothing Assets
– Apparel selection criteria
– Rent vs. buy
– Home wash vs. industrial laundry

4. Evaluating Workplace Hazards
Hazard Assessment Goals

5. Hazard Assessment Goals
• Identification of hazards presenting
unacceptable risk to employee health, safety
and productivity.
• Selection of practical and feasible control
strategies that minimize employee exposures
and optimize employee comfort.
Identifying and controlling workplace hazards involves
both hard data and a savvy understanding of “soft” issues

6. Hazard Assessment Practices
• Many methods, tools and resources exist to
help in completion of hazard recognition
phase, including:
– Standards / OSHA regulations review
– Review of records / files
– Literature review
– Walk-around surveys
– Staff interviews

7. Protecting Your Employees
Standards / Regulations

8. General Standards Applicable
to Protective Apparel
• OSHA’s General Duty Clause
– Employer has the responsibility to provide a place
of employment free from recognized hazards
• Consider the risks
• Address those risks
• Develop an action plan
• Consumer Products Safety Commission’s
Requirements for Clothing Textiles,
Title 16 C.F.R. Part 1610
– Purpose of general wearing apparel flammability
standards is to keep dangerously flammable textiles
and garments made of these textiles out of
commerce
• Ease of ignition
• Flame spread time

9. Title 16 C.F.R. Part 1610
• Regulation establishes three classes of
flammability based on the time of flame
spread:
– Class 1: Normal Flammability (4+ seconds)
– Class 2: Intermediate Flammability (4 to 7 seconds)
– Class 3: Rapid, Intense Burning (- 4 seconds)
• Not suitable for clothing
• Daily-wear sold in U.S. is required to meet
Class 1 or 2 requirements.

10. • Flame resistance:
– ASTM D 6413
• Protection from flash fire:
– NFPA 2112
• Protection from molten
substances:
– ASTM F 955-03
• Insuring electrical safety:
– NFPA 70E
– ASTM F 1506
– NESC®
29 CFR 1910.269
“The employer shall ensure that each employee
who is exposed to the hazards of flames or electric
arc does not wear clothing that, when exposed to
flames or electric arcs, could increase the extent
of the injury that would be sustained by the
employee.”
Standards Specific to
Industry

11. ASTM D 6413 - Flame Resistance
• Vertical flame test records:
– AFTERFLAME: number of seconds there is visible flame
upon removal of the source
• After flame must average 2.0 seconds maximum
– AFTERGLOW: number of seconds there is visible glow,
upon removal of the source
• After glow must average 5.0 seconds maximum
– CHAR LENGTH: measurement of fabric destroyed by flame.
• Char length must average 6.0 inches maximum

12. NFPA 2112 - Protection of
Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire
• If potential for flash fire is determined to
exist, flame resistant apparel must be used
that passes ASTM F1930
• ASTM F1930: Simulated flash fire exposure
test using a mannequin.
• NFPA 2112 revised the document scope to
add references to NFPA 2113: Standard on
Selection, Care, Use, and Maintenance of
Flame Resistant Garments for Protection
Against Flash Fire.

13. ASTM F955-03 - Evaluating Heat Transfer
upon Contact with Molten Substances
• After impact:
– Visual examination:
• Charring, Shrinkage, Metal
adherence, & Perforation
– Calorimeter – temperature rise
• Amount of heat transferred
through the fabric or layers of
fabric is recorded

14. NFPA 70E - Standard for Electrical Safety
• NFPA 70E overview:
– ASTM1506
– Hazard Risk Categories (HRC)

15. ASTM F1506 Labeling Requirements
• Garments shall be labeled with the following
information:
– Tracking identification code system
– Meets requirements of Performance Specification F1506
– Manufacturer’s name
– Size and other associated standard labeling
– Care instructions and fiber content
– Arc rating (ATPV) or arc rating (EBT)
– When garments are made with a different number of fabric
layers in different areas of the garment, the arc rating for
each area shall be designated

16. NFPA 70E Clothing Requirements
• Hazard/Risk Category 0
– Protective Clothing, Nonmelting (according to ASTM
F1506-00) or Untreated Natural Fiber
• Hazard/Risk Category 1
– FR Clothing, Minimum Arc Rating of 4 cal/cm²
• Hazard/Risk Category 2
– FR Clothing, Minimum Arc Rating of 8 cal/cm²
• Hazard/Risk Category 3
– FR Clothing, Minimum Arc Rating of 25 cal/cm²
• Hazard/Risk Category 4
– FR Clothing, Minimum Arc Rating of 40 cal/cm²

17. National Electric Safety Code (NESC®
)
for Utilities
• Definition:
– The NESC determines the ground rules to be
used by persons while in installation, operation,
or maintenance of electric supply and
communication lines and associated equipment
– The NESC is not law … It’s considered a
voluntary consensus standard
• Note: OSHA references the NESC
when enforcing electrical safety in
the utility market.

18. Science vs. Real World
Testing is done in a controlled
environment

19. Science vs. Real World
• Organizations must view the specific
needs/goals unique to their environment
• Remember the testing done is not “real
world”
• Molten Splash, Electric Arc, Flash Fire … each
event is unique.

20. Managing your
Protective Clothing Assets
A guide to selection of product and
process

21. Apparel Selection Criteria
• Protection value
• Cost effectiveness
– Initial cost
– Life cycle cost
• Appearance
• Ease of care
• Wearer comfort

22. Cost Effectiveness
• Initial Cost Vs Life Cycle Cost
– Garment A
• Initial Cost, $25.00
• Average Life Cycle, 1.5 years
• Total Cost/unit over 3 years, $50.00
– Garment B
• Initial Cost, $45.00
• Average Life Cycle, 3 years
• Total Cost/unit over 3 years, $45.00
– Cost savings over 3 years with 200 employees
@ 5 shirts ea. = $5,000!

23. Treated FR Fabrics
• Current popular options:
– FR Cotton
• Magid, A.R.C.®
• Westex, INDURA®
• AmTEX™C100
• Breathable 100% Cotton
– FR Cotton Blends (88/12)
• Magid, A.R.C.®
• Westex, INDURA®
UltraSoft®
• AmTEX™PLUS
• Durable 88% Cotton / 12% High Tenacity Nylon

24. Inherently FR Fabrics
• Current popular options
– DuPont Nomex®
• Staple in the Refineries
• Long Life Cycle
– DuPont Protera™
• Comfortable
• Durable
• Moderately priced
– TenCate™
Tecasafe Plus™
• Comfortable / Breathable
• Durable
• Long Life Cycle

25. New Innovative Fabric Solutions
XISPAL

26. • PERMANENT PERFORMANCE
– won’t wash or wear out
• Flame resistant
• Wicks moisture
• Dries significantly faster than cotton
• Skin temperature regulation
• Soft, natural fiber hand for superior comfort
• Superior durability

27. • Inherently flame resistant
• Base layer Fabric
• Total Weight 6 oz.
• NFPA 70E Category 2
• Resistant to sparks & extreme high-heat
splatters.

28. • Inherently flame resistant
• Lightweight fabric
• Excellent wicking properties
• Proven fire barrier protection at over 5,000°F
(no burn through for over 36 seconds).
• Resistant to sparks & extreme high-heat
splatters.

29. • Inherently flame resistant
• Lightweight fabric
• Moisture Wicking
• Breathable
• NFPA 70E and 2112 compliant fabric.

30. XISPAL 841 RS
• Flame resistant to molten aluminum
• Flame resistant to molten iron
• Arc flash resistant, HRC 2
• Inherent FR properties
• Industrial laundry friendly
• Shrinkage control @ < 3%
• All tests done after 50 IL cycles

31. Rent vs. Buy
• Traditional Rental Programs
• Direct Purchase Programs
• Managed Apparel Programs
– N.O.G
– Lease and wash

32. Rental Programs
• No upfront costs
• Garment replacement included in contract
• Mending included in the contract
• Insurance that the garment will be cleaned
according to the Manufacturer’s guidelines
• Typically, 3 to 5 year commitment required
• Under – wash ?

33. Direct Purchase Programs
• Complete control of change out to new
garment
• Home washing, employee must take
ownership of the wash process
• Flexibility
– No contract required
– No under – wash
– Custom logo – enhanced image
• Up front cost

34. Home Wash vs. Managed Programs
• N.O.G. (Not Our Goods)
– Direct purchase with a laundry service added
• Lease and Wash
– Leasing contract for the protective apparel from the
industrial laundry company
– Wash program attached to the leasing contract

35. Questions For You To Consider
Regarding FR Clothing
• Who will clean and repair the garments?
– Do they have necessary laundry instructions?
– Do they use appropriate FR thread and FR fabrics for
repair?
• What is your policy concerning underwear
and FR underwear?
• Do you prohibit polyester, nylon, &
polypropylene synthetics?
• Do you require that FR clothing always be
worn as the outermost layer?

36. Questions To Ask Your FR Garment
& PPE Supplier
• What is your traceability procedure?
• What are your care & maintenance
instructions?
• What industry standards do your garments &
PPE meet?
• Do you have garments available to address all
of the known hazards my employee’s will
face?
• What assistance do you provide after the
sale?

37. Steps to Establishing your PPE Program
• Evaluate your environment
• Identify all hazards
• Apply standards
• Select required PPE
• Review and select your care policy/program.
• Train your workforce to meet your goals

38. Questions?
Craig Howell
Director of Clothing Sales
Phone: (773) 289-9596
Cell Phone: (248) 719-0407
Email: CraigHowell@MagidGlove.com

39. Thank You