Flame Resistant Guide – Why Flame Resistant Clothing?

Flame-Resistant Clothing – Making a Difference:

Both electric arc flashes and flash fires represent significant and potentially fatal workplace hazards.  One of the primary ways to help protect workers in the electrical and petrochemical industries against these hazards is the use of flame-resistant clothing.

 Why is Flame-Resistant Clothing so Important? 

Flame-resistant clothing is designed to self extinguishes within 2 seconds after the source of ignition is removed thus limiting the injury and the percent body burn.  Both of which greatly increase the probability of survival.  In the case of both electric arc flashes and flash fires, the vast majority of life threatening injuries are from burns that result from the worker’s non-flame resistant clothing igniting and continuing to burn long after the initial electric arc or flash fire has receded.  Once the non-flame resistant clothing ignites, the burning material can subject the worker to temperatures in excess of 1,400°F and some materials, especially synthetics, will melt into the skin worsening the extent of the injury. In many cases, the portions of the body under non-flame resistant clothing are often burned more severely than exposed skin.

 Probability of Survival:

Body burn percentage is expressed as the percent of the body that receives 2^nd or 3^rd degree burns and is a critical factor in the survivability of a severe burn injury resulting from a flash fire or electric arc. As the chart below demonstrates, age and body burn percentage are critical factors in the probability of surviving a significant burn injury.  Across all age groups, survivability dramatically decreases as the percent of total body burn increases.  Clearly, the use of flame-resistant clothing saves lives.

Costs Associated With Not Wearing Flame-Resistant Clothing

Over 2,000 people are admitted to burn centers each year with severe electrical burns. The average hospital stay is 2-4 months and typical costs range from $200,000 to $750,000.  Additionally, as a result of an electric arc or flash fire, companies that don’t provide flame-resistant clothing for their workers could face OSHA fines, litigation and liability costs, insurance increases, lost production time, and the time and resources required to conduct investigations and implement corrective action plans. 

The chart below shows an organization’s actual costs of similar electric arc accidents before and after the implementation of a flame-resistant clothing program.  The bottom line is that it pays to implement a flame-resistant clothing program for workers exposed to the hazards of electric arcs and flash fires.