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On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, Ergodyne announced their commitment to the education and demystification of flame resistant (FR) personal protective equipment. According to Ergodyne, this is a frequently misunderstood and misrepresented topic.
"ARC and flash fires are serious issues and as a safety manufacturer dedicated to Making the Workplace a Betterplace™ we are voicing our commitment to FR education and providing FR-compliant gear," said Tom Votel, president and CEO at Ergodyne. "There's no time for a PPE mistake when it comes to these hazards."
Winter liners and hi-visibility vests that are made of polyester with topical FR treatments are often inaccurately believed or reported to be FR-compliant. The topical treatment does help the liner or vest self-extinguish but only after the flame source is removed. As long as the flame is present, polyester will do what polyester does: melt, drip, and burn. On winter liners, this treatment is often described as a "single wash," meaning it will be ineffective after one laundering. On hi-visibility vests, this treatment may last up to 25 washes.
"Treated polyester products do not meet any FR garment standard appropriate for ARC flash or flash fire hazards such as ASTM F1506 or NFPA 2112," said Adria Hardy, product manager at Ergodyne. "If the job calls for workers to wear clothing compliant to any of the FR garment standards, it is critical that they do not wear PPE with a topical FR treatment."
Ergodyne offers an ever-growing collection of FR-compliant products in both their N-Ferno® and GloWear® categories. Their FR-compliant liners, hoods, and vests provide a level of protection well beyond topically treated polyester and are appropriate for use in both ARC and flash fire applications. FR-compliant products are noted with a new "FR Tech Tag" both in their 2013 catalog and at www.ergodyne.com.
"Rest assured, Ergodyne FR products use trusted, compliant materials like Banox FR3® cotton, Nomex®, or modacrylic blends," said Andy Olson, senior product manager at Ergodyne. "All are sewn with flame resistant Nomex® or meta-aramid threads and utilize FR components as per the appropriate FR performance requirements."
To see a full list of all Ergodyne FR products, visit Fire Resistant under Collections at www.ergodyne.com. For more information or to find out where to buy, call 1.800.225.8238.
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