Are Pants Fire Resistant?

• (Photo : Are Pants Fire Resistant?)

FR clothing or Fire Resistant Clothing as it's called is one of the most popular garments being purchased for industrial use. Fire-resistant clothing is essentially designed to protect its wearers from the possible harms caused by a potential thermal hazard or explosion. During the late 1970s, employers from petroleum refining and chemical industries adopted these clothing for safety purposes.

With gradual innovations, it is now possible to make all kinds of Fire Resistant Clothing, including Pants. Besides pants, there are shirts, jackets, jeans, even shoes that all come under the fire-resistant clothing category. Here are a few information; one needs to know before purchasing a fire-resistant pant. Let's have a glance:

The Material used in FR Pants:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration abbreviated as OSHA, announced special guidelines to regulate what kind of material must be utilized to manufacture Fire Resistant Clothing. They also prohibited the use of rayon, nylon, polyester or acetate, as they are highly flammable and can melt and get stuck on the skin. Cotton, in its purest form, i.e. 100% cotton, is considered a useful material.

How are FR Pants made?

There are two types of Fire Resistant Clothing, one that is inherently fire resistant and the other that has undergone chemical conditioning to be fire-resistant. Inherent FR pants can be made of fabrics like Modacrylic, Nome, Kevlar etc. Kevlar, however, comes with a high price tag.

Other non-inherent FR clothes are made with 100% cotton fabric, whereas an amalgamation of 88% cotton and 12% nylon can also be found. Here, cotton is treated with Phosphonium salt pre-condensates and then polymerized with gaseous ammonia. However, cotton cannot be entirely suitable for FR pants.

Maintenance of your FR pants:

The longevity of the products depends largely on how it is being used. Your pants or any other FR clothing can be easily maintained if certain things are under notice. For example, it can be easily washed in a home washer and dryer. 

If it's too muddy, then it should be washed separately. It can also be dry cleaned. But it's important to note that the FR clothes are not to be washed in water with chlorine bleach.

One might also want to know how to repair them. It's not as simple as sewing regular clothes. To repair these pants, one needs Fire Resistant materials that also match with the content of the pant. Most of the time it's not possible to fix them yourself, so it is better to replace the pants with a new pair.

Who should use the FR Pants?

It is quite obvious that the Fire Resistant pants aren't used for mere fashion. It is essential to be safe in a workplace where one can encounter fire-related dangers. 

So the company hiring the employees should provide them with basic safety through these FR clothing. And the fabric and quality of the clothing should tick all the requirements given by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).

Varied Sizes of FR Pants:

The best size to wear the pants is to make it loose as it gives more protection. Loose fit creates a vacuum between the clothes and the wearer, hence making it natural insulation to protect from heat and thermal encounters.

Nowadays, there has evolved FR pants specially designed for women. Although it is not necessary to have a gender-based distinction as the pants and clothes are suitable for all sexes.

Wrapping Up:

These were the few details that are important to know before you purchase a Fire Resistant Pant or any other piece of cloth for yourself or someone you know. Hope, this article was helpful to you.