Throughout the safety industry, private individuals and professional buyers alike are continually intrigued by the same issue with respect to rainwear: how can these private individuals and buyers guarantee that they are providing the most appropriate protective rainwear for themselves and/or their laborers? Unfortunately, this question does not have a simple answer.
Often, individuals and organizations in the safety industry fall victim to the theory that all rainwear marked as “FR” or “Flame Resistant” is made equal; this is a misconception. In fact, some rainwear marked as “FR” or “Flame Resistant” could melt, drip, or even ignite if exposed to an electric arc or open flame hazard. Obviously, rainwear that melts, drips, or ignites, regardless of whether it is identified as “FR” or “Flame Resistant,” is unsafe protective equipment for individuals and employees who labor in and/or around places that present electric arc or open flame hazards.
Rather than evaluating protective rainwear based on its label, individuals and buying agents in the safety industry should instead evaluate and make their purchase choices based on whether or not the rainwear products satisfy particular rainwear safety requirements.
One such requirement is ASTM F 1891. A pass or fail standard instituted by the American Society for Testing and Materials, the ASTM F 1891 specification requires rainwear to show a particular degree of resistance to an imitation electric arc. Another pass or fail standard developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials is ASTM F 2733. A somewhat new specification, ASTM F 2733 ensures that rainwear is flame resistant to specific amounts of flame exposure – in particular flash fires.
As soon as individuals and professional purchasers comprehend the requirements for personal and professional protective rainwear, they are much better prepared to buy it. One type of protective rainwear that satisfies the ASTM’s requirements is the National Safety Apparel’s Arc H20 rainwear. Flash fire rainwear offers superior protection from both electric arc and flash fire risks.
To help buyers of protective rainwear equipment who are interested in following all current arc and flash fire protective rainwear specifications, FRSafety.com, a division of Slate Rock Safety, LLC, provides flash fire protective rainwear in convenient NSA Arc H20 rain gear kits, which are designed specifically for personal protection from flash fire and electric arc hazards.
