A Look At FR Shirts — What Most Don’t Know About The Flame Resistant Shirt
By Ana Torres
It wasn’t until 1972 that laws in the United States required all infant sleepwear be flame resistant. Four years later, statistics showed a significant 13% decrease in the number of burns and injuries according to the Shriners Burn Institute in Boston’s Massachusetts General Hospital. By 1976, additional flame resistant clothing items were available to the public, including nurse and waitress uniforms, nightgowns, pajamas, and FR shirts.
How FR Shirts Are Made:
Flame retardant chemicals resist or inhibit the spread of fire, but the application of these specialized chemicals doesn’t make the actual material flameproof. Instead, these chemicals limit the spread of the flames, giving the wearer additional time to douse the flames. Ideally, they provide the wearer with enough time to put out the fire entirely (always a good thing!). The effectiveness of flame retardants is based on their ability to interfere with the stages of burning by creating a shield against or diluting the fuel needed by the fire. Flame-retardants that are built into the fiber of a garment can act as miniature fire extinguishers that move oxygen away from the flame, effectively cutting off its source of fuel.
To make clothing flame resistant, the fabric used to make the clothing may be soaked and treated in retardant chemicals. Other processes can also be used depending on the type and function of the fabric being treated, including the modification of polymers to include gases that extinguish the flame.
Today’s Applications for Flame Resistant Shirts:
Today, FR shirts are an integral part of military personnel’s gear, depending on the mission specified. Third degree burns are the worst burns for anyone to suffer, and military men and women are particularly susceptible to these types of injury, especially while on missions including ground combat or the possibility of exploding vehicles.
It is estimated that wearing flame resistant shirts and other FR garments can decrease the occurrence of third degree burns by up to fifteen percent. Not only is this a significant improvement over no protection, but oftentimes it makes all the difference between the catastrophic loss of a limb or a life, and a full recovery. Saving people from the pain and suffering that accompanies severe burns and preventing the significant health risks that tend to accompany these types of injuries make FR shirts and garments a worthwhile investment.
Military personnel are not the only ones who can benefit from wearing flame resistant clothing. Other occupations that require FR shirts and garments include firefighters, park rangers, employees in the chemical, industrial, and electrical utilities sectors, as well as anybody working in conditions where they may be exposed to flash fire or arc flash.
Drawbacks of Flame Resistant Shirts:
Stiffness and a lack of mobility are often “side effect” found in flame resistant shirts or garments that have been chemically treated. However, this only tends to occur with poor quality items. Choosing a high quality manufacturer and a trusted brand is vital to ensure comfort and safety.
Inappropriate washing of some chemically treated flame retardant materials can be detrimental to the garment’s performance. Additionally, some chemically treated garments may lose effectiveness after several washings, and require replacement at a faster rate than other clothing. It is vitally important to look out for wear and tear in FR clothing and replace items when they begin to appear worn. While washing can be an issue with chemically treated garments, garments manufactured using inherently FR fibers such as modacrylic, Nomex, and Kevlar do not lose their effectiveness after washing.
Despite some drawbacks, the increased adoption of FR shirts in the workplace has reduced burn injuries, provided an additional line of defense for our military troops, and is helping those of us with loved ones in dangerous situations to rest a little easier.
About The Author
Ana Torres is an author for DRIFIRE, a leading flame resistant shirt and comfortable FR clothing developer that combines safety with comfort and moisture management. DRIFIRE is dedicated to providing quality FR shirts and other FR clothing to military and commercial personnel to protect them from the dangers of their everyday work conditions.