1 flame resistant clothing for protection against flash fire hazards
TRANSCRIPT
2
WHY FLAME RESISTANT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING?
IN NORTH AMERICA, THERE ARE MORE THAN 7,000 CLOTHING-RELATED WORKPLACE INJURIES EACH YEAR DUE TO FIRE.
THE MOST SEVERE BURNS ARE CAUSED BY IGNITED CLOTHING, NOT BY THE ORIGINAL FLASH FIRE.
3
WHY FLAME RESISTANT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING? (Continued)
CLOTHED AREAS CAN BE BURNED MORE SEVERELY THAN EXPOSED SKIN.
5
THE IMPORTANCE OF THERMAL PROTECTIVE APPAREL
Thermal Protective Apparel– Maintains a Barrier to Isolate the Wearer From
the Thermal Exposure– Traps Air Between the Wearer and the Barrier
to Provide Insulation From the Exposure– Reduces Burn Injury and Provides Escape
Time– Does Not Burn, Melt or Drip
6
THE IMPORTANCE OF THERMAL PROTECTIVE APPAREL (Continued)
Survival, Extent of Injury, Recovery, and Quality of Life Depend on Protection Provided by Thermal Protective Apparel
7
07/29/93 $ 618,301.81 $ 978,928.00 Medical = 562,677.78 250,000.00 Indemnity = 52,182.14 721,437.00 Vocational = 2,510.36 7,438.00 Expenses = 931.53 0.00
07/12/94 $ 217,128.98 $ 124,999.00 Medical = 184,572.12 124,999.00 Indemnity = 30,143.43 19,226.00 Vocational = 2,393.43 7,606.00 Expenses = 20.00 0.00
06/01/95 $ 40,682.21 $ 4,564.00 Medical = 32,707.38 4,564.00 Indemnity = 6,035.28 0.00 Vocational = 1,903.55 0.00
06/01/95 $ 12,309.92 $ 0.00 Medical = 9,213.25 0.00 Indemnity = 1,890.57 0.00 Vocational = 1,195.40 0.00
DATE OF TOTAL RESERVE ACCIDENT PAID AMOUNT
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Flame Resistant Clothing Will Not Ignite and Continue to Burn From Exposure to Flame.
Examples of Flame Resistant Clothing Products:– Products With Flame Retardants
»FR Rayon Blends with Nomex®»Firewear® Modacrylic Cotton Blend
»Flame Retardant Treated Cotton
FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING
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– Inherently Flame Resistant Products»Kevlar®/PBI Blends»Nomex®/Kevlar® Blends»Nomex® IIIA
FLAME RESISTANT CLOTHING (Continued)
10
BURN INJURY PRINCIPLES
BURN DEPTH IS A MEASURE OF SEVERITY– FIRST-DEGREE: SKIN BECOMES RED,
NO BLISTER– SECOND-DEGREE: SKIN BLISTERS,
EPIDERMIS MUST REGENERATE (100-MICRON DEPTH)
11
BURN INJURY PRINCIPLES (Continued)
– THIRD-DEGREE: FULL THICKNESS DESTROYED, SKIN CANNOT REGENERATE, SCAR TISSUE FORMS (1,000-MICRON DEPTH)
EXPOSURE TO AN ELECTRIC ARC OR FLAME CAN RAPIDLY EXCEED HUMAN TISSUE TOLERANCE AND CAUSE SECOND- OR THIRD-DEGREE BURNS
12
CHANCES OF SURVIVALFROM BURN INJURY
C
han
ceof
Su
rviv
al, %
Source: American Burn Association (1991-1993 Study)
0
20
40
60
100
Age Range, Years
25% Body Burn
20-29 30-39 40-49 50-59
80 50% Body Burn
75% Body Burn
13
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FLASHFIRE TEST
Realistic Exposure Conditions That Simulate Real Life Hazards– Exposures Like Real Flash Fires – Fabric Sample Configuration Like
Clothing on a Human Body
14
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD FLASHFIRE TEST (Continued)
Meaningful Results– Clear Direction on Clothing Choices– Clear Differences Between Materials
Reproducible– Test to Test, Lab to Lab
Flash Fire Manikin Test Provides an Excellent Match for These Characteristics
15
EXPOSURE ENERGY
Exposure Energy is Expressed in Cal/Cm2
Copper Calorimeters Are Used to Measure Exposure Energy
1 Cal/Cm2 Is Equivalent to the Energy Produced by a Cigarette Lighter in One Second
An Exposure Energy of One or Two Cal/Cm2 Will Cause a Second-Degree Burn on Human Skin
16
EXPOSURE ENERGY (Continued)
Heat Flux Is the “Flow Rate” of Energy Onto a Surface
Exposure Energy = Heat Flux X Exposure Time
Typical Values for Industrial Flash Fire:– Heat Flux 1-4 Cal/Cm2-Sec.– Exposure Times 1-5 Sec.– Exposure Energies 1-20 Cal/Cm2
17
EXAMPLES OF ESTIMATED TOTAL INCIDENT ENERGY OF VARIOUS
HAZARDS
EXAMPLES OF
EXPOSURE ENERGY.
HAZARD WAS DETERMINED
FROM DAMAGED GARMENTS IN THESE
INCIDENTS.
Exposure Description
Garment of Nomex® Aramid
Fiber
Estimated TotalExposure Energy,
cal/cm2
Oil Well - Flash Fire Coveralls 4
Brush Fire Shirt 12
Backdraft from Gas Line Leak Turnout Coat 7
Solvent Vapor - Flash-Over/Paint Shop Turnout Coat 16
Apartment Building Fire Turnout Coat 19
13.2 kV System ElectricArc Underground Vault Coveralls 35
4.8 kV System ElectricPhase to Ground Arc Shirt 20
19
MANIKIN TESTING
Realistic Flash Fire Exposure Conditions– Controllable Heat Flux and Exposure Time– Results Reflect Actual Industrial Exposures
Full Size Instrumented Manikin With 122 Thermal Sensors Measures Heat Transfer Through Garment
Amount, Degree, and Location of Predicted Burn Injury Calculated From Sensor Data
20
MANIKIN TESTING (Continued)
Bottom Line: Provides a Prediction of Burn Injury for Specific Garment Over a Full Range of Flash Fires
24
THERMO-MAN® EVALUATION
Conditions
5X HomeLaunderings
100% CottonUnderwear
Heat Flux of2 cal/cm2 sec
Average of3 Data Points P
red
icte
d B
od
y B
urn
In
jury
, %
Nomex® IIIA (7.5
oz/yd2)
Nomex® IIIA (4.5 oz/yd2)
Nomex ® IIIA (6.1 oz/yd2 )
27
THERMO-MAN® SIMULATED FLASH FIRE EVALUATION
Conditions
5X HomeLaunderings
100% CottonUnderwear
Heat Flux of2 cal/cm2 sec
Average of3 Data Points
Data AcquisitionTime 60 sec.
Pre
dic
ted
Bod
y B
urn
In
jury
, %
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Exposure Time, Sec.
100% Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
Nomex® IIIA (6.1 oz/yd2 )
28
THERMO-MAN® EVALUATION
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0
Exposure Time, Sec.
Conditions
5X HomeLaunderings
100% CottonUnderwear
Heat Flux of2 cal/cm2 sec
Average of3 Data Points P
red
icte
d B
od
y B
urn
In
jury
, %
Nomex® IIIA (6.1 oz/yd2)
100% Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
Firewear® (6.1 oz/yd2)
Firewear® (10.2 oz/yd2)
29
THERMO-MAN® EVALUATION
Conditions
5X HomeLaunderings
100% CottonUnderwear
Heat Flux of2 cal/cm2 sec
Average of3 Data Points P
red
icte
d B
ody
Bu
rn I
nju
ry, %
100% Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
“Indura” FRT Cotton (6.1 oz/ yd2)
“Indura” FRT Cotton (10.2 oz/ yd2)
Nomex IIIA® (4.5 oz/ yd2)
Nomex IIIA® (6.1 oz/ yd2)
30
THERMO-MAN® EVALUATION
Conditions
5X HomeLaunderings
100% CottonUnderwear
Heat Flux of2 cal/cm2 sec
Average of3 Data Points P
red
icte
d B
ody
Bu
rn I
nju
ry, %
100% Untreated Cotton (5.7 oz/yd2)
Banwear
(11.5 oz/y
d2 )
Banwear (7.7 oz/yd2)
Nomex® IIIA
(6.1 oz/yd2)
31
ESTIMATED THERMO-MAN® PREDICTED BURN INJURY FOR STATION UNIFORMS/TURNOUT
SYSTEMS
NO
ME
X®
IIIA
S
TA
TIO
N
UN
IFO
RM
W/
UN
DE
RW
EA
R
PO
LY
/CO
TT
ON
OR
CO
TT
ON
ST
AT
ION
U
NIF
OR
M W
ITH
U
ND
ER
WE
AR
NO
ME
X®
III
A
S
TA
TIO
N
UN
IFO
RM
W
/UN
DE
RW
EA
R
NO
ME
X O
ME
GA
® T
UR
NO
UT
S
YS
TE
M
EXPOSURE TIME, SECONDS
PR
ED
ICT
ED
BO
DY
BU
RN
INJU
RY
. %
32
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE
GUIDELINES Proper Wearing Procedures
– Protective Clothing Selection Must Be Based on the Probable Worst Case Exposure for a Task.
– Flame-Resistant Workwear Should Provide a Good Functional Fit for Protection and Comfort. Loose Fitting Clothing Provides Additional Thermal Protection Due to Increased Air Spaces.
33
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE GUIDELINES (Continued)
– Sleeves, Shirt, and Outerwear Should Be Fully Buttoned.
– Appropriate Protective Neck, Face, Head, Hand, and Foot Coverings Should Be Worn.
34
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE GUIDELINES (Continued)
Outerwear Must be Flame Resistant – Flammable Outerwear Can Ignite and
Continue to Burn Essentially Eliminating the Protection of Flame Resistant Clothing Worn Underneath
35
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE GUIDELINES (Continued)
– An Ignited Flammable Outer Garment Creates a Heat Source Close to the Skin, e.g., A Nylon Wind Breaker Worn Over an Flame Resistant Coverall. Although the Flame-Resistant Coverall Will Not Burn, the Wearer Can Be Burned by the Additional Heat Transfer From the Ignition of the Flammable Outerlayer.
36
FLAME-RESISTANT CLOTHING SYSTEM COMMON SENSE GUIDELINES (Continued)
Under Garments (Underwear Worn Against the Skin) Should be Non-Melting– Non-Melting Undergarments, I.E., Cotton,
Wool, Silk, Rayon, Can Be Worn to Increase Thermal Insulation and Protection.
– Meltable Undergarments Can Increase Burn Injury Severity Due to Melt Adhesion to the Skin.