FR Clothing

[electriklady]

One of my least favorite topics but....am curious

For those of you that are required to wear FR clothing...does your company provide it via a clothing allowance etc, or do you buy it yourself?

Am I incorrect in thinking that the OSHA rule states if is something that cannot be used outside of your job(PPE and required) it is the companies' responsibility to provide it?

Just wondering?

[Pootnaigle]

Employer furnishes it BUT it is in the form of a jumpsuit and often Orange in color.Made me feel like a criminal to wear the stuff.I buy my own shirts and pants.
The law you spoke of can be easily misconstrued. Lets say for instance I try and deduct my FR clothing, Since it can also be worn in the general public Its no longer strictly for the workplace thus not a valid deduction Further disqualifying it is the fact that I had a choice not to buy it. and didnt exercise it. Now if it is saftey equipment like say a bodybelt and saftey I would have no occasion to use that in public therefore making it a valid deduct.
The utility that I retired from gave an allowance ........ pretty meager when one considers the cost of FR clothing for an entire year. Once in a Blue moon they would pass out a FR shirt as some kinda saftey award and FR pants were not required. Even with that one went in the hole furnishing FR shirts for a year. Hope that helps

[electriklady]

thanks, check your pms

[ssgerken]

$1,200 when you first start and $500 per year after that. You have to buy your coveralls, and rainsuits with this as well.

[MI-Lineman]

We get an allowance(contractual). Rain suits are co. issue. FR pants not required.

[THE KID]

Then the company has to furnish it. That is our company policy. 13 T-shirts,long sleeve shirts, pants, 2 pairs of coveralls, rain suit, unisulated bibs and pullover, insulated bibs and coat. They also furnish hooks belts and hand tools. It helps when the Manager is a retired 30 yr. lineman.

[yager024]

Did you know; After you wash your Fr cloths ABOUT 5 times they are no longer fire resistant. Its a fact not a myth! thats why after my stuff is warn out I go buy a $10 pair of jeans at walmart and put the old FR tag on it.

[T-Man]

Our Supplier states that the clothing is good for 50 washes which would make it good for a year if you washed once a week. The kicker is that you need to be careful about not washing it with other clothes because the lint from the other clothing will transfer and compromise the FR quality. You also have to read the labels because fabric softener will also take the FR qualities out of the clothing. This is just the recommendations, I'm not the expert. Remember the FR is designed to not stay on fire, it will burn and you will suffer but the flames will not continue if you are removed from the source. So don't think it's a suit of armour. The other thing I see Line folk doing is not getting their work clothes laundered often and the dirt, grease and oil will all become fuel once the spark lights it off, So do what you want with swapping out labels, try not to cause any sparks and life is good, but heaven help you if you should catch fire that won't be pretty. I know a guy make that two guys, burned and they suffer every day and it's been 10 years out of rehab now for both. I wouldn't want to live like I see them cats every day. Work safe and follow all the rules and you should go home at night better than when you came in. They say Safety Rules are written in blood. . .

[BigClive]

Did you know; After you wash your Fr cloths ABOUT 5 times they are no longer fire resistant. Its a fact not a myth! thats why after my stuff is warn out I go buy a $10 pair of jeans at walmart and put the old FR tag on it.

Many of the flame resisting treatments require quite special washing care including specific brands of cleaner and definitely no fabric conditioner.

Now if they made a flame retarding agent you put in the conditioner compartment. Or a wash-in version....

In the theatre industry they use chemical treatments to re-protect the stage curtains and other on-stage fabrics.

[thrasher]

FR properties all depend on the fabric and the contamination. Some fabrics like Proban can have the FR washed out and still look good. Others like 100% Nomex are FR no matter how many times you wash them till they fall apart. Bleach for instance will make Nomex a mud brown and brittle, the cloth will look and act like old paper including falling apart in flakes. Fabric Softener is another issue, most fabric softeners leave a flammable residue on the cloth, even if the fabric itself is still good.
By the Way we had a lineman a couple months ago had a "Firewear" fabric shirt from Riverside that was about three years old and ready for the rag bin. He hung it off a steel fence in the yard and hit it with a blow torch, as soon as he moved the torch away the shirt went out. Some some fabrics are permenent such as Nomex, PBI, and Firewear.
The Cooperative where I work only allows permenent fabrics, not treated fabrics. If you read the manufacturer's info and it uses the phrase "inherently flame resistant" then it can't wash out. Instead if you do the washing wrong you destroy the fabric or you contaminate it.