How can we ensure the safety for the employees of oil and gas sector? FR coverall are the best choice. What is FR coverall. FR Coveralls are flame resistant coverall. Employees of oil and gas companies mostly used coveralls for their safety from hazardous material and in emergency situations. All the companies should make sure that all workers are wearing coveralls.
There are many varieties of coveralls in market and should be aware of which one he needs according to the expecting hazards and emergency he can face. As workers must wear coveralls so they should be comfortable and durable also. Moreover, they are available in market in different colors which make employees comfortable to wear them. Although it is included in their uniform but a safety suit as well.
In this process of how to choose the Best FR Coveralls, initially one need to know about AR and FR clothing.
What Is AR and FR?
AR (Arc-Rated)
AR clothing is used to save workers from electrical arc. It produces like a flash when any electrical contacts are connected or there is a fault in electrical equipment. When a fault occurs in electrical equipment it releases much amount of heat and electrical energy.
AR coveralls are mostly used by electricians as they can bear arc flash hazards and any electrical hazard.
These coveralls are also resistive to ignition as they can not be burned and blazed by fire.
FR (Flame-Resistant)
FR clothing is used to prevent the workers from fire perils. FR clothing has self-extinguishing feature as it cannot be burned after it is blazed by fire. Unlike AR clothing, FR clothing it is not fire resistive clothing, it does catch the fire at first time.
DIFFERENCE
There are many similarities in AR and FR clothing. Both can be used to get protection from fire hazards.
But AR clothing has some advantage over FR that it is fire resistive and doesn’t catch fire at all. That’s why AR clothing can be used in all the cases of flame resisting but FR cannot be used in every arc-rated case.
HAZARADS CATEGORY
Hazard risks can be divided into four different categories
Employers of the company should decide that which of the hazard risks to every employer.
In finalizing this employer should consult with safety engineer to be aware of all risk scenarios that can occur in any situation on plant. Moreover, they should teach all the employees about all hazard risks and train them to wear specific cloths to prevent from hazard risks.
FR Garment Material
After knowing all about the hazards and safety requirements, next thing is to learn about garment material. Currently two styles of FR coveralls are available. One is flame-resistant and the other is flame retardant. After garment material next thing in which you will be interested is maintenance requirements.
Flame-Resistant vs Flame-Retardant
The basic difference between flame-resistant and flame-retarded material is the flame-resistant is basically designed as such it can resist fire easily. In case of flame retarding, material it is reacted with chemicals to enhance its capability of resisting fire.
Garment Maintenance
According to material type of garment, there are different type of maintenance and as well as laundering needs. Obviously flame-retarding is better in considerably low amount of washes then flame-resistant material. Apart from the general information of these materials, recommendations from manufacturer should be checked seriously.
Some Additional features:
Durability and comfort must be kept in mind while choosing the best FR Coverall. So, how it can be done? To achieve these two essential features, employers must demand samples from the supplier. There should be some testing wear done by employees. Trying of the FR Coverall makes us aware that which will be handled by us easily.
Durability
As the FR coverall must be used in oil and gas sector so it should have the ability to withstand the damage and pressure. In jobsite, these FR Coverall get changed eventually but that does not mean that you miss the durability factor. Choose once, but the durable one. This thing will lead you to money saving in long run. Durable things stand better and make you not to spend money on the same thing repeatedly. Be precise and never miss this durability factor while choosing FR Coverall.
Comfort
In oil and gas sector, employee’s safety is necessary. But safety with comfort is a combo which increases the work performance of employees. Nowadays there are many options available in market for employees to choose the best FR coverall. When they were first introduced, comfort and durability were not taken into consideration. But now different colors and with comfortable wear make FR coverall easily accessible by employees. The comfort ensured with high quality material. Today’s FR coverall depicts that it is different from normal clothing and how it provides safety. As there are numerous brands which differ in production and style. It is better to have samples properly checked by employers.
Popular Options
Here are some popular options for how to choose the best FR Coverall.
Cold weather gear
Employees must be saved from arc flash and fire related hazards at job site. But they need one more thing while working outdoors. That is protection from cold. So, some popular easy to wear and reliable bomber FR jackets are also available.
Standard Coverall
This standard Coverall is best in every condition. It gives you comfort and protection form AR and FR hazards. Moreover, addition of any other layer underneath or at top is easy.
Extra accessories
Sometimes due to work requirement, extra safety is required. Advanced equipment and head gears are required in this condition. Consult with the suppliers and demand their recommendation to ensure more safety.
Brief recommendation
One thing must be ensuring that workers are equipped according to standards of PPE or not. AR and FR coveralls must fulfill the criteria of PPE. These things save employees from horrific accidents and even death. To choose the best FR coverall can make you tired but it is a promising task to ensure safety.
