The first rule for the maintenance of FR garments is to carefully follow the manufacturer's care instructions. In addition, some basic care is important for good maintenance. Here's how to maximize the durability of your FR uniforms:
Wash
• Wash new FR garments before putting them on. It is important to wash the FR pieces separately from the others, avoiding contamination of the fibers; • Check the pockets, open all the buttons, lift the collar; • Do not overload the machine, always use it in its normal capacity; • Use the correct level of water for washing, avoiding shrinkage; • Maximum water temperature 60 ° C • Do not use bar soap, because the caustic soda residues compromise the thermal protection; • Never use products containing chlorine during washing, as it compromises resistance and causes unpleasant odors; • Do not use chlorine-based softeners, the permanence of these compounds on the garment decreases the thermal protection.
Dry
• To increase the durability of the uniform color, avoid drying in the sun; • The drying temperature must not exceed 60 °C; • Never remove completely dry clothes from the dryer, as this increases excessive shrinkage.
The plainclothes firefighter's attire is worn when he is not in combat. In an emergency situation, the firefighter wears the combat uniform over plainclothes, that is, these clothes are also safety elements used in firefighting.
The firefighter is exposed to the most extreme risks in an operation, where all his equipment is tested to the maximum, and must provide maximum protection for fighting the flames. A single incorrectly specified component in a firefighter's clothing can compromise all protection. It is important to consider that unforeseen situations occur and that the combatant may have his inner clothing exposed to the fire environment, in which case, it cannot catch fire, as it would cause very serious injuries or even death.
To ensure maximum protection for the firefighter, all clothing used, including plainclothes, must be flame retardant. Increasingly, this investment must be considered, as having a non-FR component in a firefighter's suit is a dangerous and worrying fact. The NFPA, concerned with the protection of firefighters with regard to plainclothes clothing, developed the standard for the attire – NFPA 1975 – which specifies the minimum requirements for firefighter protection.
With this concept in mind, we at Santanense have developed a specific line of fabrics that are fully approved in the rules and guarantee the combatant's total protection. Our fabrics have the characteristics that every firefighter's garment must have: protection, durability, resistance and excellent aesthetics. It is not enough to comply with the standards, for us, it is our duty to exceed the standards of protection. The protection of those who take risks every day is priceless.
The ideal fabrics for plainclothes firefighters are Unipar and Nomex®ST. These fabrics are inherently flame retardant and form the first layer of protection for firefighters. In addition, they are soft and very comfortable, ensuring the mobility and resistance necessary for the corporation's activities.
When activated, the firefighter will wear combat clothing (primary protection) over plainclothes, made with Unipar or Nomex®ST, combining 2 levels of protection. In his aggressive and dangerous work environment, the firefighter faces many risks to save and protect lives. Therefore, the combatant must be guaranteed the maximum possible protection, using the best and most reliable equipment. Inner clothing must be a fundamental part of the composition of thermal protection, as it can be the firefighter's differential in the event of an accident. Wearing regular cotton and polyester clothing for this purpose is putting at risk those who heroically risk themselves every day in favor of society.
The firefighter's plainclothes clothes are worn when he is not in firefight. In an emergency situation, the firefighter wears the combat uniform over the plain clothes, that is, these clothes are also security elements used in fighting fires. The firefighter is exposed to the most extreme risks in an operation, where all of their equipment is tested to the maximum, and must provide maximum protection for fighting flames. A single component incorrectly specified in a firefighter's clothing can compromise all protection. It is important to consider that unforeseen situations occur and that the fighter may have their internal clothing exposed to the fire environment, in which case, it cannot catch fire, as it would cause very serious injuries or even death. To ensure maximum protection for the firefighter, all clothing worn, including civilian clothes, must be flame retardant. This investment must be increasingly considered, because having a non-FR component in a firefighter's clothing is a dangerous and worrying fact. NFPA, concerned with the protection of firefighters, with regard to plainclothes, has developed the standard for the suit - NFPA 1975 - which specifies the minimum requirements for the protection of firefighters.
With this concept in mind, we at Santanense's have developed a specific line of fabrics that are fully homologated in the standards and that guarantee the total protection of the firefighter. Our fabrics have the characteristics that every firefighter's clothing should have: protection, durability, resistance, and excellent aesthetics. It is not enough to comply with the rules; for us, it is our duty to exceed the protection standards. The protection of those who take risks every day is priceless. The ideal fabrics for the firefighter's clothes in plainclothes are Unipar and Nomex®ST. These fabrics are inherently flame-retardant and form the first layer of protection for firefighters. In addition, they are soft and very comfortable, guaranteeing the mobility and resistance required for the corporation's activities.
When in action, the firefighter will wear firefighting clothing (primary protection) over plain clothes, made with Unipar or Nomex®ST, combining 2 levels of protection. In his aggressive and dangerous work environment, the firefighter faces several risks to save and protect lives. Therefore, the firefighter must be guaranteed the maximum possible protection, using the best and most reliable equipment. The inner garment must be a fundamental part of the composition of the thermal protection, as it can be the difference for the firefighter in the event of an accident. Wearing normal cotton and polyester clothes for this purpose is putting at risk those who heroically take risks every day in favor of society.
Emergency services differ greatly from industrial safety. The level of risk involved is much higher, as the degree of heat is higher, as well as the time of exposure. FR fabrics used in industrial safety areas, whether for protection against sudden fire or electric arc, are not suitable for use in primary protection uniforms, such as those required for firefighting.
In these uniforms it is necessary to use 4 layers: outer layer, waterproof and breathable membrane, thermal barrier, and inner lining. These components work together to provide maximum protection, weather resistance, and comfort.
In their relentless search for improvements, Santanense has partnered with the best and most innovative producers of fibers and chemicals in the world, to offer greater protection to firefighters and rescue and emergency teams. Whether with innovative fabrics for the outer layer of combat clothing, or with fire-resistant fabrics for plainclothes uniforms, our goal is to protect life.
Unipower: maximum protection combined with the thermal comfort of the user
Several fabrics of the Fire Santanense Line can be used in the manufacture of clothing against liquid metal. However, always thinking about an increasingly effective protection for workers, Santanense developed Unipower Liquid Metal, the ideal fabric for protective clothing against exposure to welds and molten metals, which combine maximum protection with thermal comfort for the user.
Its thermo-resistant structure, composed of high resistance thread to high temperatures, blocks the flow of molten metals, repelling the overheated metal and inhibiting the spread of the flame. Unipower complies with ISO 11611 and ISO 11612, protecting against splashes and projections of molten metal.
Clothing against liquid metal must guarantee maximum protection to the user for the performance of their activities. It is necessary to analyze the requirements of ISO 11611 and / or ISO 11612 protection standards, which will provide essential information for choosing the correct product.
Regarding the projection of molten metal, the fabric must be approved according to ISO 11612. In the first test method of this standard, classified as A1, the flame is in perpendicular contact with the fabric face.
In the second method, classified as A2, the flame is in contact with the lower edge of the fabric at an angle of 30°. To pass this test, in both procedures, the fabric must meet the following requirements:
• The flame must not reach the top or the sides of the sample; • No sample can be punctured; • No sample can melt, burn, or present burning residue; • The average after-flame time must be ≤ 2 s; • The average after-luminescence time must be ≤ 2 s;
This is the basic requirement for proving the FR characteristics of a given fabric. Only after approval in this test, the fabric can be submitted to the other tests of the standard, namely:
• Method B: It must reach at least level B1. • Method C: radiant heat. It must reach at least level C1. • Method D: projection of molten aluminum. It must reach at least level D1. • Method E: projection of molten iron. It must reach at least level E1 • Method F: heat by contact. It must reach at least level F1.
Fabrics designed to protect against molten metal projection must meet the requirements of the test methods classified as D and / or E, that is, protect against aluminum and iron, respectively. Both tests are performed by projecting a limited amount of metal onto the fabric. It is subsequently evaluated whether there was damage (carbonization, puncture or ignition) in the material.
As for protection against weld spatter, the fabric must be approved according to the ISO 11611 standard, which will measure the amount of spatter necessary for the fabric to have its temperature raised by 40 ° C. In this standard there are two classifications:
• Class 1: More than 15 weld spatters. • Class 2: More than 25 weld spatters.
Protection against liquid metal
Understand the variables
The working environment in the steel and metal industries can be extremely aggressive due to the radiant heat and splash of liquid metal. Metals such as iron and aluminum have a melting point (melting temperature of the material) greater than 1,000ºC and release a considerable amount of heat.
In this type of environment, FR garments must guarantee maximum protection and at the same time offer comfort and breathability to the user. Santanense's fabrics against Liquid Metal perform the following functions:
1) Avoid the excessive conduction of heat from the environment to the body; 2) They are impermeable to the molten metal, that is, they do not allow it to pass through the garment; 3) They do not allow the spread of flames due to contact with liquid metal.
All products of the Fire Santanense Line meet the requirements for clothing against Flash Fire. To demonstrate the quality of the Fire Santanense Line and compare it to competing products, a detailed and in-depth study was carried out. A series of tests was carried out on an instrumented dummy by the Spanish laboratory, AITEX.
Three different situations were tested: Teste 1 - Flame and gas with a 3-second duration. Teste 2 - Higher flame power, with activated gas up to 3.6 seconds. Teste 3 - Double shot with a 3-second duration.
In Test 1 condition, the fabrics were submitted to the parameters required by the NFPA 2112 standard. That is, this is the mandatory test for the approval of a fabric for use in thermal protection clothing against Flash Fire. The results indicate that FIRE COTTON Santanense fabrics are infinitely superior in terms of protection, when compared to competing fabrics.
This can be seen even better in the tables below, where the yellow and red areas show, respectively, the areas that suffered burns of 2nd. and 3rd. degrees.
Going further to raise the market standard
Although the period of time established to analyze the behavior of FR fabrics is 3 seconds, a situation of exposure to a time slightly longer than 3 seconds was studied to generate a more complete profile for each of the products.
It was considered that explosions lasting up to 4 seconds are not so unlikely. Furthermore, the worker's age can greatly influence the time it takes to escape a sudden fire explosion: 3 seconds alone may not be enough. And when it comes to security, Santanense goes further, to raise the market standard and give maximum protection to workers.
The results obtained in the condition of test 2 - with activated gas up to a maximum time of 3.6 seconds - show, once again, the superior quality of Santanense's FIRE COTTON line.
As an explosive environment can lead the user of FR clothing to more than one exposure to flames, we also decided to test this situation to offer maximum protection to our customers. A uniform that disintegrates after the first exposure to fire can lead to the death of the wearer, if subjected to a new explosion.
In the condition of test 3, the most severe of all - in which the fabric is subjected to two consecutive exposures - FIRE COTTON fabrics also performed much better.
The fabrics of the Fire Comfort line are not only excellent for protection against fire, but also offer high durability and a lot of comfort.
Extensive studies carried out by Santanense show that the Fire Comfort line fabrics are twice as durable as the generic cotton fabrics available on the market. The main reason is its excellent resistance to abrasion.
Result of a bold design by Santanense, the fabrics of the Fire Techno line are a perfect combination of thermal protection and durability.
Unlike imported fabrics, fabrics from the Fire Techno line are extremely comfortable to use, either due to the presence of cellulosic fibers in their mixture, or due to the use of differentiated synthetic fibers. The temperature and humidity control is much superior, making the user feel more refreshed and dry.
Maximum reliability that only the inherently flame retardant fabrics can offer, combined with fabrics that are 3/4 times more durable than the fabrics available on the market.
The suit Flash Fire fire guarantees the necessary protection to the user for the performance of their activities. Working at risk is already an extremely stressful activity, imagine if the uniform does not offer the necessary confidence? Therefore, it is necessary to analyze tests such as the dummy test, which will provide essential information for choosing the correct product.
Developed to provide a better perception of the level of protection of users, this test is one of the clearest in our thermal protection industry. The above is justified because the result obtained represents the percentage of burns that a person would endure, in the case of a Flash Fire situation.
Therefore, the test provides the simplest analogy with real situations, where it is possible to predict the severity of the victim's injuries. Undoubtedly, a test of fundamental importance for the selection of clothing.
Basically, the test is performed with a dummy wearing a protective suit. A 3-second Flash Fire situation is generated by 12 burners that use an oxidizing gas to form the fire. More than 100 heat sensors are distributed on the surface of the dummy, which are responsible for capturing the amount of heat that passes through the clothes. In this way, a software performs calculations that determine the number of first, second, and third degree burns that occurred on the dummy.
The test is carried out according to the ASTM F 1930 standard and the test procedure is summarized as follows:
According to NFPA 2112, to pass the Instrumented Dummy test, the percentage of 2nd and 3rd degree burns must not exceed 50%. All Santanense articles have considerably lower rates than the required standard, proving our total commitment to the total safety of our customers.
This test is very rich and allows several essential conclusions to work safely, as shown in the chart:
This is the chart that the laboratory builds after exposure to Flash Fire. Each curve represents a type of injury, in which blue represents only the sensation of pain, yellow represents a first degree burn, orange represents a second degree burn, and red represents a third degree burn.
Testing the instrumented dummy may seem complex at first, but it is an essential tool for engineers and safety technicians who want to offer maximum protection. We at Santanense have the best protection rates in the market, with the percentage of clothing burned with our fabrics being less than 20%, well below the 50% required by the standards.
According to the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), Flash Fire is a rapid displacement of flames in environments where air and fuel coexist, generating an explosion. This explosion usually generates a heat flow of 2.0 cal / cm², that is, it presents less intensity when compared to the electric arc. However, the Flash Fire usually lasts 3-4 seconds, having a long flame duration.
Protection against Flash Fire is necessary in Oil & Gas companies, offshore platforms, metallurgical, steel, chemical industries and in activities where there is the possibility of explosions. All products in the Fire Santanense line meet the requirements for clothing against Flash Fire.
