The following letter and information was written and sent to us by James Baker from Shell Oil. As you can see from the information below James has been in the petrochemical industry for 40 years and has had the experience of wearing FRC clothing for many years and  shares  some vital information about the proper undergarments to be worn with FRC’s.

 

 

 

Bryan,

 

Below is a document with some general comments about FRC use.

I have been in the petro/chemical business for 40 years. The first 5 years was in construction, then 32 years in process operations, and the last nearly 3 have been as a HEO/Rigger.

During the early/mid 70′s man made material clothing was very popular. There was an explosion and fire on the unit I was working. Every man that had on synthetic clothing had it melted to his body.

Fire is a great motivator. One man jumped from the third floor, hitting different equipment on the way down. It was said that he broke all of the ribs on one side, his arm, and both legs. He then got up on broken legs and ran some 2 or 3 hundred feet before collapsing. He was then carried to the control room to be administered first aid. The sight of him was so terrible that when the board operator saw him, he had a heart attack. The man that jumped did not survive.

The outside operator was found trapped in the elevator. His coveralls were not FRC material. I think they were a cotton/polyester blend. They did not melt to his body, but they were smoldering in different areas.

Through my career PPE has constantly been improved. FRC’s is one of the many. PPE is no longer an option, it is mandatory as it should be.

In my opinion if you are exposed to 2000 degree plus fire, you are going to get burned, period. With FRC’s, at least your clothes should not flame up or melt on you.

 

The purpose of Fire Retardant Clothing (FRC) is to protect personnel against flash fire.

 

Nylon or other synthetic materials can melt to your body when exposed to a flash fire. This is a very ugly sight to see. Melted material on skin is nearly impossible to remove.

  

Normally, FRC shall be worn as the outermost garment.  Specific jobs may preclude this requirement such as jobs working with:

 

• Asbestos

 

• Chemicals/Hydrocarbons that require chemical protective clothing or special personal protective equipment (PPE).

 

In such cases, FRC must still be worn beneath the outermost layer in FRC designated areas.

 

Rain gear is acceptable as an individual’s outermost garment (over FRC) for inclement weather or when testing sprinkler and deluge systems.

 

Duct tape, masking tape, or other types of material should not be used to seal FRC arm cuffs or leg cuffs openings. This material can catch on fire or melt.

 

Mosquito repellent containing DEET has been found to adversely affect the properties of FRC.

 

It is recommended by Dupont (manufacturer of Nomex) that flame-resistant undergarments or undergarments made only of cotton, silk, or

wool worn beneath the FRC to reduce the risk of flash fire burns.

 

Heavily soiled or contaminated garments should not be taken home and handling such garments in a manner that prevents exposure to personnel from contaminated garments. 

 

Such garments should be tagged and placed in dedicated plastic bags and bins at the drop off locations.  A MSDS Summary Sheet of the contaminating material shall also be included.

 

FRC are not to be used in lieu of approved Bunker Gear as PPE for fire fighting activities.  (FRC is designed to offer protection against flash fires, not extended exposures.)

 

If performing spark-producing activities such as welding or grinding, the wearer should verify they are wearing FRC appropriate for such activities (IE. FR treated cotton).

 

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