Anyone performing welding or hot work needs to take as many precautions as possible to avoid starting a fire. In a previous blog post, we shared five basic fire safety tips for welders. In this post, we’ll focus a little more closely on clothing and other soft materials.
It seems pretty obvious that welders should wear flame-resistant clothing any time they’re on the job, since even the tiniest spark can ignite a serious blaze in an instant.
In general, welders should avoid any clothing that has cuffs, open pockets, or is either made out of synthetic material or blended with synthetics like acetate, nylon, polyester, or rayon. Instead, protective clothing should follow the following Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines:
- Protective clothing should be oil-free, non-melting, and flame resistant.
- Gloves should be flame-resistant and insulated.
- Foot protection should be made of flame-retardant leather with abrasion- and heat-resistant stitching, protective metatarsal shields, and heavy-duty rubber outsoles. Fire-resistant boot protectors are recommended for heavy spark and slag areas.
- Head protection should consist of a fire-resistant hat worn under a welding helmet
- Clothing should be heavy cotton or wool long-sleeve and long-legged clothing covered by fire-retardant hoods. Heavier cotton and wool materials are harder to ignite and resist wear and damage.
While OSHA prefers 100% cotton or wool clothing because these materials do not melt to the skin and the thicker weaves are harder to ignite, they also acknowledge that these materials can easily ignite if they aren’t properly treated. Standard 269 states that fabrics must be treated to withstand the conditions that may be encountered.
When it comes to flame retardant sprays, some are better than others in terms of toxicity, environmental impact, and performance. Regardless of what flame retardant you choose, you should always wear a respirator, safety goggles, and rubber gloves when treating clothing and fabrics. You should also avoid smoking in the work area, and never spray flame retardant around food.
MPT Fire Repel is an environmentally safe, non-staining flame retardant spray, available in 16-ounce pump sprays or gallon sizes for mixing. It’s approved for use on Class A surfaces (uniforms, upholstery, carpeting, wood, etc.) and provides temporary protection by slowing the rate of flame. (Note that you’ll need to re-treat fabrics after washing.) By slowing down the spread of the flame, you buy more time for quenching the fire entirely.