Category Archives: General

We’re passionate about educating the electrical industry on safety standards that address short-term thermal hazards, like arc flash and flash fire. It’s how we know we’re helping equip you with not only the industry’s leading flame resistant/arc-rated (FR/AR) textiles for personal protective equipment (PPE), but also helping apply these methods to provide maximum protection for your employees.

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Throughout the electrical industry, consensus standards provide critical information advising how to safeguard employees facing arc flash hazards. These standards—NEC, NESC, and NFPA 70E—are all meant to guide safety initiatives, but which one is relevant for you? We break down each standard and what they mean for your workplace.

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Combustible dust is a significant concern across various industries and with good reason. Combustible dust incidents can lead to serious property damage and cause life-threatening injuries. Analyzing your work environment and enacting preventative measures, such as robust housekeeping and engineering control protocols, can make all the difference. Even with these safety precautions in place, incorporating FR/AR PPE as the final layer of defense can help mitigate the risk of injuries should the worst happen.

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The FR industry certainly has its share of jargon, and especially when that jargon has little scientific background, it can lead to muddled and complicated decisions. In our white paper, What’s in a Word: Inherent Fabric, Treated Fabric, and What They Mean in the World of Flame Resistant Fabrics, we discuss two major industry terms—“inherent” and “treated”—and cover how these flame resistant (FR), arc-rated (AR) fabric classifications have evolved over time.

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Part of designing reputable protective fabrics is ensuring they provide certified, consistent results both in the lab and in the field—otherwise, end users may be at risk. Flame resistant (FR), arc-rated (AR) fabrics incorporated into personal protective equipment (PPE) act as a final layer of defense against hazards like arc flashes and flash fires, so these fabrics must perform. But how does a company like Westex by Milliken assess performance? We sat down with James Cliver, senior development engineer for Westex by Milliken, to learn more about how FR/AR fabrics are tested and why standard testing protocols are a crucial indicator of performance.

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When we look to develop new flame resistant (FR) technologies, we often draw inspiration from unmet needs in the industry. Many times, our conversations in the field help us better identify areas where we can fill a gap to better protect workers in the electrical and oil and gas industries against arc flashes and flash fires. We sat down with Paul Castelli, international sales director for Westex by Milliken, to learn more about how Westex develops new technologies.

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Until recently, flame resistant (FR), arc-rated (AR) garments were one size fits all—meaning both men and women wore the same styles. Women in the oil and gas and electrical industries thus donned ill-fitting FR/AR garments day in and day out, because these garments were largely constructed with men in mind. Typically, women have to find FR/AR garments that mostly fit then adjust them throughout the day as they shift out of place.

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For worksites where short-term thermal hazards are present, flame resistant (FR), arc-rated (AR) personal protective equipment (PPE) is a critical component in providing protection in the event of an unexpected incident, like arc flash, flash fire, or dust combustion. While key, however, it is important to note that when designing your safety program, daily wear FR/AR PPE is one of many parts of a comprehensive thermal hazard mitigation program.

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Collaboration is key for discovering creative and sustainable solutions to meet customers’ needs. To that end, we are excited to share our successful collaboration with Cone Denim – leaders in premium denim for consumer apparel – will be renewed to continue offering our customers cutting-edge arc rated (AR) flame resistant (FR) denim. Our two brands exclusively produce and distribute the FR denim Westex Indigo® to meet the safety and wearability needs of industrial workers.

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