FR protective clothing for food industry

As food processing and packaging operations automate, “there are few places in the production facility where employees are not working in pretty close proximity to electrical equipment,” said Roger McKee, National Accounts executive and fire-retardant specialist for G&K Services. As more workers are exposed to electrical arc flash hazards, more are protected by National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 70E standard, which requires flame-resistant clothing for employees at risk. G&K Services noted the shift in FR protective clothing purchases: “Even when general demand for industrial garments slowed over the past couple of years due to the recession, sales of FR clothing continued to be a bright spot,” according to McKee. Employers required under 70E to assess electrical arc flash must classify the employee’s hazard level between 1 and 4 (with 4 being highest risk). In food processing operations, almost every worker experiences a category 1 hazard, one reason for steady sales of flame-resistant garments.