Your employer sets the flame resistant (FR) or arc rating your crew needs, through its risk assessment or the site's electrical safety officer. What a listing can tell you is what each garment states, so you can match it to that requirement before you order. This guide shows how to read the FR listings we carry when you're ordering for an electrical, mining or oil and gas crew.
Get the requirement in writing first
Before you compare a single garment, ask your safety officer or supervisor:
- What minimum arc rating or category the task needs. It may be written as a figure in cal/cm2, a category, or both.
- Which garments it covers: the shirt, the pants, a fleece or jacket over the top, and what's worn underneath.
- Whether the garments must also be hi vis, and for day, night or both.
If the site can't give you a figure, that question belongs with them, not with a uniform supplier.
What our FR listings state
Here are the figures exactly as five of our listings give them. We haven't tested these garments ourselves, and none of the five names the test standard behind its arc figure, so if your site wants test details, ask the maker for them.
| Garment | Arc figure, as listed | Category, as listed |
|---|---|---|
| Flamebuster FSV015A shirt | "ATPV 8+ cal/cm2" | "HRC 2 inherent protection" |
| Flamebuster FPV018 pants | "ATPV 11.5cal/cm2" | "HRC 2 inherent protection" |
| Flamebuster FJV034 fleece | "ATPV 8+cal/cm2" | "HRC 2 protection" |
| King Gee Y04550 shirt | "minimum 8.7 CAL" | "PPE2" |
| King Gee Y02525 pants | "minimum 8 CAL" | "PPE2" |
The Flamebuster listings use "HRC" and the King Gee listings use "PPE", and the King Gee figures are written as "CAL" with no area unit. Don't assume two labels mean the same thing. Check each garment against the exact wording your site uses. If the crew will wear a top and pants with different figures, or add a layer under or over, ask your safety officer how they want that handled.
Of these five, only the FSV015A and FPV018 are titled men's, and the others don't say. Our FR shirts collection has more shirts, including styles titled women's, and you can read each one the same way.
Shirts
The Flamebuster FSV015A comes in Navy/Orange or Navy/Yellow, sizes XS to 6XL plus 8XL (no 7XL). Its listing includes "Gas detector loops at shoulder", which gives crew on mine or gas sites who carry a personal detector a set place to clip it. "Full gusset sleeves" give room to reach overhead, and the pockets close with "concealed heat resistant press studs". It's listed for "Day/Night Use" and "Garment complies AS/NZS 4602.1:2011". That's the 2011 hi vis edition, and our hi vis day/night guide explains why to ask your site which edition it accepts. The fabric line is "Moda-acrylic, Cotton, Para-Aramid, Nylon, AS 195gsm", with no percentages.
The King Gee Y04550 comes in Orange/Navy or Yellow/Navy, sizes S to 5XL, so check the size run if your crew needs XS or 6XL. Its listing describes "Lightweight flame resistant shirts to reduce risk from Arc and Flash fire events", in 195gsm "Modacrylic/Pima Cotton/Para-Aramid/Nylon/Anti-static", with a "Pleated yoke, side body and sleeve gusset with articulated sleeve for ease of movement". That gives room to reach overhead. The title says hi vis and the listing mentions 50mm FR reflective tape in a hoop configuration, but it doesn't name a hi vis class or standard, so check the garment label against your site's rule.
Pants
Both pants below are Navy only, with reflective tape and no hi vis class named.
- The Flamebuster FPV018 is 240gsm ripstop with "Darted knees for better movement", a "Gusseted crotch", a "Heat resistant button at the center front" and an "All plastic zipper at the fly". It comes in regular (77R to 112R) and stout (87S to 132S) sizes, with no long leg.
- The King Gee Y02525 is 235gsm with "Articulated knees" and a "Gusset inleg for comfort fit and freedom of movement". It adds a Long fit (79L to 94L) alongside Regular and Stout, which suits taller crew.
Knee darts and gussets give room for kneeling and climbing.
A warm layer
If your crew grabs a jumper on cold mornings, ask your safety officer whether that layer needs to be FR too. The Flamebuster FJV034 fleece is one fleece we list that's titled FR, in Navy/Orange or Navy/Yellow, sizes 3XS to 6XL plus 8XL. It's 300gsm, "60% Moda-acrylic, 39% Cotton, 1% AS", with a "Heat resistant all plastic zip front", "FR knitted ribbed cuffs and hem" and a "Contrast dirt panel at undersleeves". Three things to note: its category line says "HRC 2 protection" without the word "inherent" used on the shirt and pants, it's listed for "Day/night use" without naming a standard, and it mentions an optional FR wet weather jacket from the same maker that we don't list. For a waterproof layer, ask us.
Welding and hot work
None of these five listings mentions welding, grinding or hot work. If that's your crew's job, ask your safety officer whether FR shirts and pants are what the task calls for, or whether welding-specific gear is needed. Of the five, only the FSV015A listing gives care instructions ("Domestic wash"), so follow each garment's own care label.
Putting your logo on FR workwear
Ask this before you order, not after. These listings describe their trims carefully: "concealed heat resistant press studs", "FR perforated reflective tape", "Heat resistant trims tested to 260°C". A logo is added after the garment leaves the maker, and none of these listings says anything about added embroidery, prints or badges. Before you brand FR workwear, ask us about your logo, check with the garment maker what thread, transfer or badge materials they allow, and confirm with your site what it accepts. We make no FR or arc rating claim for our decoration, or for a garment once it's decorated. Keep logos clear of the reflective tape too. Our embroidery or printing guide explains the methods in general, but on FR garments your site's answer comes first.
Where FR meets road and rail
An FR shirt with tape isn't automatically a road or rail garment, and none of these listings mentions either. If your crew also works a corridor, our road and rail hi vis guide lists the questions to ask.
Once your site has given you the rating, use our custom workwear enquiry form to tell us the styles, sizes, the written requirement and whether you want a logo once your site has cleared it. We'll come back to you with a quote.
