Flash Fire Standards
For the petroleum, petrochemical and chemical industries, the flash fire hazard has been a growing concern. Recently however, several very serious incidents have made industry look at ways to protect their workforce.
The flash fire hazard can be deadly due to the burn injury sustained during an exposure. A person’s ability to survive is a function of their age, the severity and amount of burn injury. Not having the ability to control a workforce’s age means that an employer must try to reduce the severity and amount of burn injury. As age, severity and amount of burn injury increase, survivability decreases.
The purpose of clothing worn by the worker should be to minimize the severity and percentage of body burn when exposed to a flash fire. Third degree burn injury should be prevented while second degree burns should be minimized. This will create the best chance for worker survivability. |
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Resource Info
• ASTM F1930 summary
• NFPA 2112 summary
• Flash Fire Resistance vs. Limited Flame Resistance
• Industrial Flash Fire and Burn Injury Fundamentals
• Link to test videos
Related Standards |
| Standard |
Name |
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Standard Test Method for Evaluating Heat Transfer through Materials for Protective Clothing Upon Contact with Molten Substances |
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Standard Performance Specification for Protective Clothing for Use by Workers Exposed to Specific Molten Substances and Related Thermal Hazards |
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Standard Test Method for Thermal Protective Performance of Materials for Protective Clothing for Hot Surface Contact |
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Standard Test Method for Effects of Flame Impingement on Materials Used in Protective Clothing Not Designated Primarily for Flame Resistance |
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Standard Guide for Care and Maintenance of Flame, Thermally and Arc Resistant Clothing |
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Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Flame Resistant Clothing for Protection Against Flash Fire Simulations Using an Instrumented Manikin |
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Standard Test Method for Radiant Protective Performance of Flame Resistant Clothing Materials |
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Standard Performance Specification for Labeling Protective Clothing as Heat and Flame Resistant |
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Standard on Selection, Care, Use, and Maintenance of Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire |
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Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire |
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Clothing and equipment for protection against heat — Test method for convective heat resistance using a hot air circulating oven |
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Recommended Practices for the Provision and Use of Workwear for Protection Against Hydrocarbon Flash Fire |
Publications
General articles and books on clothing and burn injuries
• FRW Handbook, Available from Peter Clark Associates, Inc. P.O. Box 4015 Edmondton, Alberta, Canada T6E4S8. Phone: (780) 439-2118. One of the most complete books on the clothing and fire. It contains the most complete list of flame resistant materials. Peter is a training consultant and a flash fire survivor offering a real perspective on flame resistant clothing.
• The Flammability of Different Textiles and Its Influence on the Severity of Skin Burns, L. Pakkala, Annales Chirurgiae et Gynaecologiae, 69: 240-243, 1980.
• The Clinical Consequences of an Industrial Aerosol Plant Explosion, David Hull, M.D. et. al., Vol. 25 No. 4, The Journal of Trauma, 1985.
• Epidemiology of Flame Burn Injuries, Robert R. Byrom, et. al. Burns 1984, Vol. 11, 1-10.
• Work-related Burns: a 6-year Retrospective Study, D. Ng, et. al. Burns 1991, Vol. 17, 151-154.
• Development of a Numerical Model for the Study of Flash Fire Dynamics, University of Toldeo. Uses AGA data.
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