The most technical and complicated PPE garments are the ones that protect you from the most dangerous working hazards – these garments are the ones that make up the PULSAR® FR & Electric ARC collection.
An ARC Flash is an undesired electric discharge that travels in the air between conductors or from one conductor to the earth. It can happen when electricity jumps through the air between conductors. The resulting explosion can reach heights of 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit – to put that in perspective, the surface of the sun is a mere 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. It can happen in a variety of industries such as Rail, Utilities, Electrical and Construction. An ARC Flash is an extremely dangerous occurrence that more than likely will cause serious injury, and maybe even fatalities, if the worker isn’t protected properly.
ARC clothing must meet a multitude of different criteria in order to comply with the standards they need to conform to, going through several rigorous tests, ensuring not only the fabric passes but also the complete garment, making them fit for purpose. FR & Electric ARC garments are worn in potentially life-threatening situations, which is why the testing process must be precise, strict and stringent. Once the clothing has passed the testing process, it will then receive a rating based on its performance. These ratings and classifications were created to help managers and individuals find the right type of arc flash workwear depending on the risk of a flash fire and potential exposure level.
Not only should the clothing be tested and certified for protection, but it should also be comfortable to wear, ensuring the wearer can move around uninhibited in the workplace. The clothing must also be maintained over time to ensure it still meets the same protection requirements. Wearers should adhere to the manufactures directions when laundering their garments as certain detergents and fabrics softeners can reduce the clothing’s flame-resistant performance.
PULSAR®’S guidance for care with FR & Electric ARC garments
- Do not wash in biological powder, wash as synthetics
- 40C domestic wash only, hang dry, do not iron
- Do not tumble dry, do not dry clean, do not use bleach
- Do not use fabric conditioner
The Fire-Retardant properties of this garment are inherent and are not affected by repeated laundering
Working closely with Protal® and other partners, PULSAR® have been able to create a highly innovative collection of FR & Electric ARC clothing, bring garments to the market that go above and beyond the wearer’s expectations.
Their range consists of 3 different layered elements; next-to-skin garments (base layers), workwear garments (mid-layers) such as Polo Shirts, Sweat Shirt, Combat Trousers and a Coverall and waterproof garments (outer-layers) like Salopettes and Storm Coats in order to provide maximum protection for the wearer. The more layers you wear, the more protected you are from the dangers of your workplace. PULSAR garments won’t just provide you with functionality, compliance and performance but also maximum comfort. If you’d like to know more, please contact your local Service Centre and we’ll be happy to guide you through it.
The protective FR yarn used in the fabric of PULSAR® FR & Electric ARC collection is Protal®.
Protal® is a new super high-performance Protex fibre blend, supplied by Waxman fibres that are only available through their partnership chain, from the spinning of fibre, through knitting and weaving, to finished garments, ultimately giving the wearer a consistency of compliance and traceability not available with many other FR fabrics.
All PULSAR® FR & Electric ARC garments are exclusively manufactured with Protal® fibres and fabric, as they are an official Protal Partner.
Protal® has 3 different levels of fabric – Protal® 1, Protal® 3 and Protal® 5. Each fabric is a different blend, which offers different levels of protection, strength and durability.
Protal 1 is the industry-standard fibre blend, featuring the new generation of Protex fibre – the next generation in FR PPE solutions. Partners produce this highly technical fibre and carefully blend it with the very best complementary fibres (such as cotton and viscose) to produce workwear that hundreds of thousands of workers rely on every day.
Protal 3 takes modacrylic blends to a new technical level, providing enhanced protection for welding applications at lighter weights, edge ignition and general metal splash protection. Specifically designed for multi-risk avoidance, Protal 3 also offers improved fabric strength.
Protal 5 provides a globally compliant super-strength lightweight fabric. For the first time, comfort and safety are now introduced to this market sector which has previously been dominated by aramid only fabrics.
To learn more, contact your nearest service centre today!
