Fabrics for protective and flame-retardant workwear

Start from the hazard

The fabric is chosen for what the wearer is exposed to. Many garments need more than one kind of protection at once, for example flame retardance with high visibility, so list every property the garment needs when you enquire, and we will tell you what can be combined in one fabric.

Our technical fabrics are used for:

• Heat and flame: firefighting and flame-retardant workwear, and oil and gas coveralls.
• Being seen: hi-vis workwear.
• Static: anti-static fabrics, including blends with steel or carbon fibre, where a spark could be dangerous.
• Chemical splash and oil: fabrics finished for chemical splash resistance and oil resistance.
• Military and combat uniforms: camouflage and IR-reflective fabrics.
• Healthcare textiles: with finishes such as anti-bacterial.

Inherent FR fibres or an FR finish?

There are two ways to make a fabric flame-retardant. With inherently flame-retardant fibres, such as meta-aramids, the protection is part of the fibre itself. With treated fabrics, often cotton or cotton-rich blends, a flame-retardant finish is applied to the woven fabric.

We weave both: inherently flame-retardant fibres such as Protex, Teijin Conex, Kermel and Lenzing FR, and cotton and blends with a flame-retardant finish. Which suits your garment depends on the hazard, the comfort and weight the wearer needs, how the garment will be washed and your budget. Tell us the end use and the standard the garment must meet, and we will suggest a starting construction.

Weave and weight

The weave sets the fabric’s strength, feel and appearance. We weave all of these on water-jet and air-jet looms with dobby attachments, up to 108 inches wide:

• Twill: hard-wearing, with a diagonal surface; common in workwear trousers and coveralls.
• Ripstop: a grid of stronger yarns that stops small tears from spreading.
• Plain, oxford and basket: firm, even constructions.
• Satin: a smooth face.
• Herringbone: a broken twill with a zigzag pattern.

Finishes

Finishes add protection or comfort to the woven fabric. On order we apply flame-retardant, high-visibility, chemical splash resistant, oil-resistant, anti-static, IR-reflective, anti-bacterial, mosquito-repellent, UV-protective and moisture-management finishes, and we make camouflage and combat uniform fabric.

SMS for disposable coveralls

For single-use protective coveralls, SMS nonwoven puts a meltblown barrier between two spunbond layers. It is naturally hydrophobic, soft and strong: the meltblown core resists fluids and particles, and the spunbond faces give comfort and tear resistance. It is made on fully automated Reicofil lines, in any colour, and supplied as rolls slit to width.

Testing the finished garment

Protective clothing standards apply to the finished garment, and the garment maker is responsible for testing and certifying it for its market. We supply the fabric to your specification, with free samples so you can test it before you order.