ANSI FR Compliance in a Nutshell

You can spend hours combing the internet for information on Flame Resistance compliance under ANSI standards, and end up just as confused as you were when you went into it. That’s why we have decided to distill all that complex jargon into one quick and easy-to-digest post. For any further clarification please feel free to leave a comment and we’ll try our best to point you in the right direction.

Currently ANSI compliance for high visibility workwear is defined under the 107-2010 standard. While the current standard covers all aspects of high-viz compliance the FR requirements can be easily skimmed over because the section is relatively small.

ANSI states “High-visibility garments marked as flame resistant shall comply with the requirements of one of the following methods in its entirety”. Simply put, to include “FR” or “Fire Resistant” on the ANSI neck label the garment must pass one of the seven methods below.

1. NFPA 1971 – Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting

2. NFPA 1977 – Standard on Protective Clothing and Equipment for Wildland Fire Fighting

3. NFPA 2112 – Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Flash Fire

4. ASTM F1506-08 – Standard Performance Specification for Flame Resistant Textile Material for Wearing Apparel for Use by Electrical Workers Exposed to Momentary Electric Arc and Related Thermal Hazards

5. ASTM F1891-06 – Standard Specification for Arc and Flame Resistant Rainwear

6. ASTM F2302-08 – Standard Performance Specification for Labeling Protective Clothing as Heat and Flame Resistant

7. ASTM F2733-09 – Standard Specification for Flame Resistant Rainwear for Protection Against Flame Hazards

FR Labeling Requirements

If the garment is compliant to one of the above methods the garment must be labeled according to the following criteria:

• If complies to one or more the ASTM methods, the garment must display “FR” and the specific methods used on the ANSI neck label.

• If certified to NFPA 1971, 1977 or 2112,  the garment must have a separate label indicating what the garment is certified as. It is important to note however, that no vest can be labeled NFPA 1971 or 1977 because these tests only apply to other garment styles such as coveralls.

At this time we are not aware of any chemically treated polyester garments that pass any of these tests. Therefore they cannot display “FR” or “Flame Resistant” on the ANSI neck label.

Additionally, it is often asked why NFPA 701 doesn’t meet the ANSI 107 standard. The reason for this is because the certification applies to the flame resistance of fabrics not intended for apparel, such as curtains, wall coverings, and awnings.

Buying FR

When buying a high-viz FR product be sure a risk assessment has been performed so you know which HRC category to comply with before purchasing. For instance, ASTM F1506 compliant garments are meant for protection from arc flashes, whereas NFPA 2112 certified apparel is ideal for situations involving the potential for flash fire.

At ML Kishigo all of our ANSI FR products are compliant to NFPA 70E for electrical safety in the workplace and pass ASTM F1506-08.

Hopefully this helps you understand ANSI FR Compliance a bit better. However, the updated standards come out in 2015. So we will all have a chance to scratch our heads in confusion once more. When they do though, we will be here to clarify.