Special Information
Special Information on non-FR embroidery on FR Apparel:
Whether it is appropriate to attach non‐FR embroidery and emblems to flame resistant protective garments is always a difficult question to address. The only comment of the consensus standards writing organizations, such as NFPA and ASTM, is that nothing on an article of clothing may increase the extent of wearer injury in case of garment ignition. ASTM in Standard F‐1506, Standard Performance Specification for Flame Resistant Textile Materials for Wearing Apparel for Use by Electrical Workers Exposed to Momentary Electric Arc and Related Thermal Hazards states in an appendix item that, "Logos, name tags, and other heraldry should be limited in number and surface area".
No OSHA or military standards address this area. SFI, the race driver's association, has not addressed this issue. However, identification and personalization are clearly safety issues in themselves that must be addressed by end users.
In the final analysis, the end user of the garment must weigh the benefits of identification and personalization against the potential risk from using non‐flame resistant materials. Common sense in the size, placement, and number of these materials is the best solution.