Our Commitment to Safety
SNF cares about the safety of our people and our customers — it is our number one priority. This fundamental belief drove us to establish a comprehensive quality control program on flame-resistant fabrics at our technical center in the United Kingdom. We take our responsibility very seriously. When it comes to safety, we will not compromise.
Next Level Quality
While many generic FR materials on the market claim compliance with international industry standards, they likely would not pass SNF’s strict FR profiling Quality Assurance program. To confirm this bold assertion, we spot-tested generic FR fabrics using a vertical-flame test per ASTM D6413.
Testing revealed that PROBAN® flame-resistant fabric was not negatively impacted by exposure to sunlight. However, some synthetic FR alternatives showed changes in char length after UV exposure.
After-Glow Avoidance
Although NFPA 2112 closely profiles flame-resistant performance after repeated washing and drying cycles, it does not require reporting afterglow on bottom-edge ignition (ASTM D6413). Fabrics that exhibit afterglow may transfer heat to the wearer.
Some synthetic materials continue to show afterglow after the ignition source is removed from the fabric edge. PROBAN® flame-resistant fabric, however, does not exhibit afterglow on bottom-edge ignition.
Protective Cloting Saves Lives
The NFPA 2112 standard mandates that flame-resistant clothing be tested using an instrumented manikin(ASTM F1930) to measure protection against flash fires. The test involves a 3-second, 2 cal/cm² exposure, requiring less than 50% predicted total body burn to pass. This ensures PPE reduces burn severity and self-extinguishes.
According to NFPA 2112 manikin test results, PROBAN® FR clothing delivers the lowest possible predicted body burn compared to synthetic materials.
Effective protective clothing reduces predicted body burn and, in turn, reduces the likelihood of fatal burns. The chart illustrates the predicted body burn of individuals wearing PROBAN® FR clothing vs. synthetic FR garments available on the market. The results exclude 7% from the unprotected head.
According to Manikin test results for NFPA 2112, PROBAN® flame-resistant fabric delivers the lowest possible predicted body burn compared to synthetic material PROBAN® continues to outperform alternative synthetic and generic materials.
