FR Clothing & Flame Resistant Workwear Florida

FR clothing (flame-resistant clothing) is protective workwear engineered to resist ignition, self-extinguish when the ignition source is removed, and limit burn injury by not melting or dripping onto skin.

In Florida, FR clothing is required by OSHA and NFPA standards for workers exposed to arc flash, flash fire, or electrical ignition hazards. This includes:

• Electric utility lineworkers and substation technicians (OSHA 1910.269)
• Oil, gas, and petrochemical workers (NFPA 2112)
• Industrial electricians and electrical maintenance workers (NFPA 70E)
• Water and wastewater utility electrical staff (NFPA 70E)
• Construction workers near energized electrical systems

Florida employers who fail to provide required FR clothing face OSHA citations and significant per-violation penalties.

NFPA 70E and NFPA 2112 are two different NFPA standards covering different types of thermal hazards, though they are often required together.

NFPA 70E covers electrical safety in the workplace, specifically arc flash hazards. It requires arc-rated (AR) FR clothing with a specific arc thermal performance value (ATPV) based on the incident energy at the work location. NFPA 70E applies to any worker who may be exposed to energized electrical equipment — including utilities, industrial facilities, and government operations.

NFPA 2112 covers flame-resistant garments for protection against flash fire hazards — sudden fires with high heat release in flammable vapor environments. This standard is most relevant to oil, gas, petrochemical, and refinery workers in Florida. Garments must pass specific thermal performance tests under NFPA 2112.

Some workers — such as utility workers at natural gas facilities — require clothing compliant with both standards. GTIM can help identify the right standard and garment specification for your workforce.

Global Trading Inc. (GTIM) supplies NFPA 70E and NFPA 2112 compliant FR clothing to employers across Florida, with showrooms in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Palm Beach.

GTIM carries a full range of FR garments including shirts, pants, coveralls, base layers, outerwear, and hi-vis FR clothing from leading brands. Government agencies and utilities can purchase FR clothing through GTIM's GSA contract (847QSMS25D007H) without issuing a separate RFP. GTIM also supplies bulk FR clothing programs for large employer groups, including embroidery, logo application, and managed inventory replenishment.

Cal/cm² (calories per centimeter squared) is the unit used to measure arc flash incident energy and the arc thermal performance value (ATPV) of FR clothing.

The ATPV rating on an FR garment tells you the maximum incident energy — in cal/cm² — that the garment can withstand while limiting the probability of a second-degree burn to 50%. To be properly protected, a worker's FR clothing must have an ATPV rating at least equal to the incident energy at their work location as determined by arc flash hazard analysis. For example, a worker at a location with 12 cal/cm² of incident energy requires FR clothing rated at 12 cal/cm² ATPV or higher. GTIM stocks FR clothing from under 4 cal/cm² through 40+ cal/cm² arc ratings.

Yes. Florida government agencies and utilities can purchase NFPA-compliant FR clothing from Global Trading Inc. directly through GSA Advantage using GTIM's active GSA contract number 847QSMS25D007H.

This applies to federal agencies, Florida state agencies, and local governments and municipalities. The GSA contract covers FR clothing, arc flash PPE, safety footwear, and related workwear. No separate competitive bid or RFP is required. GTIM is also HUBZone certified, allowing agencies with small business spending goals to satisfy set-aside requirements. Contact GTIM's government team for current GSA pricing and catalog availability.

No. Regular clothing — including cotton, polyester, nylon, and blended fabrics — does not protect against arc flash or flash fire and can significantly worsen burn injuries.

Non-FR synthetic fabrics such as polyester and nylon melt and ignite easily, bonding to skin and dramatically increasing burn severity. Even untreated cotton, while it does not melt, ignites readily and continues to burn after the ignition source is removed. FR clothing is specifically engineered to not ignite readily, self-extinguish when the source is removed, and not melt onto skin. OSHA and NFPA 70E explicitly prohibit the use of non-FR clothing by workers exposed to arc flash or flash fire hazards, regardless of whether it is cotton or synthetic.