FROM FULL-BODY coveralls and lab coats, to shoe and boot covers, sleeves, and smocks, protective clothing comes in a variety of forms, notes Tami Wenzel, apparel product manager at Roswell, GA-based Kimberly-Clark Professional. But regardless of the type, she said, one goal remains clear: Protect the wearer from injury. Personal protective equipment manufacturers are continually looking to instill better technology into their products. For example, Andrew Wirts, sales and marketing director for Washington, IN-based NASCO Industries Inc., touts new flash fire-resistant rainwear for the oil and gas market. "These are rain suits that can be exposed to a three-second hydrocarbon flash fire (ASTM F1930) and keep burn injury to the worker [at] less than 40 percent, which increases the survivability," Wirts said. He warned that many products on the market claim to be flame-resistant but are not compliant with applicable standards. To prevent buying such items, Wirts recommends end-user education.
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