With the constant threat of flame and arc flash present in industry, providing workers with the proper protection is critical. However, a protective fabric must take into account the fabric’s use and acceptability in real-world applications. It must protect, but at the same time, be durable, comfortable and affordable.

Your employees are your most important assets, and they deserve a fabric that is tough enough to keep them safe. PBI Performance Products Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., with its manufacturing facility located in Rock Hill, S.C., has met that need. The company manufactures a high-performance fiber that effectively addresses these considerations and also withstands the increasing dangers that are associated with firefighting, arc flash and flash fire.

Providing lightweight comfort and heavyweight protection

PBI Performance Products, formerly Celanese Advanced Materials Inc., is the world’s only manufacturer of high-performance PBI fiber and polymer. PBI, or polybenzimidazole, is an organic fiber that is designed to provide thermal stability for a wide range of high-temperature applications.

Utilizing the company’s experienced employees, PBI has been able to develop products that routinely continue to perform where its competitors have failed.

Working with its clients to develop fresh and new ideas to meet their market needs, PBI’s protective clothing products — which include PBI Gold® and PBI TriGuard™ — are used in a variety of markets, including industrial, structural fire-fighting, wildland, urban search and rescue (USAR), emergency medical services and motor sports. The garments provide lightweight comfort and heavyweight protection your employees can’t afford to be without.

PBI garments superior to competitors

When OSHA released its new standards regarding the protection of employees against the danger of arc flash in the mid-1990s, Jim Lancour, who served as a safety and health consultant for a utility company located in the Southeast, started looking for a fabric that would keep them in compliance. After completing a variety of wear trials with several garment manufacturers, Lancour came across PBI and the company’s PBI Gold fabric. After taking a tour of the facility to view how the PBI fiber was made, the utility company made its decision.

“We used the PBI Gold,” Lancour said, “and we did it because of the fabric’s strength, durability and comfort. The garment also gave us the best protection at the time for the weight of the fabric that we chose.”

Lancour used the PBI Gold garment for the company’s network underground crews, who were very impressed with the comfort level of the fabric. According to Lancour, the fabric helped minimize heat stress and heat-related illnesses.

Lancour was also impressed with the durability of the fabric, which was one of the primary reasons for choosing this fabric.

“When compared to other flame-resistant garments, we really found PBI’s garments to be superior to others on the market, especially for our application,” Lancour said. “What makes PBI stand out from its competitors is the comfort the employees have when wearing the fabric, the protection the garment provides and the durability of the material to last several years with normal laundering and care.”

Although retired, Lancour is still confident in PBI products.

“I understand that PBI is continuing to develop new products to increase comfort and protection, as well as durability,” he said. “If I were still evaluating new fabrics for a company’s fire retardant clothing program, I would certainly consider fabrics containing PBI.

“PBI can give workers superior comfort and protection for the various rates of fabric available. Workers will also experience good durability over the life of the garment. In my overall experience with arc flash protection, PBI has been a very good fabric and we found the garments to be very satisfactory.”

Lancour’s confidence in PBI has allowed him to promote the garment to workers in the utility industry.

“I promote PBI from the standpoint that if companies are looking for a garment that provides protection, durability and comfort, then the perspective client needs to look at PBI’s fabric compared to other available fabrics,” he said. “Although I’m not sure on the cost of the garment, I do know that you get what you pay for.”

PBI — The full spectrum of comfort, durability and protection

In the early 1980s, PBI introduced the company’s first flame-resistant (FR) fabric, PBI Gold, and set a new standard in high-performance, lightweight thermal protection for firefighters.

PBI Gold provides firefighters and industrial workers with superior protection. The fabric blends 40 percent thermal-resistant PBI fibers with 60 percent high-strength aramid, resulting in the ultimate high-technology fabric for thermal protection, comfort and durability.

PBI Gold also meets or exceeds every National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and EN 469 requirement. For more than 20 years, PBI Gold has remained true to its name, earning a reputation as the world’s preferred choice for flame protection.

In 2003, PBI recognized the need for a more affordable and comfortable fabric in the industrial market. To meet that need, the company developed and commercialized PBI TriGuard, a fabric that is a three-fiber blend of 20-percent PBI, 30-percent Lenzing FR and 50-percent MicroTwaron. Just like PBI Gold, PBI TriGuard meets or exceeds all OSHA and NFPA standards.

For the best protection against heat and flame, PBI TriGuard is the standard in value performance, blending superior protection with maximum value.

Recently, PBI and Difco developed and commercialized a single layer, NFPA 70E, Level II compliant TriGuard fabric (weighing 6.3 ounces) that has an 8.5 arc thermal performance value (ATPV). It is now the lightest weight, single layer, inherently flame-resistant, Level II fabric available on the market.

Previously available only in natural, PBI garments can now be dyed to a variety of colors including cobalt blue, royal blue, yellow, orange, spruce green and red. This new feature allows employers to provide workers with safety clothing that identifies them with a corporate color or can distinguish a particular work area or duty section.

Protecting against the dangers of fire and explosion

One of the worst fears for a refinery manager is a devastating injury to an employee, or worse, a fatality. Although industrial facilities are designed with safety in mind, accidents and injuries can and do happen. Those in the oil and gas, refining, chemical and power generation industries are, however, at a much higher risk due to the volatile chemicals that are handled each day. Providing workers in these industries with additional protection is critically important.

One particular danger in industry is arc flash. In an arc flash, radiant bursts of energy traveling at the speed of light impacts the subject at temperatures as high as 5,000 F. Next, a shock wave — created by the arc blast and traveling at the speed of sound — impacts the subject, erupting into a violent explosion.

The arc flash process illustrates three important requirements for protective clothing. First, the clothing must not ignite and continue to burn, which can cause severe damage to the skin. Second, the clothing must provide an insulative quality to the wearer to dissipate heat transfer through the clothing to the skin. Finally, the clothing must provide resistance to the breakopen forces — exposing what is underneath — generated by the shock wave.

PBI flame-resistant garments meet all of these qualifications. When compared to more conventional protective fabrics in industry, PBI garments simply provide better protection. Extensive industry standard tests have demonstrated that PBI garments have a higher flame resistance and a reduction in body burn potential. Additionally, these tests have shown that the garment maintains low flame shrinkage.

The powerful blends in PBI garments maximize personal fire safety by protecting against the heat and flame of fire and flashover. PBI will not burn, melt, drip, shrink, crack or embrittle during or even after thermal exposure.

Similar to cotton fabrics, the PBI fabric has excellent moisture regain and therefore provides excellent comfort. In addition, PBI provides continuing resistance to tearing and breakopen, even after repeated use and laundering.

Fire-resistant garments that feel like cotton

To provide your employees with the best protection against the hazards of fire or explosion, fire protective clothing needs to be worn at all times. If a garment is uncomfortable, workers will not want to wear them, and the risk of injury increases. With PBI, workers can be confident that not only are they going to get the protection they need, but they will be using a garment that is also comfortable and breathable.

Work in the industrial setting is often hard, hot and can be physically demanding. Add that to the strong heat seen in the summer months and the risk of fatigue and heat-induced illnesses such as heat stroke, heat stress or heat exhaustion greatly increases.

Many fire-resistant garments are heavy, and although they provide plenty of protection, these garments retain body heat and do little to combat the effects of heat stress. The ability to work comfortably while wearing flame-resistant clothing is a primary element in the decision of which fabric to choose. PBI’s fire-resistant garments are comfortable and provide maximum protection against flame, which makes employees want to wear it.

PBI-blend fabrics are flexible, soft and lightweight and provide significantly more moisture absorbency than other FR materials, which provides industrial workers with a more comfortable feeling garment. In fact, PBI actually feels like cotton. Engineered to breathe, PBI allows air to circulate around the body and perspiration to penetrate and evaporate away from the body. Typically half the weight of flame-resistant cotton garments, PBI garments minimize the risk of fatigue and heat-induced illnesses and/or injuries and let employees act and react more precisely and with great safety and comfort.

By combining a variety of fibers, PBI’s product provides workers with greater thermal protection, reduces heat stress and improves comfort all in a single fabric; and, it does it at a most affordable price.

For an employee, the ability to move freely and act precisely is crucial to maintain efficient, safe and productive operations. Uncomfortable protective clothing increases stress and diminishes concentration.

In general, a cooler and more comfortable employee is a safer, more productive employee. By providing a more comfortable garment, industry workers can concentrate more on the job at hand. With PBI garments, your employees don’t have to be uncomfortable to be safe.
Protection that won’t wash away

A fabric’s worth is directly related to its durability. If it loses its protective qualities after laundering, or embrittles and falls apart after exposure to heat and flame, it is no bargain at any price.

Unlike chemically treated garments, the protective qualities of PBI are in the fiber and not on it. Protection will not wear off or wash out. As long as a PBI garment is wearable, it is flame resistant — period.

Protective garments made with PBI provide superior penetration resistance and tear strength. They also stand up to abrasion and remain service-worthy day after day in harsh industrial environments.

In addition, PBI-blend fabrics are chemical resistant. Although not a hazardous chemical barrier, PBI-blend fabrics maintain strength and integrity when exposed to most acids, bases and petroleum products.

The garments are also abrasion resistant and consistently maintain their fabric strength. The secret to this amazingly functional, exceptionally comfortable fabric is the technologically advanced blend of PBI, aramid and rayon fibers.

There is also an ease of care for PBI-blend garments. They can be home laundered — dry cleaning is not necessary.

See what true value is about

A productive work force, armed with the right tools to do their jobs safely and effectively, is the foundation upon which a successful facility operates. Protective clothing for employees is one of the necessary tools for the safe completion of tasks in an industrial facility — don’t your employees deserve the best?

Join other companies that are currently undergoing wear trials and find out for yourself what true value is all about. PBI products — live by it.

For more information, please contact Debra Robinson at (800) 858-2467 (toll free) or (704) 554-2744, or visit PBI Performance on the Web at www.pbigold.com.