What Is FR Clothing? CAT 2 Ratings, How to Wash It, and Adding Your Logo

Short answer: FR clothing is flame-resistant workwear: fabric that resists igniting, does not melt or drip, and puts itself out once the flame source is gone, so a burn stays smaller than it would in ordinary clothes. "FR" usually means one of two tested claims: NFPA 2112 (flash fire, common in oil, gas and some mining work) or an arc rating in cal/cm² (electrical work, where PPE Category 2, or "CAT 2", means at least 8 cal/cm²). Wash it per the care label and never use chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, starch or fabric softener.

FR vs Arc Rated: Two Different Claims

Many garments carry both claims. NFPA 70E is not a garment standard at all; it is the workplace rule employers use to choose PPE, so a "70E certified shirt" does not exist. We go deeper on the standards on our FR workwear page.

What Does CAT 2 FR Clothing Mean?

CAT is short for the arc flash PPE category in NFPA 70E. Each category has a minimum arc rating:

CAT 2 is the most common everyday level: a typical FR work shirt such as the Bulwark SLW2 is CAT 2 at 8.6 cal/cm². These are minimums, so a higher rating is fine and a lower one is not. Arc ratings also do not add up: an 8 cal shirt under a 4 cal jacket is not 12 cal unless that exact combination was tested. Which category your crew needs comes from your employer's hazard assessment, not from the vendor.

How to Wash FR Clothing

1. Follow the care label. Home washing and industrial laundering are both acceptable when you follow the maker's instructions.
2. No chlorine bleach or hydrogen peroxide, and no detergent that contains them. Bleach weakens the fibers over repeated washes.
3. No fabric softener or starch. They coat the fabric and can hide its flame resistance.
4. Wash FR separately from regular clothes, inside out, and do not overdry; high heat causes shrinkage, and a tight garment leaves less air gap.
5. Get fuel and oil out. If you can still smell hydrocarbons after washing, rewash or send it to an industrial cleaner. Flammable contamination that will not come out means the garment is retired.
6. Repair with FR materials. Patch holes with FR fabric and FR thread, not iron-on patches or ordinary thread.

Well-made FR fabric does not "wash out" of its flame resistance, but damage, wear and contamination do end its life. There is no standard expiration date; retire garments that are torn, worn thin, or stained with flammables.

Can You Put a Logo on FR Clothing?

Yes, within limits. NFPA 2112 and ASTM F1506 recommend no more than five exterior emblems, none larger than 16 square inches, and no more than 40 square inches total, so a left-chest logo fits easily but a full back print does not. On FR garments we:

• Embroider with 100% aramid FR thread by default (about 60 colors)
• Keep logos small and on the chest
• Get the garment maker's written decoration policy for the style
• Do not apply DTF or standard heat transfers, because the adhesive can melt

We never claim our decoration is certified. See the full process and the Bulwark styles we stock on FR workwear in Nevada. If your crew needs visibility but not flame resistance, custom hi-vis shirts and custom work shirts are simpler and cheaper.

Embroidery Pricing on FR Workwear

Embroidery on FR garments follows our standard price breaks (up to 6,000 stitches): $12.00 each for 1 to 11, $6.00 for 12 to 47, $5.50 for 48 to 59, $4.50 for 60 to 79 and $4.00 for 80 or more, plus digitizing from $16.99. FR garments are special order, and FR thread colors are limited, so expect a color conversation before we sew. Turnaround is about 21 days. See pricing.

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