FR Workwear Nevada: Flame-Resistant & Arc-Rated Uniforms, Decorated Right

Battle Born Clothing decorates flame-resistant workwear for Nevada crews — mining, utility, electrical, oil and gas, and the contractors who work alongside them. We source FR garments through our wholesale accounts, embroider or print your logo inside the limits the standards allow, and hand you the manufacturer's decoration policy in writing. What we do not do is decide what rating your crew needs. That is your hazard assessment, and this page explains why that line matters.

The two things people mix up

Almost every FR conversation goes sideways in the same place. "FR" and "arc rated" are not the same claim, and NFPA 70E does not certify anything.

NFPA 2112 — flash fire

A garment standard for short-duration thermal exposure from fire. A certified garment has been tested on an instrumented manikin under ASTM F1930 — a three-second engulfment at 2 cal/cm² — and must show less than 50% predicted second- and third-degree body burn. It also has to pass vertical flame testing under ASTM D6413 without melting, dripping or igniting, with no more than four inches of char and two seconds of afterflame, both as received and after 25 launderings. Certification is issued by an independent third party for the whole finished garment, including thread, buttons and zippers. The current edition is 2023.

Arc rating — electric arc

A different hazard and a different test. Arc-rated clothing for electrical workers is specified under ASTM F1506 and rated under ASTM F1959. The rating is expressed in cal/cm² — a dose of incident thermal energy, not a temperature — and it is always the lower of two numbers:

• ATPV (Arc Thermal Performance Value) — the incident energy at which there is a 50% probability that enough heat passes through the fabric to cause the onset of a second-degree burn.
• EBT (Energy Breakopen Threshold) — the incident energy at which there is a 50% probability the material breaks open, meaning an opening of at least 1.6 cm².

The label tells you which one governs. Neither is better; they describe different ways a fabric fails. A Bulwark SLW2 work shirt reads "CAT 2, Arc Rating ATPV 8.6 cal/cm²." A Bulwark SEH8 hooded sweatshirt reads "CAT 2, Arc Rating EBT 17.0 cal/cm²."

NFPA 70E — not a garment standard at all

NFPA 70E is a workplace electrical safety practices standard: how an employer assesses the hazard, establishes an electrically safe work condition, and selects PPE. There is no such thing as an "NFPA 70E certified shirt." The correct sentence is "arc rated to X cal/cm², meets ASTM F1506, suitable for PPE Category N." If a vendor sells you an NFPA 70E certified garment, they do not know the standard.

70E gives two selection methods, and you use one or the other for a given task, never a mix: an incident energy analysis, or the arc flash PPE category tables. The category minimums are the same in the 2024 and 2027 editions:

PPE Category	Minimum arc rating
1	4 cal/cm²
2	8 cal/cm²
3	25 cal/cm²
4	40 cal/cm²

Those are floors, not targets. Above the minimum is fine. Below it is not, whatever the tag says.

Layering: the rule that kills the promo hoodie

Arc ratings are not additive. An 8 cal coverall over a 4 cal shirt is not a 12 cal system. A layered system only has a rating if that exact combination was arc tested. Non-melting natural-fiber underlayers — cotton, wool, silk, leather — are permitted but contribute nothing to the rating.

The part that matters commercially: a non-arc-rated meltable garment may not be worn over arc-rated layers. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.269(l)(8)(iv) names acetate, nylon, polyester, rayon and polypropylene — alone or in blends — as clothing an employer must keep off a worker where it could melt and increase injury. That is the end of the polyester company hoodie and the cheap poly hi-vis vest on an electrical crew. If you want branded outerwear on those people, it has to be arc rated, which is exactly the program we build.

Two more numbers from the same rule: above 2.0 cal/cm² estimated incident energy, the outer layer must be flame resistant, and the clothing's arc rating must be at least the estimated incident energy.

What we can actually get you

FR is a special-order program, not something we hold on the shelf. Our deepest FR access is Bulwark through S&S Activewear, which stocks well over a hundred Bulwark styles. Commonly ordered pieces:

Style	What it is
SLW2	EXCEL FR ComforTouch work shirt, 7 oz 88/12 cotton-nylon. NFPA 2112 compliant, CAT 2, ATPV 8.6 cal/cm². S–6XL plus talls.
SEH8	FR quarter-zip hooded sweatshirt, 12.5 oz brushed fleece. NFPA 2112 compliant, CAT 2, EBT 17.0 cal/cm². S–3XL plus talls.
SET2 / SMT2 / SMT8	FR knit long sleeve tees, including CoolTouch 2 and lightweight options.
SMP2	FR classic long sleeve polo, CoolTouch 2.
SLU2	Midweight dress uniform shirt — the one to spec when the crew meets customers.
SLDT / SLB4H / SMK8 / SMH4 / SMZ4HV	Enhanced-visibility and hi-vis FR shirts, knits and hooded sweatshirts.
VMV4HV	Hi-visibility flame-resistant safety vest.
PEW2 / PMU2 / QP14 / PEJ4	FR work pants, cargo pants, lightweight pants and pre-washed denim jeans.
KLL6	Concealed snap front FR lab coat.

Two practical warnings. FR assortments churn, and closeout colors are often final sale — we confirm live availability by color and size before we quote a program, never after. And if you need something outside Bulwark's range — arc flash suits, FR rainwear, Nomex, deep coverall programs — say so and we will tell you honestly whether we can source it or whether you are better served by a dedicated FR house.

If your crew needs hi-vis but not flame resistance, that is a cheaper and simpler job — see custom ANSI Class 2 shirts.

Decorating FR: what is actually allowed

This is where most decorators either wave it off or invent a rule. Here is the documented position.

Size limits

NFPA 2112 does not require labels and emblems to be tested for heat resistance, and both NFPA 2112 and ASTM F1506 carry the same recommendation: no more than five exterior emblems, none larger than 16 square inches, and no more than 40 square inches total per garment. Sixteen square inches is a four-by-four square, so a normal left-chest logo sits comfortably inside it. A full back print does not. Note the word recommendation — these are guidance in the standards, not pass/fail requirements, which is exactly why you want the decision documented rather than assumed.

Thread

The standards do not require FR thread for decorative embroidery — ASTM F1506's flame resistance requirement applies to construction thread, and NFPA 2112 excludes embroidery from its testing mandate. Some FR program houses embroider with ordinary synthetic thread on that basis. We do not. OSHA's own guidance on arc exposures warns that common nylon thread may reduce a garment's FR protection, and polyester and rayon are in the same melt-and-drip family the regulation tells employers to keep off a worker. Our default on any FR garment is 100% aramid FR thread, which runs about sixty colors — fewer than a standard thread book, so exact brand-color matching is sometimes a conversation. If you want standard thread to hit a color, we will quote it, note it on the order and ask for your sign-off.

Patches, heat transfer and print

FR emblems built on aramid fabric with FR thread are available and are the right answer when a customer's spec calls for it — though "FR emblem" is a material claim from the emblem supplier, not a garment certification, so if your spec demands test data we will ask them for it rather than assert it. FR-ink screen printing is a durable, cost-effective alternative to embroidery on FR and is used by major FR program houses. Heat transfer is applied to FR commercially, but at least one FR manufacturer states that added branding — naming heat transfer specifically — must conform to the standard's performance requirements and may invalidate their flame-resistant warranty. We do not apply DTF transfers to FR garments. No FR manufacturer or standards body has published a position on DTF, and the adhesive is thermoplastic by construction, so we treat it as unapproved rather than assume it is fine.

Does decorating void the certification?

Straight answer: the standards clearly contemplate emblems on certified garments, and arc rating is a fabric property that a small chest logo does not change. But certification is issued for the garment the manufacturer built and a third party verified, and aftermarket decoration is by definition outside that configuration. Manufacturers differ — some publish that added emblems and trim should themselves meet NFPA 2112 and that significant alterations are not permitted; others sell decorated FR as a core service. So our rule is simple: we get the garment maker's written decoration policy for the specific style, we keep logos small and on the chest, we use FR thread, and we keep your written sign-off in the order file. We will never tell you our decoration is certified, and we will never tell you it preserves a certification. Anyone who does is guessing with your crew's safety.

Who is responsible for what

You are. Not as a dodge — that is how the regulation is written. OSHA requires the employer to assess the hazard, make a reasonable estimate of incident heat energy, and select PPE with an adequate arc rating. Because FR and arc-rated clothing required under 1910.269 is PPE, the employer also provides it at no cost to the employee under 1910.132(h). Nevada runs its own OSHA State Plan covering private employers plus state and local government, adopting most federal standards by reference. Mine sites are a different regulator entirely — MSHA, not Nevada OSHA — so confirm FR requirements with your site's own policy and contractor spec.

Our job is to supply the garment you specify, decorate it within the limits above, and document what we did. Bring us the rating and we will build the program around it.

Care, repair and replacement

• Washing. Home or industrial laundering are both acceptable when the manufacturer's care instructions are followed. Never chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, starch or fabric softener, and no detergent containing them. Properly engineered FR fabric does not wash out — but bleach will degrade it over enough cycles.
• Contamination. If a worker can smell hydrocarbons on a garment, it needs rewashing or industrial cleaning. Flammable contamination that will not come out retires the garment.
• Replacement. There is no expiration date and no standards-set replacement interval. Retirement is condition based: holes larger than an inch, threadbare knees and elbows, rips, cuts, broken closures, frayed seams, or contamination that will not wash out. Budget for condition, not a calendar.
• Repair. Minor tears, holes under an inch and seam repairs can be repaired — with FR fabric and FR thread matching the original construction. Not with whatever is on the shop spool.
• Fit. Reasonably loose, not baggy. The air gap between fabric and skin is part of the protection, so a too-tight shirt transfers heat faster. Too loose snags and rides up. Order real size runs including talls; FR sizing does not track promo blanks.

FR workwear questions we get

Is NFPA 2112 the same as arc rated?

No. NFPA 2112 certifies a garment against flash fire, tested on a manikin under ASTM F1930. An arc rating covers electric arc, specified under ASTM F1506 and measured under ASTM F1959. A garment can be one, the other, or both. NFPA 70E PPE categories are satisfied by arc rating, not by NFPA 2112. Most Bulwark styles we sell carry both, which is why a tag reads "NFPA 2112 Compliant, CAT 2, ATPV 8.6 cal/cm²."

Will putting our logo on these void the certification?

The standards permit non-FR emblems and recommend a limit of five emblems, none over 16 square inches, 40 square inches total. But certification covers the garment as the manufacturer built it, and decoration sits outside that. Manufacturers differ on how strict they are, and at least one says branding may invalidate their FR warranty. We get the specific garment maker's written policy before we run the job and keep your sign-off on file.

Do you have to use special thread, and what does it cost?

The standards do not require FR thread for decorative embroidery, but OSHA's guidance warns that common nylon thread may reduce FR protection, so we default to 100% aramid FR thread on FR garments. It costs more and comes in roughly sixty colors rather than a full thread book, so exact brand matching is occasionally a trade-off. We always use FR thread on repairs.

Can our crew wear a company hoodie over their FR shirt?

Not a regular polyester one. A non-arc-rated meltable garment may not be worn over arc-rated layers, and OSHA names polyester, nylon, rayon, acetate and polypropylene specifically. Underlayers must be FR or non-melting natural fiber, and they add no rating — arc ratings are not additive. If you want branded outerwear on that crew, we build it from an arc-rated style.

Can the guys wash these at home?

Yes, if they follow the manufacturer's care instructions. No chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, starch or fabric softener, and no detergents containing them. Garments with hazardous chemical contamination need industrial or specialty cleaning instead. The flame resistance of properly engineered FR fabric does not wash out.

How often do we have to replace them?

There is no expiration date and no required interval. Modern FR fabrics are designed to hold their protective properties for the useful life of the garment. Retire on condition: holes over an inch, heavy abrasion at knees and elbows, rips, broken closures, open seams, or contamination that will not wash out.

What is your minimum on FR?

Embroidery has no minimum, so we will do one FR shirt. FR-ink screen printing follows our standard 48-piece minimum per design. The practical constraint is the garment itself — FR is a special order, so sizes and colors have to be confirmed available before we commit a date.

How long does an FR order take?

Longer than a stock tee. Our standard turnaround is 10 to 14 business days from an approved proof, and FR adds the garment lead time on top because it ships from the distributor rather than our shelf. For a uniform rollout, start the conversation four to six weeks before your in-hands date. Rush is available when the blanks are in stock.

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