Fire Proof Clothing
 

I'm trying to find some information on fire proof clothing for cabin crew. Does anyone have any information or instances when the current uniforms have not worked?

the whole Emirates uniform is a fire hazard!!

I remember seeing a program on this a while ago & was horrified to learn that the nylon tights that are compulsory for many CC are very dangerous since they just melt against the skin causing horrific burns. As far as I can remember they said that natural fabrics were better than manmade fabrics and the closer the weave the better. The more of the skin covered the better i.e. trousers are better than skirts and flat laced up shoes better than slips-ons with a high heel since they don't come off as easily & are easier to walk in in an emergency. I would imagine that certain products such as hair spray could be highly inflammabe too.

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Many years ago I remember reading some guidance notes from the UK CAA on uniform materials.

Loosely quoted "Uniforms should be made from natural fibres such as wool and cotton. The use of nylon and other synthetic materials should be avoided"

I wonder if these guidelines have ever been enforced?

There have been many studies and recommendations made regarding the flammability standards of uniform materials.

Here are two links for more information:

Transport Canada Advisory Circular http://www.tc.gc.ca/aviation/COMMERC...RY/ac0136e.htm

Flight Safety Foundation (you'll need Adobe Acrobat to view) http://www.flightsafety.org/ccs/ccs_mar_apr99.pdf

This is a clip from the FSF document:

"Uniform Materials Affect Flight Attendant Safety and Ability to Help Passengers Evacuate Burning Aircraft.

No specific flammability standards exist in the United States for flight attendant uniforms. Clothing-safety specialists said that the best alternatives currently available are pure woolen outer garments treated for fire resistance and undergarments made of natural fibers."



[This message has been edited by CD (edited 29 February 2000).]

I think rotorhead really means fire "resistant" clothing. Fire proof clothing would see cabin crew resembling overdressed oil rig fire fighters in the cabin (and they still wouldnt be fire proof) While wool/blends would seem to be the optimum, cotton is indeed a hazard in a fire.
The cynics would ask what the chances are of a flight attendant needing the benefits of a fire proof uniform, any more than a gas station attendant. Other cynics would ask when was last time it was a problem divided by the number of cabin crew cycles over the period.

I LOVE the Emirates uniform - and lovely nylon-clad legs - but I have to agree that my own daughter, who works in cotton uniform trousers may not look so glam, but is a lot safer!

I may be "an old letch" but I agree that it is better to have our (female) cabin staff with a little protection rather than being the first victims of an on-board fire when THEY are the ones who are supposed to lead the self-loading-freight out of a damaged aircraft.

SAFETY WINS!

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Flight Sims, very expensive toys - but real fun to play with!

I know of one Asian airline who has been looking into purchasing air force flying suits...bright orange... and fire retardant..making cc easy recognizable in emergencies...easy to store in the cabin and quickly donned...

You should look at our uniform, ORANGE and BLACK and CRISPY when burnt.
If we were involved in a incident involving fire, we would wear our uniform for the rest of our lives as a second skin, But then again we did pay for it ourselves so we want our moneys worth don't we.... NOT.
From a Cabin Boy in the UK

The only safe material (relative terms) are natural (cotton and wool). Wool is better as it chars, not burns and has a high degree of insulation. Cotton burns but leaves clean ash. All artificial fibres in normal use melt and stick. Which means the females really should have wool mix trousers, not tights. However when has safety of the crew had a higher priority than impressing passengers?

Sorry to burst the glamor bubble all.....but I for one would LOVE the bright orange oil rig type suit thingy!!!
Think of the money I would save on stockings!
Besides...the all-in-one-suit-thingy is really appropriate for the type of pax we have on board!

I'm an FA for Southwest Airlines. We have some of the ugliest uniforms in the industry. For years, though, it was in our contract that our uniforms were to be made of only natural fibers. Some how, that section went missing in our new contract and the 100% cotton uniform is slowly being replaced with a polyester/cotton blend. http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/confused.gif Why? Cost of replacing cotton which wears out faster and fades from washing. But, we're still allowed to wear tennis shoes on the job. We look like idiots, but I'd rather evacuate in sneakers than heels.

In my expereince ( I have worked for 3 different carriers), most airlines get around having non-fire resistant parts of the uniform (such as ties, scarves, stockings) by having procedures in fire-fighting drills to remove such articles that may be a fire hazard before fighting a fire. It only takes seconds to rip off a pair of stockings or a tie/ scarf.

But any airline that has non-natural fibre suits/ jackets/ skirts/ trousers etc (in my opinion) is being reckless.

I would guess most airlines have wool-blend suits, with cotton-blend shirts/dresses. These are relatively fire-resistant(that is, they wont immediately burst into flames and melt onto the wearer - as a lot of synthetic fibres do (eg polyester)).

Evacu8: I am very impressed!!
I find it's a struggle to peel off those attractive navy blue support hose - with any degree of grace - at the end of a long trip.
I am having this mental image of being hobbled at the knees trying to pull the damn things off prior to going down a slide...
LOLOL

you got to be kidding!! no material is 100%full proof!!!If there is a fire and it catches on,you are as good as dead! and it is the responsibility of the company to provide the necessary "UNIFORM" that will protect an individual in case of a fire-
God Forbids! "Emirates uniform Sucks"!!!... :mad:

[This message has been edited by milehighclub8 (edited 17 May 2000).]

[This message has been edited by milehighclub8 (edited 17 May 2000).]

Why don't you all look at wearing Nomex (fire-resistant) Flying Suits (overalls) like military aircrew? That should save your lovely legs from the melting nylons! :)

[This message has been edited by gear_up (edited 23 May 2000).]

Smoke hoods should come equipped with a quick don type of pant, with one for each crew member stowed at that persons crew station