Flamebar for costumes?

[yeletah]

I need to make some costumes flame retardant for a production and I'm not sure which type of flamebar would be most suitable as there different options for fabric.

 

The performers will be wearing boiler suits which I need to flamebar and they will be wearing these over another layer of clothes so contact with the skin will be minimal.

 

Any ideas?

[kerry davies]

Why do the overalls need to be flame retardant? Intriguing! I was "doing fire" for decades and never once did Flambar cross my mind. Firemen's suits did.

 

Dickies do Flame Resistant "Fire Chief" boiler suits at £80 on offer now. My link

Though I would prefer their "Pyrovatex" range which is insulated and lined. If you need flame resistant clothing for performers then the best is just about good enough.

[yeletah]

The performers are throwing matches around. It's being performed at a certain large uk touring venue who are insisting that the very specifically sourced costumes are flamebared.

 

Mine is not to reason why, and all that.

[ImagineerTom]

Someone is talking nonsense then since the regular movement of the fabric caused simply by wearing them would significantly diminish the effectiveness of any post-manufacture applied fireproofing. Anyone who thinks that flamebar applied to costumes in such a way would be an appropriate way to manage the risks is a numpty.

 

You need to go back to them and get clarification; it's perfectly normal (and in fact probably an essential recommendation of your own risk assessment) that the costumes performers wear when playing with fire are /not/ made of a highly flammable material and that the performers aren't wearing other flammable substances (too much hairspray or perfume for example) during this sequence, your RA should also be specifying the number and position of fire extinguisher(s) and dedicated "safety person" during this sequence to ensure that if the flame touches anything else they'll put it straight out so that it won't cause a fire. Your RA should also point out that a thrown match will more often than not go out and that any flame it does retain could be put out with one finger, having to burn for some considerable time completely un-noticed before it actually managed to set fire to someone's costume.

 

If after all that the venue still insist on properly "fireproof" costumes for the performers then your only solution is going to be stupidly expensive nomex/kevlar style fabric costumes which will come with a piece of paper that certifies them as fireproof but personally I'd be spending my time writing a kick-ass Risk Assessment and discussing with the venue why the demands for "fireproofed" costumes would actually increase the risk not decrease it.

[Jivemaster]

If they say flamebar then ask them which one! S1 and S3 seem suitable (from Flint's info pages)

 

However other things probably have a worse fire risk than a boiler suit. Bizweld boiler suits are inherently spark resistant.

[slipstream]

Standard cotton boiler suits are more than spark resistant enough - that's what the fireworks guys use - the proper FR ones often had pop fasteners which leave a gap that a spark could drop through - zip closed or sewn closed pockets would be more important than FR for what your doing - you may not be able to win the argument with the venue, by all means go through the motions if it keeps them happy but as already said - hairspray and lit matches in pockets should feature in your own RA

[bigclive]

The welding industry uses flame retarded overalls as standard. Usually a thick treated cotton that is impregnated with Proban. Other options are to use the much more expensive, but inherently flame retarding Nomex overalls. All available off the shelf with full HSE compliant flame retarding already in place. That must be the ultimate waiver of liability for the wardrobe department.

 

Now... About this throwing lit matches about? <_<