How Flame-Resistant Clothing Saves You Money
Flame-resistant clothing is an investment that provides benefits to both your workforce and your company bottom line. Despite the fact that it may cost more upfront, the savings you will realize over the long-term are significant.
Many companies will choose to purchase less expensive garments that are not fully flame resistant, simply to save a few dollars. However, in the unfortunate incidence of an open-flame injury, they may actually make the problem worse. Instead of being protected and coming out of the situation unscathed, the individual may be subject to severe burns and other serious injuries, loss of work, and even loss of life.
The cost of a burn injury is far greater than you can imagine
The cost of a burn injury often amounts to much more than just a trip to the doctor and a few days off work. In fact, in many cases, one single burn injury can amount to several times more than your entire flame-resistant clothing program multiplied many times over! The ensuing financial burden can include:
- Medical expenses (in-patient, out-patient, surgery, microsurgery, medications, and rehab)
- Lost work time; ranging from a few days to a few months or more
- Loss of job, or reduction of available workforce
- Worker’s compensation for the duration of the time off and necessary treatment
- Potentially increased insurance premiums
- Cost of insurance payouts sometimes climb into the millions
In terms of cost, there is really no comparison to the cost of a burn injury.
Proven quality is the only way to go
Without proper flame-resistant clothing, there is a real possibility that an open-flame injury would be a disastrous event, not just to the injured worker, but to the entire organization.
Cotton and poly-cotton can put you at greater risk
Polyester and poly-cotton will melt under high heat, and can bond to the skin, requiring painful surgery to remove. Cotton may ignite if exposed to open flame or high heat, which puts your workers in danger. Cotton also takes significantly longer to dry, which may contribute to heat stress on the body, and will affect the time it takes to rehab after a flame-related injury.
FR workwear lasts 2-3 times longer
Flame-resistant workwear lasts significantly longer than cotton, so will save money over time by negating the need to re-purchase. On average, flame-resistant clothing lasts 2-3 times longer than cotton or poly-cotton. For example, a cotton or poly-cotton uniform may only last 1-2 years, while flame-resistant garments will last 3-4 years. This effectively reduces the cost of uniform purchase by more than half.
Flame-resistant workwear retains its appearance over time
Flame-resistant workwear also shrinks less and will retain its appearance over time. Your employees will not only be safe in their flame-resistant clothing, but they’ll look good too. This does wonders for public perception of your workers, and contributes to employee morale as well.
Flame-resistant clothing is NFPA and OSHA compliant
Many industries require their employees to wear NFPA and OSHA approved garments in order to remain compliant. The cost of non-compliance could be astronomical, especially if you factor a burn injury into the equation. Keep your workforce safe, and protect your business continuity with NFPA approved flame-resistant workwear.
Outfit your workforce safely with Safety Workwear
For the best quality and selection in flame-resistant workwear, look no further than Safety Workwear. Browse our extensive selection of flame-resistant garments, or give us a call to find out more.