Overview

• In buying flame resistant clothing there is one question that comes before all the figures and standards: is the flame resistance in this fabric inherent or added? The difference is not a technical detail; it determines whether the protection is still there after a year of laundering, or has quietly faded.
• Treated fabric is ordinary fabric — most often cotton — to which a flame-retardant chemical is added at the finishing stage. It is a proven and widely used solution, but the added compound remains something applied to the cloth: it is affected by the number of wash cycles, by incorrect laundering with chlorine bleach or fabric softener, by hard water, and by non-compliant industrial laundering. That is why treated fabric comes with a guaranteed number of wash cycles after which part of its performance is lost.
• The Road-mate shirt, by contrast, is inherent (Inherent FR) — the flame resistance is part of the molecular structure of the fibres themselves, not a layer upon them. The fabric here is a blend of 27% modacrylic, 16% aramid, 55% Lenzing cellulosic fibre and 2% antistatic fibre. These fibres are flame resistant in themselves, so there is nothing that can be washed out or consumed: the resistance lasts as long as the fabric does — which is what the manufacturer's data describes as inherent FR properties lasting the lifetime of the fabric. The budgetary effect is direct: the shirt is not condemned at a set number of washes, but when it is genuinely worn out.
• As for the protection figures, there are two of them, not one, and it matters that the safety officer sees both. Under the arc flash test IEC 61482-1-1 this fabric is rated ATPV = 8.8 cal/cm² and ELIM = 5.7 cal/cm². These are two different measurement points within the same test: the first is the energy at which the probability of a second-degree burn reaches 50%; the second is the highest energy at which no specimen exceeded the burn threshold — that is, the more conservative value. The item is classified CAT 2 under NFPA 70E. Which of the two figures your facility adopts is decided by your own safety engineer, on the basis of the site's arc flash study and the wording of the project specification.
• The fabric adds EN ISO 11612 with the codes A1, B1 and C1 for heat and flame protection, and EN 1149-5 for electrostatic dissipative properties — important in flammable atmospheres where a single static spark can be enough. On comfort in the Kingdom's climate, the fabric is a twill at 185 GSM (5.5 oz), among the lighter weights in FR clothing — and weight is no luxury here, because heavy clothing in summer heat gets unbuttoned or has its sleeves rolled up, losing part of the very coverage it was bought for. The fabric is described as breathable and soft to the touch, with excellent colourfastness and 3% washing shrinkage.
• In the practical detailing: two flapped chest pockets for secure storage, an additional pen pocket at the sleeve, and bartack stitching at all stress points. The colour is petrol blue and it is made in Pakistan. Available through Al-Najma Al-Wataniyah with guaranteed quality and fast delivery across Riyadh, Dammam, and all KSA regions.

Technical Specifications

Size & Color Table

Documentation & Standards

• This shirt carries a multi-standard package. Here is what each one means in practice:

• Additional reference standards:
• ASTM F1959 (test method for determining the arc rating of materials)
• NFPA 70E (standard for electrical safety in the workplace, and the PPE category classification)
• EN ISO 13688 (general requirements for protective clothing)

Industrial Applications

• B2B Sectors — Detailed Engineering Use Case:

Supply Information

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is the difference between inherent and treated flame resistance?

• Treated fabric is ordinary cloth — most often cotton — to which a flame-retardant compound is added at finishing, so the added material is affected by wash count and by incorrect laundering with bleach or fabric softener, and the fabric comes with a guaranteed number of wash cycles. Inherent fabric has its resistance as part of the molecular structure of the fibres themselves — modacrylic, aramid and flame-resistant cellulosic fibres — so there is nothing to wash out or consume, and the resistance lasts the lifetime of the fabric. This shirt is the inherent type.

Q2: Why are there two protection figures (8.8 and 5.7)?

• Because they are two different measurement points within the same arc flash test to IEC 61482-1-1. ATPV = 8.8 cal/cm² is the energy at which the probability of a second-degree burn reaches 50%. ELIM = 5.7 cal/cm² is the highest energy at which no specimen exceeded the burn threshold, which makes it the more conservative value. Which of the two you adopt is for your own safety engineer to decide, based on the site arc flash study and the wording of the project specification.

Q3: Is it suitable for welding and molten metal work?

• No. The declared EN ISO 11612 codes are A1, B1 and C1 only; the fabric does not carry the D or E codes for molten metal splash (aluminium and iron), nor the F code for contact heat. It also does not carry EN ISO 11611 certification for welding clothing. Work involving molten metal splash or welding spatter needs an item carrying those specific codes — our sales team will be glad to recommend the right alternative.

Q4: What should be worn underneath a flame resistant shirt?

• An important question many facilities overlook: non-FR synthetic underlayers — polyester and nylon — melt onto the skin under heat exposure and worsen the injury even when the outer shirt is flame resistant. Accepted practice is for the layer next to the body to be natural cotton or a flame resistant material. Note too that the shirt should be worn slightly loose rather than tight, because the layer of air between fabric and body is an integral part of the thermal protection.

Q5: What is the fabric weight and why does it matter in the Kingdom's climate?

• The fabric weighs 185 GSM (5.5 oz), among the lighter weights in FR clothing. Its importance is practical: heavy clothing in summer heat gets unbuttoned or has its sleeves rolled up, so the worker loses part of the coverage the garment was bought for — meaning a lighter fabric serves full-wear compliance, not just comfort.

Internal Links

• Need an FR shirt carrying EN ISO 11611 welding certification and contact heat protection? Browse the GARIOX flame resistant shirt in CAT 2.
• Need a full coverall rather than a shirt? Browse the FORTE WL03002 work coverall.
• Outfitting the worker with a complete PPE kit? Browse the FORTE KG-113 safety shoe and the anti-fog ZECCHIN AFC safety spectacle.
• Need a hi-vis vest over the workwear? Browse the U-SAFE US 040 safety vest.
• Need to equip a whole crew with FR clothing to your project specification? Contact our B2B team for a quote.

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