Carrington Textiles flame retardant fabrics receive the RU mark

As part of the company's commitment to develop products of the highest protective standards, Carrington Textiles has received the RU status under the category of “flame resistant clothing for protection of industrial personnel against short-duration thermal exposures from fire” for six of its flame retardant fabrics.

This new safety accreditation adds to the awarded NFPA 2112 approval for these products, to offer fabrics that not only deliver extra protection against flash fire, but also comfort and great performance against electrostatic discharge, ultraviolet radiation, electric arc and chemical splash.

Delivering the comfort and moisture control of a 100% cotton fabric are Flameshield 230 and 280. Popular products in the market for their lightweight, hardwearing properties and breathability.

Flametuff 220AS, 250AS and Satin 330AS offer the benefits of high content cotton in the blend, in addition to their high tenacity nylon composition to create a product that endures the test of time. These fabrics have excellent antistatic properties and ultraviolet protection of 50+ UPF.

Also providing great antistatic properties, as well as incorporating CORDURA® technology for long lasting performance is Flametougher 280AS. This product represents Carrington Textiles’ next generation of stronger, tougher and more hardwearing flame retardant workwear.

Being a favourite for the medium and heavy industry, Flameshield, Flametuff and Flametougher provide a top class low average predicted body burn, great colour fastness, shade consistency and the guarantee of being industrially launderable for the lifetime of the garment.

What is UL and what does the RU mark mean?

The UL is a global safety certification company that is approved to perform safety testing by the United States federal agency Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The UL oversees the NFPA 2112 test to a particular standard and there are four mandatory tests which include: Vertical flame resistance in both new and after 100 wash formats, Heat resistance test both new and after washing, heat transfer both new and after washing and flash fire test done on a garment after washing.

The RU mark or Recognised Component means that the fabrics have been found to comply with the relevant standard and the production unit has been audited by UL. These fabrics are then listed on the UL database. Customers choosing Carrington Textiles products from that list can take reassurance that they have been tried and tested and found to comply. This means a quicker, easier and more cost effective way for them to certify their garments.

In short, the RU accreditation from UL means that Carrington Textiles meets global regulations and consumer expectations on quality, performance and durability.

Paul Farrell, Carrington Textiles Sales & Marketing Director says: “As a globally trusted business in the textile industry, it’s important for us to maintain our fabrics certified to the highest of standards. Having the UL approval on these fantastic fire resistant fabrics means that we can target the North American market with products that will offer the outstanding safety to the wearer Carrington Textiles is known for providing worldwide.”