What do Flame Resistant Ratings Mean?

You can shop our range of Flame Resistant clothing by click here.


Understanding the basics of Flame Resistant (FR) fabric & clothing ratings is essential for ensuring you have the right level of protection for the tasks that you perform.

Always refer to individual product information. The product ratings on specific product pages & garments indicate the level of protection for Arc Flash, Flame & Flash Fires only.

What is an ARC Rating?
ARC ratings indicate the amount of thermal energy that a garment will likely absorb to protect the wearer from receiving a 2nd degree burn. The higher the ARC rating the better the protection.

What are CAL’s?
A CAL (or calorie) is the energy unit used to measure the thermal energy absorbed by a garment.
Calculated as "Calories per square centimetre" it is expressed as "CAL/cm2".

HRC / PPE Ratings
Hazard Risk Category (HRC) or PPE Categories

How risky is the job you are doing when it comes to exposure to electrical arcs & flash fires?

HRC/PPE 0 refers to little or no risk (from Arc or Flash fire)

HRC/PPE 1 | Requires minimum 4 Cal protection(4 calories per square cm)

HRC/PPE 2 | Requires minimum 8 Cal protection (8 calories per square cm)

HRC/PPE 3 | Requires minimum 25 Cal protection (25 calories per square cm)

HRC/PPE 4 | Requires minimum 40 Cal protection. At this level the risk is extreme and the use of FR clothing is essential. 

Minimum Levels of FR Protection

HRC1 | Generally 1 layer of FR clothing is needed to cover the whole body. Examples include, FR Shirt & FR Pants or FR Coveralls, plus appropriate FR Shoes & Gloves.

HRC2 | Generally 2 layers of FR clothing is needed to cover the whole body. Examples include, FR Shirt & FR Pants or FR Coveralls plus FR Jacket, plus appropriate FR Shoes & Gloves.

HRC3 | Generally 3 layers of FR clothing is needed to cover the whole body. Examples include, FR undergarments plus FR Shirt & FR Pants or FR coveralls plus FR Jacket, plus appropriate FR Shoes & Gloves.

Everyday Concepts

A lit match placed under your finger for 1 second equals roughly a 1 calorie burn.*

Second-degree burns generally occur at 1.2 calories (cal/cm2).Most superficial burns caused around the home from things such as steam, hot water, hot beverages, candles etc would generally be somewhere between CAL .05 - 1.5*

* for conceptualisation only. There are many variables in these examples which alter the outcome, including skin type & exposure duration.

The above summary is intended to provide general information only. Each industry has its own specifications & regulations based on the tasks that employees perform. Please check with the guidelines in your Country, State or Territory for accurate, detailed information.