FRC Safety During COVID-19: Dried Bleach Residue and FRC
As the COVID-19 (“coronavirus”) pandemic has posed increasing challenges to all areas of life, Tyndale is here to help take the guesswork out of how to stay safe from both the virus AND the arc flash and flash fire hazards you face while you work to maintain our country’s vital energy infrastructure.
Along with the pandemic has come increased emphasis on reducing possible virus exposure by disinfecting work equipment, personal items, and commonly-touched surfaces. Chlorine bleach is a powerful, widely available, and cost-effective disinfectant that is being widely used to disinfect in line with CDC and WHO recommendations.
But as someone who wears arc-rated and flame resistant (AR / FR) clothing to stay safe on the job, you know that AR / FR should never be laundered with bleach, as bleach can hamper the performance of AR / FR clothing through time.
With this in mind, is contact with residue from dried bleach dangerous to your AR / FR clothing?
Tyndale’s VP of Technical, Scott Margolin expands on if contact with residue from dried bleach is dangerous to your AR / FR clothing.
Watch the video by clicking on the preview to the left.
Incidental contact with dried bleach residue has not been shown to be detrimental to AR / FR – neither upon contact nor in the subsequent laundering of your AR / FR. In fact, it’s important you continue to disinfect non-porous surfaces to stay safe from COVID-19, and if you do it with properly-diluted and properly-applied liquid chlorine bleach the dried residue should pose no issues for your AR / FR. Bleach is effectively inert in its dried form.
Wondering if there is anything special you should be doing to disinfect your AR / FR during the COVID-19 outbreak since liquid bleach cannot be used directly on your protective apparel? Have other questions related to AR / FR and COVID-19? We’re here to help. Don’t miss our recent post on how to safely disinfect your FRC, look out for our upcoming post on how to disinfect PPE – like hard hats, face shields and voltage rated rubber gloves – and follow along with our round-up of COVID-19 resources for other important guidance. Be sure to check back often, as new information is continually being added.
Download a flyer version of this information. Print it out and spread the word on dried bleach and FRC.
Always remember to regularly check the CDC website to stay up-to-date with the most recent news, health, and safety tips. If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider.
