The BP® Lexicon – Technical terms from the world of workwear

Anti-static fibres

Anti-static fibres are synthetic fibres with hygroscopic properties, which means that they absorb humidity from the air to make them more conductive.

Aramids

Aramids are aromatic polyamides, namely polyamides that contain a benzene ring. They are flame-retardant and resist high thermal loads. As a rule, we differentiate between meta-aramids and para-amids. 

Meta-aramids offer inherent flame protection and resist high thermal loads. They do not melt or drip but carbonise at approx. 285 °C. Meta-aramids withstand temperatures of up to 175 °C without loss of strength and, even at 250 °C, only lose approx. 50% of their original strength. They also offer high chemical resistance and good insulation against heat and cold. 

Para-aramids are known for their high tensile strength and robustness and are often used for reinforcement and protective applications such as protective clothing, ballistic materials and fibre-reinforced composites.

Arm-lift system

The arm-lift system ensures outstanding wearing comfort with every arm movement. This allows you to reach up comfortably without exposing your stomach and/or back.

Breathable

In functional textiles, “breathable” refers to a material’s ability to allow water vapour produced by body heat and perspiration to escape to the outside – while rain cannot penetrate membrane-based weather protection clothing.

ATPV (Arc Thermal Performance Value)

BP® BodyLanguage

BP® BodyLanguage refers to the specific arrangement of the reflective strips in the BP® Hi-Vis Comfort, BP® Hi-Vis Stretch and BP® Hi-Vis Protect collections. In these collections, the retroreflective material outlines the wearer’s body silhouette. This results in high all-round visibility of the wearer at night, including from above.

BP® Circular-Economy

BP® circular economy products are partly made from mechanically recycled production cutting waste or from post-consumer recycled material. The waste is collected and processed into new yarn by our partner companies. The recycled yarn is used to manufacture new products.

Cordura®

Cordura® is the brand name for particularly robust, abrasion-resistant fabrics made from nylon fibres. It is characterised by high durability, tear resistance and a long service life, and is often used for reinforcements in especially hard-wearing areas such as knee pad pockets, holster pockets, as well as on seams and pockets in workwear. By using Cordura® in a targeted way, the functionality and service life of the clothing can be significantly increased.

DuraClean

DuraClean is a permanent fabric finish that acts as dirt barrier and that improves stain removal during the washing process

EasyCare

Easy-care materials that retain their shape even after frequent washing, so that you always look good at work. All of our Med & Care garments share these properties.

EBT (Energy Break-Open Threshold)

The rating EBT50 is the incident energy at which there is a 50% probability of breakopen (damage) of the material. This rating is used in characterisation when, as a result of hole formation, an ATPV rating cannot be determined.

Sew-in labels

The inside of an item of protective clothing looks like a picture book! And with good reason: the wearer of the clothing must be aware of the properties of the personal protective equipment. Consequently, each item is displayed with symbols that accurately describe the properties of the clothing.

ELIM (Incident Energy Limit)

Incident energy limit as an additional rating for the performance of an electric arc. ELIM is a new part of the IEC 61482-1-1, test method 1: determination of the arc rating (ELIM, ATPV and/or EBT) of clothing materials and protective clothing using an open arc.

BP® Ergofit

The ergonomic cut of your work clothing guarantees maximum freedom of movement and perfect wear comfort

Gender symbols

HACCP

The abbreviation HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is a preventive food safety system designed to identify and control risks in the food manufacturing process in order to ensure consumer safety. The HACCP concept is an important building block for safe and hygienic food production.

Manufacturer information

In accordance with the EU Regulation 2016/425, BP® has published an information brochure for each PPE line. This is published in different languages and explains the standards and their specific protection classes for correct use, as well as for care and maintenance. The manufacturer information must be read carefully before using the clothing

HRC (Hazard Risk Category)

The hazard/risk categories provide a system for classifying the risk associated with electrical hazards, in particular arc flashes, and for determining the required personal protective equipment. The HRC categories are derived from the American NFPA 70E standard for electrical safety and are also used in parts of Europe as a risk assessment. 

The classification of garments into four classes is based on the ATPV value. 

HRC 1: 4-8 cal/cm² 

HRC 2: 8-25 cal/cm² 

HRC 3: 25-40 cal/cm² 

HRC 4: > 40 cal/cm²

Individualisation (embroidered logos, transfer prints and emblems)

Information about care

Before each use, the protective effect and intactness of the PPE clothing and its function must be checked and, if necessary, renewed. The item of clothing can only guarantee the required protection in the long term if cared for correctly. You will find care instructions in the BP® manufacturer information and the BP® sew-in labels. 

The following examples demonstrate the importance of the right care: 

• The use of fabric softeners may impair the flame retardant properties. 

• Dirt can considerably reduce the visual impact of high-visibility clothing. 

• Greases and oils can have a negative impact on the flammability of welder protection clothing. 

• Washing out impregnations can considerably reduce the effect of chemical protection.

Inherent flame resistance

Inherent flame resistance refers to the non-flammability of a material. It means that the material itself is permanently and inherently flame-retardant. So inherent flame resistance is a permanent property and differs from material finishes containing flame-retardant substances.

Declaration of conformity

In the declarations of conformity, which can be downloaded, BP® bindingly confirms that the products meet the requirements of the Regulation EU 2016/425 and the standards which are listed under the certificate number shown. They also list the certification body and the EU supervision body.

Laminate

Laminate is a material comprising several layers. In the textile industry, the laminate consists of several layers of textile, which are often bonded to a membrane. Various types of laminate are available and are suitable for different applications. In the BProtected® collection, two and three-layer laminates are used and have a membrane that is bonded to one or two textile layers.

LOI (Limiting Oxygen Index)

LOI – also known as the oxygen index – is a value that indicates the flammability of a material, especially plastics. It describes the minimum oxygen concentration in an oxygen-nitrogen mixture at which a material can just continue to burn on its own. Materials with a high LOI value are more resistant to fire and flames.

Membrane

Membrane is the term used for a thin “film” with special properties that ensures that functional textiles in particular are waterproof, windproof and breathable. The waterproof property of the membrane ensures protection against wind and rain; the permeability to water vapour enables the removal of sweat particles, which ensures optimum wear comfort.

Mesh

Mesh is a lightweight, net-like fabric with an open structure that ensures high air circulation and fast drying. It is often made from synthetic fibres such as polyester and is characterised by breathability, low weight and durability. It is used specifically in workwear to create ventilated textile zones and increase wearing comfort. The material is easy to care for, shape-retaining and supports a pleasant body climate.

Modacrylic

Modacrylic is a modified, permanently flame-retardant acrylic fibre. When modacrylic is exposed to a flame, non-flammable gases are released that displace the surrounding oxygen and so extinguish the flame without leaving any glowing ash residue. The resulting char offers good insulating properties. The flames cannot spread beyond the charred area. Materials cannot melt and so do not stick to human skin.

Recycled polyester

Recycled polyester is made from existing plastic, e.g. used PET bottles. We are a partner of Repreve® , a brand manufacturer of sustainable fibres made from recycled materials. Using these fibres, we produce sustainable workwear.

Reflective strips

Within the BProtected® collection, BP® uses different reflective strips that differ, in particular, in terms of the three technologies outlined below. All three technologies are suitable for industrial laundering as per ISO 15797. 

Glass-bead technology: 

Thousands of tiny glass beads are applied to a backing fabric and reflect incident light back to the source. Thanks to glass-bead technology, the strips are relatively lightweight and thin. However, they offer outstanding reflection values. Segmented reflective strips are particularly suitable for stretch textiles, e.g. T-shirts, and are also based on glass-bead technology. 

Segmented reflective strips: 

Segmented reflective strips, which are manufactured based on glass-bead technology, are glued directly onto the fabric. This makes them very lightweight and particularly suitable for use on elastic materials. 

Microprism technology: 

Thousands of tiny microprisms are applied to PVC and reflect incident light back to the source. These microprisms are particularly resistant to dirt and wear as they are protected by an additional layer of plastic. The reflective values when wet and under poor weather conditions are particularly good.

Repair

Incorrect repairs can destroy the certified protective effect of the clothing. Only original materials may be used for replacements or repairs.

Ret value

The Ret value (Resistance to Evaporative Heat Transfer) is used as a measure of breathability. It indicates the resistance of a material to water vapour transmission. The lower this value, the more “breathable” the material (see also En 343).

Soft-shell fabric

Stretch

The high stretch content provides great comfort and optimum freedom of movement.

Stretch gusset

The stretch gusset is an elastic insert in workwear that increases freedom of movement and improves wearing comfort. It is used, for example, at the sides of the waistband area of bib overalls to provide more flexibility

TENCEL™

TENCEL™ lyocell fibres are derived from the natural raw material wood and support a naturally dry feel through moisture regulation. Compared to generic lyocell fibres, the fibres are produced with at least 50% less CO₂ emissions and water consumption.* BP® products with TENCEL™ lyocell meet the requirements of ISO 15797 and are therefore suitable for industrial laundering. TENCEL™ is a trademark of Lenzing AG. 

*Results are based on LCA standards (ISO 14040/44) and are available via Higg MSI (version 3.8).

Virgin Polyester

Virgin polyester is the original form of polyester and is often referred to as “new material”, in contrast to recycled polyester, which is made from existing plastic.

Viscose

Viscose is a regenerated cellulose fibre made from natural raw materials such as wood. It has a high moisture absorption capacity and a soft, pleasant feel. The material is breathable and ensures good wearing comfort. In workwear, viscose is used to provide functionality and a pleasant feel against the skin.

Viscose FR*

Viscose FR* is a naturally flame-retardant cellulose fibre. It offers protection against heat in a wide variety of different work areas and features maximum fibre strength. It has very good heat-insulation properties, is permanently flame-retardant, environmentally friendly and offers outstanding wear comfort 

*FR = flame retardant

Water-repellent

Functional textiles on which water beads up and does not penetrate the fabric are described as water-repellent. In BP® clothing, this function protects against moisture, increases wearing comfort in light rain or splashing water, and does not impair breathability.

Water column

The waterproof property of functional textiles is often quoted in “mm water column”. This represents a measurement of the water pressure that a water column of a certain height exerts on materials without the water being able to pass through them. A value of 1,000 mm water column corresponds to a pressure of approximately 0.1 bar. Standard EN 343 requires a waterproof property of at least 1300 mm in class 3 and of at least 2000 mm in the highest class (class 4).

Windproof

Functional textiles that reliably prevent wind from penetrating are described as windproof. Windproofness effectively prevents chilling, increasing wearing comfort when working outdoors.

Transport & storage

The clothes must be stored and transported in a dry, dust-free place away from direct sunlight. Excessively compressed storage should be avoided in order to prevent creasing.

Certification body

BP® commissions an independent inspection body, also known as a notified body, to carry out EU-type examinations confirming that the PPE model in question complies with the applicable provisions of EU Regulation 2016/425. The products shown in the catalogue were tested and certified by the following inspection bodies: 

STFI – Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V., Annaberger Str. 240, 09125 Chemnitz, Germany 

Hohenstein Laboratories GmbH & Co. KG, Schlosssteige 1, 74357 Bönnigheim, Germany 

ÖP – Öffentliche Prüfstelle für das Textilwesen der Hochschule Niederrhein GmbH, Richard-Wagner-Str. 97, 41065 Mönchengladbach, Germany 

IFA – Institut für Arbeitsschutz der Deutschen Gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung, Alte Heerstr. 111, 53754 Sankt Augustin, Germany