Overalls - A warning - Loco Crews and Shed Staff please read!

Recently, a colleague of mine was badly burned when his overalls caught fire whilst oiling up. The exact circumstances are still under investigation but he was wearing a conventional cotton 'prep' coat and cotton bib'n'brace. Such overalls are normally regarded as non-flammable. However, it would appear that when the overalls had been washed, a fabric conditioner had been used. Although it is a known fact that fabric conditioners can make fabrics flammable, it was something I didn't know nor, seemingly, anyone else I have discussed it with.

A full report will be published when the investigation is complete but please heed this warning and do not use fabric conditioners when washing overalls.

 

Thanks for the warning. I hope your colleague is now on the mend and please pass on my, and most likely all loco crews, best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

 

I've no problem with this at all. It is not just with overalls but anything labelled as flame resistant, especially childrens clothes. As I said, people don't generally seem to know this but Googling soon brings up this fact.

 

Cotton overalls tend to become impregnated with paraffin and other oils so their effectiveness is quickly compromised.

 

That's why you wash them! Frequently! I only wear them for one day before doing so.

 

Perhaps a luxury that many people don't have. When I go to Wales for a week I don't take 7 boiler suits with me and I doubt many others do either!

 

Perhaps not but, no doubt, common sense will be applied and you won't wear overalls soaked in oil/paraffin.

 

No I wouldn't, I try to keep as clean as I can during the prep/disposal of a steam engine. Any overalls that appear to be saturated with oil or other chemicals/lubricants I wash as soon as I can.

 

You say 'whilst oiling up' Do you know what the source of ignition was Steve?

 

I'd rather wait for the investigation report to be published, if that's OK. That way, what I've heard and what turns out to be the reality won't get confused..

 

Either you have two washing machines, are not married or your wife wears black ! I have to soak mine in a bucket in the boiler house for days and pop them in the machine when herself is out shopping.

 

Only one machine, married and, alas, she never wears black!. I used to have to do similar to you (except we don't have a boiler house!) and clean out the machine after use, as well. However, these days I wash them at the railway. Both the ones I'm involved with have washing machines.
Steve's Household hint no. 673. If you do wash them at home, wash them after each use (you may need several pairs), turn them inside out and put them in a plastic bag before putting them in the drum, then remove the plastic bag. Doing all this may be tedious but it avoids a lot of the problems and, more importantly, a domestic!

 

Another way to avoid a domestic if the railway doesn't have a washing machine is to use the launderette.

 

Do they still exist? I don't know of one anywhere near here.

 

That's good news indeed.