Westex: A Milliken Brand hosted safety professionals from many US-based oil and gas companies for a one-day educational event featuring a live flash fire demonstration.
Taking place at Industrial Rescue Instruction Systems in Beaumont, TX, the event featured three speaker presentations, including:
- The Science of Fire and Fabric presented by Scott Francis, senior technical sales manager at Westex. This in-depth presentation reviewed the fundamentals of how fire is formed, the way it reacts to certain fiber types and what to look for when sourcing flame-resistant (FR) fabrics for personal protective equipment (PPE) programs.
- An Inside Look at a Burn Unit presented by Jamie Heffernan, burn program manager at William Randolph Hearst Burn Center. An informative review of the realities of treating and rehabilitating burn victims. Jamie reviewed the principles of first aid for burn incidents and provided first-hand accounts of treating and caring for trade workers who have experienced life-threatening burns.
- Just a Second Ago: The Brad Livingston Story presented by Brad Livingston, flash fire survivor and speaker. In this powerful testimony, Brad shared his personal recount of the flash fire that put him in a coma for two months and took the life of his coworker and friend. His motivational speech gave participants an unparalleled view on the dangers and resulting consequences of ignoring safety requirements in favor of shortcuts.
Additionally, participants had the opportunity to watch eight live flash fire demonstrations. Each demonstration featured different garments made with Westex FR fabrics, as well as non-FR examples, and it included a post-burn review from Westex experts.
“This event was an incredible opportunity to connect with safety professionals. There’s so much that goes into choosing the best FR garments for your workforce and having a chance to provide these professionals with context and insight that will make their jobs easier in the future is unparalleled,” said Josh Moody, vice president of protective apparel at Milliken & Company.
