You can brand flame retardant clothing in the UK, but the logo is part of the garment’s protection, not a decoration added on top. The embroidery thread, the logo size and the placement can all change how the garment performs, so the branding method has to be chosen with the certified garment in mind. This guide covers what the UK rules expect, which branding choices are safe to make, what to ask a supplier before ordering and how to care for branded FR garments once they are in use.
TL;DR
- Logos can affect how a flame retardant garment performs. The British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) recommends FR logos, and logos of 10 cm² or larger need limited flame-spread testing.
- Changing a certified garment can alter its conformity and the legal responsibilities of whoever customises it, so ask for evidence before you order.
- Request a UK Declaration of Conformity and proof of FR-logo testing. Check that the label shows the conformity mark and the standards claimed.
- On hi-vis FR garments, extra logos can cover fluorescent material and lower the garment’s classification.
- Wash and repair branded garments exactly as the User Information Sheet says, using original components.
Table of Contents
- What flame retardant clothing is for
- The UK rules behind a branded FR garment
- How logos affect flame retardant performance
- Branding methods and placement
- What to check with a supplier before ordering
- Choosing garments to brand
- Looking after branded FR clothing
- Our approach to branded FR workwear
- Start a branded FR order
- A worked example: branding a maintenance team
- FAQ
- Sources
What flame retardant clothing is for
Flame retardant (FR) workwear is made to resist ignition and limit flame spread when a worker is exposed to heat or flame for a short time. It is a form of personal protective equipment (PPE), which means it sits inside the legal framework for PPE rather than the general uniform market.
The work that typically calls for it includes welding and hot work, foundries, oil and gas, utilities, petrochemicals and some maintenance and engineering tasks. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) publishes COSHH essentials guidance for welding, hot work and allied processes, which covers the PPE expected around those processes, including coveralls for blasting-booth work that do not retain dust.
Whether a particular role needs FR garments is decided by a workplace risk assessment, not by a supplier’s catalogue. The HSE’s guidance on personal protective equipment at work says the employer must assess whether PPE is suitable for the specific workplace, compatible with other equipment worn and effective against the hazards identified. It also describes PPE as a last-resort control, used after other reasonably practicable measures such as engineering controls and process changes.
In practice that means your safety lead or competent adviser defines the hazard first. Branding is decided after the garment specification is fixed, never before.
The UK rules behind a branded FR garment
Three layers matter when you buy branded FR clothing.
- The employer’s duty. Under the PPE at Work Regulations, employers must provide suitable PPE. The HSE’s guidance sets out what suitable means in practice.
- The product rules. The HSE guidance explains that Regulation (EU) 2016/425 sets the essential requirements for PPE products, and that the 2018 Regulations provide for enforcement in Great Britain. From 1 January 2025, PPE placed on the GB market must carry the UKCA mark, subject to exceptions. The HSE guide is the page to check for the current detail.
- The declaration. Suppliers should be able to provide a UK Declaration of Conformity, and employers should ask them to confirm that certified PPE meets the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2016/425 as incorporated into UK law.
Branding touches the second and third layers. According to BSIF guidance for distributors and laundries, changes to a garment may affect its performance and conformity, and may alter the Economic Operator status and legal responsibilities of the business that customises it. A branded FR garment is therefore a product where the decorator’s method and materials are part of the compliance picture.
How logos affect flame retardant performance
A standard polo shirt can carry any logo in any thread. An FR garment cannot, for three reasons.
- Thread and backing. A non-FR thread or backing can burn or melt on a fabric that is designed not to. BSIF guidance says non-FR logos may fail limited flame-spread testing, and it recommends FR logos.
- Size. The same BSIF buyers’ guidance states that logos of 10 cm² or larger need limited flame-spread testing. For scale, a chest logo of roughly 3 cm by 3.5 cm is just over 10 cm², so even a modest left-chest mark can reach the point where testing evidence matters.
- Cover over safety features. Logos and multiple logos can reduce a high-visibility garment’s classification by covering fluorescent material. An FR hi-vis jacket with a large back print can end up with lower visibility performance than the label claims.
None of this means FR garments cannot be branded. It means the branding must be specified, tested and documented as part of the garment.
Branding methods and placement
Choose the method with the fabric and the risk in mind. The table summarises the questions to ask for each method. It is a checklist for your supplier conversation, not a certification statement.
| Method | What to ask before approving | Placement notes |
|---|---|---|
| Embroidery | Is the thread FR? Is the backing or stabiliser FR? Is there test evidence for this logo size? | Keep logos compact and away from seams and closures where possible |
| Heat-applied transfers or prints | Is the transfer material flame tested on this fabric? Does it affect breathability or stiffness? | Avoid large solid areas on body panels |
| FR woven or sewn-on badges | Does the badge carry its own FR evidence? | Useful where a logo must be larger or replaceable |
| Printing on hi-vis FR | Will the print cover fluorescent or retroreflective areas? | Leave the certified areas of fluorescent fabric and tape uncovered |
Some placement rules hold across methods:
- Put the main brand mark on the left chest and, if required, one back mark, rather than adding logos on sleeves, shoulders and hems.
- Never place a logo over reflective tape.
- Keep names, job titles or numbers small and in FR-compatible materials.
- For hi-vis garments, read our guide to printing on hi-vis: logo rules, methods and placement before approving artwork.
Approve a mock-up before production. A proof shows the logo’s actual size and position, so you can check it against the limit and against the garment’s safety features before a bulk order is made.
What to check with a supplier before ordering
The BSIF and HSE guidance converge on a short list of evidence. Ask for it in writing.
- A UK Declaration of Conformity for the base garment.
- Evidence of FR-logo testing for the branding you intend to apply, at the size and position you intend to use.
- Label checks. The garment label should show the relevant conformity mark and the standards claimed. If the label is missing or cut during decoration, query it.
- The User Information Sheet, which gives the intended use, washing and drying instructions and the garment’s limits.
- Supplier credentials. The BSIF’s Registered Safety Supplier Scheme is a resource for identifying suppliers who provide certified PPE that meets appropriate UK standards.
A short email covers most of it: the garment code, the logo size and method, the placement and a request for the declaration and the logo test evidence. A supplier who can answer it quickly is easy to work with. If the answers are vague, treat that as information about the order.
Our Branded PPE Guide: What to Check Before You Order goes through the wider pre-order checks for PPE of all kinds.
Choosing garments to brand
FR clothing comes as coveralls, jackets, trousers, polo shirts and sweatshirts, and the right mix depends on the task and the working conditions.
- Coveralls give full-body coverage and suit welding, maintenance and hot work. The Bizflame Work Stretch Panelled FR Coverall is one option in this category.
- Separates let a worker pair a jacket with trousers, and make sizing and replacement more flexible. The Bizflame Work Lightweight FR Trousers are a lighter option for warmer working conditions.
- Welding-specific trousers such as the Bizweld trousers (BZ30) suit hot-work roles where the risk assessment calls for them.
- Hi-vis FR items serve roles where visibility and flame protection are both required, such as work near traffic in utilities or rail-adjacent sites. Remember the classification point above before adding any logo.
Confirm the protection claimed on each garment’s label and User Information Sheet against your own risk assessment. Do not rely on the product name or category alone.
If your staff work outside for much of the year, layering matters too. Our winter workwear guide for UK employers and buyers covers what to think about, though any layer worn over or under FR clothing should itself be suitable for the hazard.
Looking after branded FR clothing
Branding adds one more reason to follow the care label strictly.
- Follow the User Information Sheet. BSIF guidance tells distributors and laundries to follow the washing and drying instructions supplied with the garment.
- Mind reflective tape. The same guidance warns that washing or drying reflective tape at excessive temperatures can damage its reflective properties and affect the garment’s compliance.
- Consider a contract laundry. For blasting-booth work, the HSE’s COSHH guidance says to use a contract laundry or a suitable equivalent rather than home washing, and to arrange PPE maintenance, storage and replacement. The same approach makes sense wherever contamination or loss of protection is a concern.
- Repair with original components. Repairs should use factory-original components, as the BSIF guidance states.
- Inspect regularly. Look for worn fabric, damaged stitching, peeling transfers and faded or cracked tape. A garment that no longer matches its certified condition should be taken out of use and replaced, with a record kept.
Fabric choice affects how a garment survives repeated industrial washing. Our guide to durable fabrics for industrial wash cycles explains what to look for, and the notes on workwear shrinkage explain why a test wash before a bulk order is worth the time. Shrinkage matters more on FR garments because poor fit can leave gaps in coverage.
Our approach to branded FR workwear
We treat a branded FR order as a safety order first and a branding order second.
That means the questions come before the artwork. What is the hazard? What does your risk assessment ask for? Which garment meets it? Only then do we look at where the logo goes and how big it can be. A logo that looks right on a proof but compromises the garment is no use to a procurement manager or a safety lead.
Our work is embroidery and printing on workwear across construction, hospitality, education, security and industrial settings, with artwork mock-up approval before production. For FR garments, that mock-up stage is where we recommend checking size, placement and materials against the garment’s documentation, and where we ask you to confirm requirements from your own safety team.
We also advise buying for the whole life of the garment: the right fit, a fabric that stands up to the wash regime the label allows and a small, clean logo that can be repeated across replacements without redoing the specification.
Vinay
Start a branded FR order
If you know the garments and the roles, send us the garment codes, your logo file and the sizes and positions you have in mind. We will prepare an artwork mock-up for approval before anything is produced. Our embroidery and printing services, along with our personalised PPE, hi-vis and jacket ranges, are on cwear.co.uk.
For orders that mix FR items with everyday uniform pieces, see our overview of branded uniforms in the UK. For site teams and subcontractors who need to be recognised at a glance, our contractor identification clothing guide sets out the options.
A worked example: branding a maintenance team
Take a facilities contractor with twelve maintenance engineers who carry out occasional hot work on client sites. The risk assessment calls for FR coveralls for those tasks and hi-vis outerwear on shared roads.
- The safety lead confirms the garment requirement from the risk assessment and the hazards on the sites.
- The buyer chooses certified FR coveralls and a hi-vis FR jacket, and asks the supplier for the Declaration of Conformity and User Information Sheet for each.
- The company wants its logo on the chest and back. The buyer asks for logo size in square centimetres, the thread and backing material and the FR-logo test evidence.
- The back logo is large, so the buyer asks whether a smaller mark would keep fluorescent areas and tape clear. The design is changed to a compact chest logo and a modest back mark.
- A mock-up is approved, a small first batch is produced and a test wash is done as the label allows before the full order.
- The company records the garment codes, evidence and wash instructions in its PPE file and schedules inspections.
Nothing in this process is slow. The delay comes from skipping it and discovering the problem after the garments are on site.
FAQ
Can I put my company logo on flame retardant clothing?
Yes, but the logo must be treated as part of the garment. BSIF guidance recommends FR logos, and logos of 10 cm² or larger need limited flame-spread testing. Ask your supplier for evidence that the logo you want has been tested at that size.
Does branding void the certification of FR workwear?
It can affect it. BSIF guidance says changes to a garment may affect its performance and conformity, and may change the legal responsibilities of the business doing the customising. That is why you should ask for the Declaration of Conformity and the logo test evidence before you approve production.
Can I brand hi-vis flame retardant clothing?
Yes, with care. Logos and multiple logos can lower a hi-vis garment’s classification if they cover fluorescent material. Keep marks small, leave reflective tape clear and approve a mock-up first.
How should branded FR clothing be washed?
Follow the User Information Sheet supplied with the garment. Washing or drying reflective tape at excessive temperatures can damage it and affect compliance. For hot-work settings, HSE guidance points to contract laundering rather than home washing.
Does FR clothing need to be UKCA marked?
The HSE’s guidance states that from 1 January 2025, PPE placed on the GB market must be UKCA marked, subject to exceptions. Check the HSE page and your supplier’s documentation for the current position that applies to your garments.
Sources
- Personal protective equipment at work (HSE, L25)
- COSHH essentials for welding, hot work and allied processes (HSE, WL19)
- Guidance for Buyers of PPE: Logos and Alterations (BSIF)
- Guidance for PPE Distributors and Laundry Service (BSIF)
