Ongoing third-party certification is critical to safe product performance. To date, 17 of our fabrics have been tested and rated to the ANSI/FM 4950 Standard, and our plants and processes have been successfully audited by FM Approvals a number of times over the past several years. The FM Approvals mark is your assurance that the fabrics conform to the highest internationally accepted standards for quality, safety, and performance.

FM Approvals is the testing and certification arm of FM Global. It developed the first performance-based standard for “Welding Curtains, Blankets and Pads” — the FM 4950 Standard. Early in 2007, the FM 4950 test procedures were adopted by the widely recognized ANSI (American National Standards Institute) as ANSI/FM 4950. The Standard rates fabrics based on severity of use. The rating system makes it easy for safety professionals to determine which of the three levels of fire protection — welding curtains, welding blankets or welding pads — is needed for a specific hot work operation.

Fabric Performance Categories

Welding Curtains — intended for use in VERTICAL applications with LIGHT to MODERATE exposures to sparks and heat, such as that resulting from chipping, grinding, heat-treating, sand blasting and light horizontal welding. They are designed to prevent sparks from escaping the designated work area.

Welding Blankets — intended for use in HORIZONTAL applications with LIGHT to MODERATE exposures to sparks, heat and molten metal slag. They are designed to protect machinery and prevent ignition of combustibles located in the designated work area.

Welding Pads — intended for use in HORIZONTAL applications with SEVERE exposures, such as that resulting from molten substances or heavy horizontal welding. Designed to prevent the ignition of combustibles that are located adjacent to the underside of the pad.

FM Approved Fabrics Applications Rating Key Information

To make it easier to choose the right FM Approved fabric for a specific hot work operation, AMI has rated the fabrics as GOOD, BETTER and BEST.  The rating determines the level of protection offered by the fabrics. For more information about the application rating key  click here.

AMI FM Approved Fabrics

All AMI FM Approved fabrics are labeled with the proper rating prominently displayed. The FM Approvals mark is your assurance that a fabric conforms to the highest internationally accepted standards for quality, safety, and performance.

For a listing of FM Approved AMI fabrics for welding protection, click here.

For more information on how to choose the right AMI product for your application (including non-rated fabrics)  click here.

Incorporating ANSI/FM 4950 Standard into Hot Work Safety Programs

To assure safety, compliance and accountability from the point of purchase to the user, many companies are incorporating ANSI/FM 4950 into their hot work safety program. We suggest the following wording for incorporating the ANSI/FM Standard into corporate hot work policies:
"We require that all hot work safety fabrics be approved or listed by a certifying body using test procedures detailed in ANSI/FM 4950 Evaluating Welding Pads, Welding Blankets and Welding Curtains for Hot Work Operations and in accordance with this facility's hot work management policy. Any fabric used for welding protection shall have its rating (Welding Pad, Welding Blanket or Welding Curtain) printed on the fabric in addition to "Uses and Limitations" labels as per the certifying body's requirements."

CAUTION: All fabrics are potentially subject to burn-through. To be effective, fabrics used for welding protection purposes must be utilized as part of a fire prevention system. They should always be employed in accordance with the procedures set forth in NFPA 51B Hot Work Standard or other applicable standards.