Electrical Arc Flash Protection Clothing

Discover a brief overview of each of the 4 ppe categories including the clothing required for each as well as information on determining which ppe you need to use.

Electrical arc flash protection clothing.

The terms arc resistant clothing or arc proof clothing sometimes used are somewhat misleading as all arc flash protective clothing will be damaged by a strong enough electric arc and would in any case be discarded once exposed to an electric arc. Protection from arc flash is critical in many electrical industry environments. Protection for the hands. Electrical arc flash clothing a typical work day for many electrical workers involves hazardous tasks and a high risk of electrical shock and injury.

From repairing broken wires to working on electrical lines electrical workers must wear the proper protective equipment and arc flash clothing to stay safe should an arc flash explosion occur. Nfpa 70e 2018 now gives four categories of ppe with each category including the minimum arc rating value for the required ppe. Arc flash gloves or glove systems are certified for. Check the ppe category and minimum arc rating provided for your workplace and then select all required clothing and personal protective equipment to meet the minimum arc rating.

Arc rating measures a garment s ability to insulate the wearer from burns. Arc flash clothing and protection equipment including coveralls gloves helmets face shields and general head to toe ppe is used to protect against flashover but will not prevent arc flash hazards. Arc flash clothing ppe. See engineering and safety e s occupational safety report os 30 10 electrical safety and client handouts ch 50 239 electrical burns and ch 50 195 electric arc flash protective clothing checklist for additional information.

Consequently ppe should be used as the last line of defence when implementing a documented electrical safety plan for maintenance repair and diagnostic procedures. These personal protective equipment packages ppe are designed with 12 cal to 74 cal ratings to resist the intense and short duration energy emitted by an arc flash event. These coats meet nfpa 70e standards for protection against electrical arc flashes for personal protection equipment ppe category 2. The advanced fabrics provide excellent protection from electric arc flash for nfpa 70e astm f1506 and osha1910 269 compliance flash fire for nfpa 2112 and cgsb 155 20 compliance molten ferrous metal splash and welding exposures.