Arc Rated Clothing Requirements

Arc related injuries can range from minor to severe burns blindness hearing and memory loss from the pressure wave broken bones or death.

Arc rated clothing requirements.

Select protective fr clothing and coveralls garments are rated based on their ability to protect against electrical arcs this arc rating is expressed in cal cm the standard requires that garments have a minimum arc rating listed on the garment label the protective clothing worn by employees must be based upon. Flame resistant and arc flash clothing helps protect workers against burn injuries in areas with sparks open flame and other potential fire hazards. The national fire protection association nfpa published the latest edition of the nfpa 70e standard in 2018. When a worker is exposed to an arc the clothing they wear may play a large role in the severity of the potential injury.

Nfpa 70e 2018 now gives four categories of ppe with each category including the minimum arc rating value for the required ppe. Also called fr clothing this protective clothing resists ignition and helps insulate against heat. Garments that are not arc rated shall not be permitted to be used to increase the arc rating of a garment or of a clothing system nfpa 70e p. Can one wear non melting flammable fiber garments under arc rated clothing.

Arc rated clothing and equipment with an arc rating equal to or greater than the determined incident energy see note 3 arc rated long sleeve shirt and arc rated pants or arc rated coverall or arc flash suit sr see note 3 arc rated face shield and arc rated balaclava or arc rated flash suit hood sr see note 1. Paragraph l 8 v of 1910 269 does not require arc rated protection for exposures of 2 cal cm 2 or less. Similar but different how to tell the difference between arc rated ar flash fire rated ffr and flame resistant fr. In 2012 nfpa 70e changed the terminology referencing personal protective equipment ppe.

It includes flame resistant garments made of materials that naturally resist burning or melting. Clothing shall cover potentially exposed areas as completely as possible. It states employees shall wear arc rated clothing wherever there is a possible exposure to an electric arc flash above the threshold incident energy level for a second degree burn 1 2 cal cm2. 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.

The 269 standard 1910 269 l 6. Untreated cotton clothing will reduce a 2 cal cm 2 exposure below the 1 2 to 1 5 cal cm 2 level necessary to cause burn injury and this.