Electrical Arc Flash Protection Clothing

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.

Electrical arc flash protection clothing.

Arc flash gloves or glove systems are certified for. 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. 100 cal cm2 coats bibs and hoods pro wear plus arc flash 100 cal cm2. The national fire protection association nfpa 70e is a comprehensive standard that establishes best electrical safety practices standards on how to protect workers from electric arc flash and arc blast exposure and resulting potential injury and death.

Protection from arc flash is critical in many electrical industry environments. 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. 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.

Nfpa 70e 2018 now gives four categories of ppe with each category including the minimum arc rating value for the required ppe. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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. Consequently ppe should be used as the last line of defence when implementing a documented electrical safety plan for maintenance repair and diagnostic procedures.