Arc Rated Clothing Requirements

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.

Arc rated clothing requirements.

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. In accordance with 130 7 c 9 a yes provided the arc rating of the clothing system is sufficient to prevent break open. 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. What was formerly referred to as fr flame resistant clothing is to be called arc rated or ar according to the standard change.

The 269 standard 1910 269 l 6. Also called fr clothing this protective clothing resists ignition and helps insulate against heat. 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. Similar but different how to tell the difference between arc rated ar flash fire rated ffr and flame resistant fr.

The national fire protection association nfpa published the latest edition of the nfpa 70e standard in 2018. In 2012 nfpa 70e changed the terminology referencing personal protective equipment ppe. 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. 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.

It includes flame resistant garments made of materials that naturally resist burning or melting. Arc related injuries can range from minor to severe burns blindness hearing and memory loss from the pressure wave broken bones or death. Paragraph l 8 v of 1910 269 does not require arc rated protection for exposures of 2 cal cm 2 or less. The arc rating of the individual layers cannot be added together to determine the arc rating of the layered clothing system.

Clothing shall cover potentially exposed areas as completely as possible. When a worker is exposed to an arc the clothing they wear may play a large role in the severity of the potential injury.