3/3/2024 0 Comments Arc flash boundary infographic![]() ![]() What determines the extent of the injuries? Your choice of protective clothing.Īny worker with the potential to be exposed to an arc flash should be wearing AR clothing. Injuries range from minor or severe burns and blindness to hearing and memory loss, broken bones, and death. Temperatures can reach hotter than the surface temperature of the sun in fractions of a second, and workers may be exposed to hot gases, intense waves of pressure, and shrapnel from vaporized and molten metal particles. However, arc flashes pose one of the most serious risks to workers. Choosing the Right Protective Clothing for the Jobīoth FR and AR materials protect the wearer from burns. Unlike previous editions of the safety standard, it assists working in navigating this process by outlining the likelihood of occurrence and the potential injury severity from an arc flash hazard using a simple yes/no format. To determine the arc flash PPE categories, arc flash boundary, and minimum arc flash ratings necessary for their PPE. ![]() The new standard, 2018 NFPA 70E, requires workers to use table 130.5(C) and a series of tables in 130.7(C)(15) If holes develop in the fabric before the threshold is reached, the rating is called the EBT (Energy Breakopen Threshold) instead. The test results are expressed in calories and generally known as the ATPV (Arc Thermal Performance Value). It is exposed to a series of arc flashes to determine how much energy the fabric can block out before the wearer would experience second-degree burns 50 percent of the time. AR ClothingĪR clothing, on the other hand, undergoes rigorous testing above and beyond that required for FR clothing. While OSHA doesn’t define “flame resistant,” it does specify that clothing must be non-melting and must not be made of acetate, nylon, polyester, rayon, or polypropylene unless the fabric has been treated to withstand the hazardous conditions.įR clothing is not tested against exposure to an arc flash. In essence, it acts as a barrier to protect the wearer from the hazard. To be considered FR, the fabric must protect the wearer from burns by withstanding ignition or quickly self-extinguishing. While the gear can sometimes seem interchangeable, there’s a key difference to remember: all arc rated (AR) clothing is flame resistant (FR), but not all flame resistant clothing is arc rated. Understanding the difference is key to ensuring the safety of the workers you're responsible for equipping. But when it comes to flame and arc flash resistant clothing, you don’t want to be guessing. The world of PPE can be confusing, and it's not always easy to choose the right gear for a particular application. ![]()
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