A R C F L a S H P R O T E C T I V E C L O T H I N G F OR N F P A 7 0 E

NFPA 70E is the national consensus standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
The scope of this standard is to address safety-related work practices for the practical safeguarding of employees relative to the hazards associated with working around electrical energy. It specically covers those electrical work practices performed by electricians and maintenance workers within a facility. Nearly all industries fall under the practices outlined in NFPA 70E. Manufacturing industries using high-voltage electrical equipment, such as aerospace, automotive, food processing, pulp & paper, industrial equipment, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and many others, are all covered by NFPA 70E. However, NFPA 70E does not cover electrical work performed outside of the facility that is under the exclusive control of an electric utility. This industry is covered by the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC). Many state OSHA agencies use NFPA 70E as their guideline for evaluating the protection of electrical workers. Those companies not protecting their employees from electric arc ash hazards as described by this standard are at risk for potential nes should a safety inspection take place or an accident occur. So compliance with NFPA 70E not only protects workers but reduces the risk of OSHA nes. This informational guide will give you a brief overview of the NFPA 70E sections related to arc ash protective clothing and other PPE.

Arc Flash Protective Clothing FOR NFPA 70E 1

NFPA 70E
Article 130 Work Involving Electrical Hazards This is the section within NFPA 70E that addresses the conditions under which PPE is required and the type and level of protection needed for various work conditions. It starts by stating, Energized electrical conductors and circuit partsshall be put into an electrically safe work condition before an employee performs work With that said, the standard goes on to state that energized work shall be permitted where the employer can demonstrate that de-energizing introduces additional hazards or increased risk. It also states that energized work shall be permitted where the employer can demonstrate that the task to be performed is infeasible in a de-energized state due to equipment design or operational limitations. PLUS: Equipment operating at less than 50 volts is not required to be de-energized. Section 130.5 Arc Flash Hazard Analysis A critical piece of the hazard assessment is performing an arc ash hazard analysis. This analysis is required in order to establish the arc ash boundary, the incident energy at the working distance and the PPE that people within the arc ash boundary shall use. This section allows for the selection of the protective clothing and other PPE to be established by either performing an incident energy analysis or by using the Hazard/Risk Category (HRC) tables established in the standard. You can determine the Hazard/Risk Category by comparing the desired job with common tasks found in NFPA 70E table 130.7 (C)(15)(a). Once the task has been identied on the table, one of ve HRC numbers will be identied as appropriate for that task. Each of these categories requires garments with the minimum associated arc rating and other PPE to be worn.

70E Hazard/Risk Category Classication Table Table 130.7 (C)(15)(a) Tasks Performed on Energized Equipment Hazard/Risk Category Rubber Insulated and Insulating Insulating Gloves Hand Tools

Insertion or removal (racking) of CBs from cubicles, doors open or closed

Application of temporary protective grounding equipment after voltage test

Removal of bolted covers (to expose bare, energized electrical conductors and circuit parts)

Hazard Assessment In order to determine the proper type and protection level of PPE, a hazard assessment must be performed. In addition, federal OSHA requires employers to conduct hazard assessments in accordance with 29 CFR 1910.132(d). If an arc ash hazard is present, OSHA deems the employer to be in compliance if NFPA 70E is the basis of determining the arc ash protection boundary and the necessary PPE. Other 600 V class (277 V through 600 V, nominal) equipment Parameters: Maximum of 65 kA short circuit current available; maximum of 0.03 sec (2 cycle) fault clearing time; minimum 18 in. working distance (exept as indicated) Potential arc ash boundary with exposed energized conductors or circuit parts using above parameters: 53 in.

Lighting or small power transformers (600 V, maximum) Removal of bolted covers (to expose bare, energized electrical conductors and circuit parts)
Energized Component

2 1 2

N N Y

N N Y

Fig. 1 ARC FLASH BOUNDARY = The distance at which the incident energy equals 1.2 cal/cm. This is the energy level that will generate a second-degree burn on exposed skin.

Opening hinged covers (to expose bare, energized electrical conductors and circuit parts) Work on energized electrical conductors and circuit parts, including voltage

Flash Boundary

Within the ash boundary, a person could receive at least a second-degree burn from an arc ash.

Once the HRC number has been identied from the task table, the PPE table 130.7 (C)(16) (see page 4) shall be used to determine the requirements for the specic protective clothing and other PPE based on that HRC number. HRC 1 and 2 are typically standard work clothes that have been arc rated from between a minimum of 4 cal/cm for HRC 1, and a minimum of 8 cal/cm for HRC 2. When the incident energy potential reaches 25 cal/cm, HRC 3 is required; at 40 cal/cm and greater, HRC 4 garments are required.

2 Workrite Uniform Company Inc.

Arc Flash Protective Clothing FOR NFPA 70E 3

70E Hazard/Risk Category Classication Table (Cont.) Table 130.7 (C)(16) Hazard/Risk Category Minimum Arc Rating

Section 130.7 Personal and Other Protective Equipment This is the section that provides specic requirements for those employees working in areas where electrical hazards are present. Those employees are required to be provided with and use protective equipment designed for the specic part of the body to be protected at the incident energy level, as established in the arc hazard analysis or as specied in the HRC tables. The specic parts of the body required to be protected include: Head, Face, Neck and Chin (Head Area) Protection Non-conductive head protection whenever there is a danger from shock, contact burns or ying objects from electrical explosions. The face, neck and chin shall be protected from exposure to electric arcs or ashes and ying objects. If hairnets or beardnets are used, they must be arc rated. Eye Protection Eye protection when there is a danger from electric arcs, ashes or ying objects. Hearing Protection Hearing protection whenever working within the arc ash boundary. Body Protection Arc-rated clothing whenever there is a possibility of exposure to an electric arc ash above an incident energy level of 1.2 cal/cm. Hand and Arm Protection Hand and arm protection as appropriate for either shock and/or arc ash as detailed in other sections.

Clothing & PPE Description

Factors in Selection The specic factors in the selection of protective clothing are stated as: If arc rated clothing is required, it shall cover associated parts of the body as well as all ammable apparel. It goes on to state that 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.

Protective Clothing: Non-melting or untreated natural ber at least 4.5 oz/yd Protective Equipment: Safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, leather gloves

N/A

Layering, Coverage and Fit General non-melting, ammable ber garments are permitted to be used as under layers in conjunction with arc-rated garments for added protection. The arc rating of the system must be sufcient to prevent break-open of the innermost arc-rated layer. Outer Layers The outermost layer, such as jackets or rainwear, must be made of arc-rated material. Under Layers Meltable bers such as acetate, nylon, polyester, polypropylene and spandex are not permitted in fabric under layers (underwear) next to the skin. Coverage Clothing must cover potentially exposed areas as completely as possible. Fit Tight-tting clothing should be avoided. Loose-tting clothing provides additional insulation because of air spaces. Interference The garment should have the least interference with the task but still provide the necessary protection.

Arc-Rated Clothing: Arc-rated long-sleeve shirt and pants or arc-rated coverall, arc-rated face shield or arc ash suit hood, arc-rated jacket, parka, rainwear or hard hat liner as needed Protective Equipment: Hard hat, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, leather gloves, leather work shoes Arc-Rated Clothing: Arc-rated long-sleeve shirt and pants or arc-rated coverall, arcrated face shield and arc-rated balaclava or arc ash suit hood, arc-rated jacket, parka, rainwear or hard hat liner as needed Protective Equipment: Hard hat, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, leather gloves, leather work shoes

4 cal/cm

8 cal/cm

Arc-Rated Clothing: Arc-rated long-sleeve shirt, arc-rated pants, arc-rated coverall, arc-rated ash suit jacket, arc-rated ash suit pants, arc-rated ash suit hood, arc-rated gloves, arc-rated jacket, parka, rainwear or hard hat liner as needed Protective Equipment: Hard hat, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, leather gloves, leather work shoes Arc-Rated Clothing: Arc-rated long-sleeve shirt, arc-rated pants, arc-rated coverall, arc-rated ash suit jacket, arc-rated ash suit pants, arc-rated ash suit hood, arc-rated gloves, arc-rated jacket, parka, rainwear or hard hat liner as needed Protective Equipment: Hard hat, safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, leather gloves, leather work shoes

25 cal/cm

40 cal/cm

4 Workrite Uniform Company Inc.

Arc Flash Protective Clothing FOR NFPA 70E 5

Simplied Choices with Two Clothing Sets Though different clothing is specied for each arc-rating minimum, many companies simplify their needs by choosing just two sets of clothing for their people to handle all electrical tasks: (a)  a garment set with an arc rating of at least 8 cal/cm for the more routine tasks of HRC 0, 1 and 2 (b)  a garment set with an arc rating of at least 40 cal/cm for more specialized tasks of HRC 3 and 4

So What Role Can Arc-Rated Clothing Play? Arc-rated clothing: Does not ignite or continue to burn Provides a protective barrier against the arc flash Insulates the wearer from heat Why is this important?  Most severe burns are caused by ignited clothing rather than by the original hazard.

 Clothed areas can be burned more severely than skin that is exposed directly to the arc ash. This is because the initial exposure is of a short duration while the burning clothing continues to apply heat to the skin until it either goes out or is removed.  The long-term cost of a single burn injury can exceed the cost of an entire FR clothing program.  Rehabilitation for burn injuries can be extremely long and painful.

Arc-rated clothing is worn as insurance. In the unlikely event of an arc ash, these garments: Minimize or reduce burn injury Increase chances of survival

Surviving a Flash Fire

Standards on Protective Equipment Table 130.7(C)(14) lists the various performance standards, to which the protective clothing and PPE needs to conform. PPE Type Document Number Document Title Standard Performance for Flame-Resistant and Arc-Rated Textile Materials for Wearing Apparel for Use by Electrical Workers Exposed to Momentary Electric Arc and Related Thermal Hazards Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Standard Test Method for Determining the Arc Rating and Standard Specication for Face Protective Products Standard Specication for Leather Protectors for Rubber Insulating Gloves and Mittens Standard Specication for Rubber Insulating Gloves Personal Protection Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers Standard Specication for Arc- and Flame-Resistant Rainwear Summary
% Survival

75 50 25 0 20-29 30-39 40-49 Age Groups 50-59

25% Body Burn 50% Body Burn 75% Body Burn

Apparel Arc Rated

ASTM F1506

Eye and Face General Face Arc Rated Gloves Leather Protectors Gloves Rubber Insulating Head Protection Hard Hat Rainwear Arc-Rated
6 Workrite Uniform Company Inc.

ANSI/ASSE Z87.1 ASTM F2178 ASTM F696 ASTM D120 ANSI/ISEA Z89 ASTM F1891

Each year, more than 2,000 employees are admitted to burn centers with severe burns resulting from arc ash accidents. Manufacturing facility workers within the arc ash boundary are at risk of being exposed to an arc ash event while performing common electrical work on energized parts or equipment. Because of that, being in compliance with the NFPA 70E safety standard not only protects those workers but reduces the risk of nes to the company should an accident occur.

Arc Flash Protective Clothing FOR NFPA 70E 7

Our mission is to be the best provider of high-quality ame-resistant apparel for working men and women.

Corporate Ofce 1701 North Lombard Street, Suite 200 Oxnard, California 93030 800/521-1888 805/483-0175 Fax 805/483-0678 www.workrite.com
10/17/12