Arc Protection Clothing Requirements

•OSHA CFR 1910.269 "The Employer shall ensure that each employee who is exposed to the hazards of flames or electric arcs does not wear clothing that, when exposed to flames or electric arcs, could increase the extent of injury that would be sustained by the employee."(I)(6)(iii).
•Clothing made from acetate, nylon, polyester and rayon either pure or blended should not be worn when working in hazardous environments.
•Clothing made from 100% cotton or wool must be determined acceptable for the conditions the worker will be exposed to. Clothing made from flame-resistant materials, that meet current ASTM F1506, is acceptable.
•ASTM F1506 details the specifications of a textile to be used by an electrical worker as a means of electrical arc protection. A garment must include a label, which states the following information: Tracking ID code, Meets ASTM F1506, Manufacturer's name, Care Instructions & Fiber Content, Size and "Arc Rating" - APTV or Ebt
•ASTM F2178 is the test method used to measure arc rated products intended to protect the face of workers exposed to electrical arcs.
•To evaluate FR clothing materials in order to measure the heat transferred through the fabric, two values are calculated: arc-thermal performance value (ATVP) and heat attenuation factor (HAF).
•ATPV is the minimum energy causing the predicted onset of second-degree burns.
•HAF is the percentage of total energy of the ac that the fabric prevents from passing through.
•Heavier or layers of FR fabrics give higher ATP values.

Always Perform a Hazard Assessment

The NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplace requires employers to perform an Electrical Arc Hazard Assessment. Each situation is unique and needs to be evaluated on its own merits. ASTM F1959 details the standardized test that must be used to determine the thermal protective value of textiles in an electrical arc application.
Clothing selected for a particular application shall have an arc protective rating of (Ebt or APTV) higher than the potential hazard to prevent the onset of 2nd degree burns. In the table to the right are examples of potential energy exposures based on the Duke Heat Flux Calculator on www.whsalisbry.com/calculator/ to compute potential thermal exposure.

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