Arc Flash & Textile Testing for PPE
ASTM F2302 has been reinstated as, Standard Performance Specification for Labeling Protective Clothing Which Provides Resistance to Incidental Exposures to Heat or Open Flame. The previous edition of ASTM F2302, which was titled Standard Performance Specification for Labeling Protective Clothing as Heat and Flame Resistant, had been administratively withdrawn in February 2017 by ASTM because […]
What’s new with Arc Rated and Flame Resistant Gloves and what should you consider when specifying them into your PPE Program? The need is increasing for gloves that protect from multiple hazards like cut, puncture and abrasion listed in ANSI 105 in addition to arc ratings and flame resistance. Read ArcWear’s Incident Prevention article to […]
Q: Our customer is specifying “HRC 2”. What does this mean? A: Hazard Risk Categories (HRC) was a term coined by NFPA 70E-2000 to “group” levels of PPE with a goal of simplifying PPE programs for end users. The 2018 edition of NFPA 70E replaced the term “HRC” with “PPE Categories” since the risk assessment […]
The latest revision of the standard has updated the test method for waterproofness of seams to AATCC 127 Water Resistance: Hydrostatic Pressure Test. This change has been made to align with the requirements of ASTM F2733, the Standard Specification for Flame Resistant Flame-Resistant Rainwear for Protection Against Flame Hazards. The requirements of testing seams from […]
ASTM F2675 has been revised and published as a 2019 edition with significant updates. All references to ASTM D120 for rubber insulating gloves and ASTM F696 for leather protectors have been removed. This change allows rubber gloves and leather protectors to be rated independently of those product conformance standards. Arc ratings were previously limited in […]
The newest version of ASTM F887-18 for Fall Protection was recently published and is now available for purchase. A few updates were made relevant to Section 22 on Electric Arc Performance: Harness designs with both frontal and dorsal attachments now require 12 drops (previously 8), which means additional arc exposures will be required on these […]
ASTM F18 voted by 92% to allow testing of ASTM D120 and ASTM F696 gloves for arc ratings. Many had been tested, but few manufacturers would label the gloves because the committee had included a statement in the scope to exclude D120 and F696 gloves from arc testing. While the statement was intended to prevent […]
NFPA 70E Electrical Safety in the Workplace made a change in 2018 that directly affects PPE and how conformity may be determined. The mandatory requirement is a little different from the previous versions in the following ways: The standard now requires that the level of conformity be issued by the manufacturer; it can be level […]
In May of 2019, a new version of IEC 61482-1-1 (2.0) is expected be published. It will include a new, more conservative, type of arc rating for materials called the Incident Energy Limit Value (ELIM). Arc Ratings are calculated using at least 20 data points and a logistic regression to determine the incident energy level […]
In terms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), what is the difference between Flame Resistance, Flame Retardants and “Rated” materials and garments? These are words commonly seen in the industrial AR and FR market–so what do they mean, and what hazard can you expect “flame resistant” clothing to protect from? Defining the Terms Flame Resistance– “The property […]