NFPA 70E Arc Flash Suits · Arc Flash Hazard Suits · Electrical Hazard Protective Clothing

NFPA 70E-rated arc flash protective clothing and electrical arc flash hazrd kits are a safety requirement for employees working on or near energized industrial equipment. We carry a wide selection of 70E Arc Flash HRC 1, HRC 2, HRC 3, and HRC 4 kits, arc flash coveralls, arc flash coats, arc flash jackets, arc flash electrical safety gloves, and accessories by NSA National Safety Apparel, Workrite, Steel Grip, OEL Worldwide and other leading electric protective apparel manufacturers.

Anchortex Corporation is a distributor of Hazard Risk Category 1, Hazard Risk Category 2, Hazard Risk Category 3, and Hazard Risk Category 4 arc flash protective gear for industrial and electrical safety and NFPA 70E compliance in the workplace, including gloves, hoods, coveralls, coats, and complete arc flash suits and arc flash kits. Many of our products can be customized by the manufacturer upon request to add NFPA 70E-safe logos and emblems; contact our sales department for more information.

The following are the NFPA 70E compliance requirements for arc flash protection:

Minimum Clothing Requirements for NFPA 70E Compliance

HRC	Protective Clothing	Minimum Cal/cm2	Additional Personal Protective Equipment Required
HRC -1	Natural fiber short-sleeved shirt and long pants	N/A	Safety Glasses, Leather Safety Shoes, Hard Hat
HRC 0	Natural fiber long-sleeved shirt and pants	N/A	Safety Glasses, Leather Safety Shoes, Hard Hat
HRC 1	Denim jeans and arc-rated FR long-sleeved shirt OR arc-rated FR long-sleeved shirt and pants OR arc-rated FR coveralls	4	Safety Glasses, Leather Safety Shoes, Hard Hat, Arc-Rated Face Shield
HRC 2	Arc-rated FR long-sleeved shirt and pants OR arc-rated FR coveralls	8	Safety Glasses, Leather Safety Shoes, Hard Hat, Arc-Rated Face Shield (ASTM recommends 8+ cal/cm2 stocking hood ORmulti-layer switching hood in certain circumstances)
HRC 3	Multi-Layer arc flash suit over arc-rated FR long-sleeved shirt and pants over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants OR Multi-Layer arc flash suit over arc-rated FR coveralls over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants	25	Safety Glasses, Leather Safety Shoes, Hard Hat, Multi-Layer Switching Hood, Hearing Protection, OR Arc-Rated Goggle and Stocking Hood
HRC 4	Multi-Layer flash suit over arc-rated FR long-sleeved shirt and pants over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants OR Multi-Layer flash suit over arc-rated FR coveralls over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants	40	Safety Glasses, Leather Safety Shoes, Hard Hat, Multi-Layer Switching Hood, Hearing Protection, OR Arc-Rated Goggle and Stocking Hood

The following information is provided by VF Imagewear, manufacturers of Bulwark FR arc flash protective apparel, as a convenience and for informational purposes only, and does not constitute a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Anchortex Corporation recommends that you undergo a full NFPA 70E hazard / risk evaluation and training program for your workplace and takes no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information presented here.

NFPA 70E - STANDARD FOR ELECTRICAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYEE WORKPLACES

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 70E, 2009 Edition, became effective September 5, 2008. This American National Standard addresses electrical safety requirements for activities such as operation, repair or demolition of exposed energized electrical conductors or circuit parts. This standard covers virtually all aspects of workplace electrical safety, recognizing hazards associated with the use of electrical energy, and taking precautions so that hazards do not cause injury or death.

The 2009 Edition eliminated Chapter 4 on Installation Safety Requirements because it was a duplicate of National Electrical Code installation requirements. Other changes addressed host employer/contract employer responsibilities. The host employer is responsible for advising the contractor of known hazards and other information about the work site. The contractor employer is responsible for instructing his/her employees in the hazards communicated by the host employer and for ensuring that the contract employees follow required rules and work practices.

The employer must implement and document an overall electrical safety program that directs activity appropriate for the voltage, energy level and circuit conditions. This includes hazard/risk evaluation and job briefing procedures and must be audited annually. Employees must be qualified to do the work and trained to understand the specific hazards and potential injury associated with electrical energy. Employees exposed to shock hazards must be retrained annually in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

WHAT EMPLOYERS NEED TO KNOW

NFPA is a national consensus standard that establishes best practices for protection from electric arcs.

Employers must conduct both shock and flash hazard analysis to establish a flash protection boundary.

If energized electrical conductor or circuit parts operating at 50 volts or more are not placed in an electrically safe work condition within the Limited Approach Boundary, written authorization by work permit is required. In addition to a description of the circuit and equipment, other requirements must be implemented including Lockout/Tagout devices, a shock hazard analysis and a flash hazard analysis. An exception for the work permit requirement was added for tasks involving visual inspection.

When work will be performed within the Flash Protection Boundary, the employer must document the incident energy exposure in calories per square centimeter. Arc rated clothing and PPE must be worn either based on the incident energy determined for the specific task or by using Table 130(C)(9) to determine the hazard/risk category. Job briefing procedures and must be audited annually.

Annex H provides a simplified approach to select appropriate arc rated clothing and PPE based on whether the task requires 'everyday work clothing' or 'electrical switching clothing'.

THREE STEPS TO COMPLIANCE WITH NFPA 70E

Implement and Document an Overall Electrical Safety Program

The employer must implement and document an overall electrical safety program that directs activity appropriate for the voltage, energy level and circuit conditions. This includes hazard/risk evaluation and job briefing procedures and must be audited annually. Employees must be qualified to do the work and trained to understand the specific hazards and potential injury associated with electrical energy. Employees exposed to shock hazards must be retrained annually in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Determine PPE Based Incident Energy Task, or from Table 130.7(C)(11)

Hazard Risk Category	Clothing Description	Minimum Cal/cm2
HRC 1	Arc-rated FR shirt and FR pants or FR coverall	4
HRC 2	Arc-rated FR shirt and FR pants or FR coverall	8
HRC 3	Arc-rated FR shirt and pants or FR coverall, and arc flash suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the required minimum	25
HRC 4	Arc-rated FR shirt and pants or FR coverall, and arc flash suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the required minimum	40

SELECT PPE (PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT)

Employees must 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). Conductive items such as jewelry, necklaces, etc. may not be worn where they present a contact hazard. Clothing made from synthetic materials that melt such as nylon, polyester, polypropylene and Spandex may not be used unless such blends meet the requirements of ASTM F 1506 and do not exhibit melting and sticking during arc testing.

Be aware that other PPE may be required for specific tasks including hearing protection, voltage-rated tools and gloves, etc.

NOMEX Arc Flash Suit c/w Vented Hood (40 cal/cm²) -C&G Safety: NOMEX Arc Flash Suit c/w Vented Hood (40 cal/cm²)