FLAME RESISTANT - USA STANDARDS
NFPA 70E
REQUIRED MINIMUM ARC RATING OF PPE/CAL/CM2
NFPA® 70E
ARC RATED PPE
CLOTHING DESCRIPTION
This standard addresses electrical safety-related work practices for employee workplaces and requires employees working on or near energized parts and equipment to wear flame resistant clothing that meets the requirements of ASTM F1506. The NFPA 70E standard provides table 130.7(C)(16) as a guideline for the selection of protective apparel. This table lists the requirements for PPE based on arc flash PPE categories 1 through 4. This clothing and equipment shall be used when working within the arc flash boundary. The table ranges from ARC 1 (which
is low risk) up to ARC 4 (which is high risk and requires FR clothing with a minimum arc rating of 40). The higher the ARC rating value, the greater the protection.
1 ARC: Arc rated FR Shirt and FR pants or FR Coverall
1 ARC
4
2 ARC: Arc rated FR Shirt and FR pants or FR Coverall
2 ARC
8
3 ARC: Arc rated FR Shirt and FR pants or FR Coverall, and arc flash suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the required minimum 4 ARC: Arc rated FR Shirt and FR pants or FR Coverall and arc flash suit selected so that the system arc rating meets the required minimum
3 ARC
25
4 ARC
40
NFPA 2112
NFPA® 2112
This standard specifies the minimum performance requirements and test methods for flame resistant fabric and components and the design and certification requirements for garments for use in areas at risk from flash fires. Flame resistant fabrics must pass a comprehensive list of thermal tests, including the following: • ASTM F2700 – Heat Transfer Performance (HTP) Test
This test is a measure of the unsteady state heat transfer properties of garment materials. • ASTM D6413 – Vertical Flammability (Flame Resistance) Test This test is used to determine how easily fabrics ignite and continue to burn once ignited. • Thermal Shrinkage Resistance Test This test measures a fabrics resistance to shrinkage when exposed to heat. • Heat Resistance Test
This test measures how fabrics and components react to the high heat that could occur during a flash fire. • ASTM F1930-11 – Thermal Manikin Test This test provides an overall evaluation of how the fabric performs in a standardized coverall design after three-second thermal exposure. • FTMS 191A – Thread melting resistance Thread used in flame resistant
garments must withstand temperatures of up to 500°F.
ASTM F1506-10a
ASTM® F1506
These textile materials must meet the following performance requirements: - A general requirement that thread and components used in garment construction shall not contribute to the severity of injuries to the wearer in the event of a momentary electric arc and related thermal exposure. - A set of minimum performance specifications for knit and woven fabrics including strength, colorfastness, flame
resistance before and after washing and arc test results. - Testing for flame resistance in accordance with ASTM Test Method D6413 vertical flame test. - When tested as received in accordance with ASTM Test Method F1959 arc performance, the fabric may not have more than 5.0 seconds after flame time when tested. Garments must be labelled with the
following: - Tracking code - Statement that the garments meet the requirements of F1506 - Manufacturer’s name, size information - Care instructions and fiber content - ARC rating (ATPV) or (EBT)
ASTM F1959/F1959M
ASTM® F1959/F1959M
STANDARD TEST METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE ARC RATING OF MATERIALS FOR CLOTHING FABRIC ONLY TEST. This test method determines the Arc Thermal Performance Value (ATPV) or Energy Breakdown Threshold (Ebt) of a fabric. The result (expressed in cal/cm2) represents the maximum incident thermal energy in units of energy per square area that a fabric can support before the wearer will suffer second degree burns.
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