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ELECTRIC NFPA 70E

ELECTRICAL SAFETY IN THE
ARC FLASH WORKPLACE
NFPA® 70E electrical safety related work practices
for workplaces and requires employees working on
or near energized parts and equipment to wear fl ame
resistant clothing that meets the requirements of ASTM
F1506.

THE TEST
NFPA 70E standard provides the table below as a
guideline for the selection of protective apparel when
working within the arc fl ash boundary. The higher the
ARC rating value, the greater the protection.
ARC 1 (which is low risk)
UFR48 ARC 4 (which is high risk and requires FR clothing with a
THE RISK minimum arc rating of 40).
An Electric Arc and the resulting Arc
Flash is the rapid and dangerous REQUIRED
release of energy due to an electrical ARC MINIMUM
arcing fault. The extreme heat creates RATED CLOTHING ARC RAT-
a large amount of thermal radiant PPE DESCRIPTION ING OF
PPE/CAL/
energy and produces electrical CM2
shock. The risk occurs when working
both at low and high voltage. 1 ARC: Arc rated FR
1 Shirt and FR pants or 4
ARC
FR Coverall
WHO IS AT RISK? 2 ARC: Arc rated FR
2
Those working with and around low and ARC Shirt and FR pants or 8
high voltage electricity. FR Coverall
3 ARC: Arc rated FR
Shirt and FR pants
or FR Coverall, and
UFR49 3
ARC arc fl ash suit selected 25
INJURIES so that the system
arc rating meets the
Thermal burns, hearing loss, blindness,
nerve damage, cardiac arrest, shrapnel required minimum
injury (blast) and potential death.
4 ARC: Arc rated FR
Shirt and FR pants or
FR Coverall and arc
4
ARC fl ash suit selected 40
so that the system
arc rating meets the
required minimum

ASTM F1959/F1959M
FT05
ASTM F1959/F1959M is the test method for
determining the ARC rating of materials for clothing.

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