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The difference between flame retardant and arc flash resistant
MARK LANT , TECHNICAL EXPERT AT PROGARM TALKS US THROUGH THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FLAME RETARDANT AND ARC FLASH RESISTANT PPE , AND WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS KNOW THE DIFFERENCE .
In any potentially hazardous environment , it is of fundamental importance to understand how risks can be mitigated . Here we consider the risk of arc flash incidents and the need to protect your team with specialist protection from the dangers such an incident can pose .
Mitigating risk with safe working practices , and by providing appropriate garments that offer superior Arc Flash protection , saves lives every day . For many decades , flame resistant clothing has helped reduce the risk of severe burn injuries to workers . These types of garments are either made from treated cotton or , more often nowadays , self-extinguishing materials . Both of which provide managers with a reliable option for keeping their teams safe . However , while most health and safety professionals are confident about fire and electrical safety protection , they may be less knowledgeable against the dangers posed by an arc flash incident .
Contrary to popular belief , flame retardant PPE can ’ t protect against burns in an arc flash incident , as these burns aren ’ t caused by fire , but by thermal energy . This means that protecting a team against an arc flash incident requires more specialist garments .
What is an arc flash ? Hotter than the sun and louder than a bullet being shot , an arc flash is when an arcing fault releases dangerous levels of radiant energy , which vaporises metal that spews from the arc . The air is super-heated causing pressure waves that can throw individuals across rooms and create a deadly molten shrapnel . They can be caused by voltage spikes , worn connections , cable strikes or gaps in insulation , and are a risk even in low-voltage set ups .
Treatment for those that survive an incident can require years of skin grafts , hospital stays and rehabilitation – they may never recover sufficiently to regain their lifestyle , so it ’ s safe to say that choosing the appropriate PPE is key when it comes to arc flash safety .
How does flame resistant differ from arc flash ? Unfortunately , although flame resistant clothing meets acceptable industry standards for the risks associated with fires , unless they are specifically designed and certified they are not designed to also withstand an arc flash incident .
There are , in fact , separate safety standards for arc flash clothing , which go further than the ones for fire resistance , meaning that the level of protection provided by flame resistant clothing does not match that of arc-resistant PPE . Indeed , fabric used in arc-resistant garments must meet higher tear resistance and tensile strength than those required for fire-resistant clothing .
This is because arc flash protective clothing is designed to not only protect operatives from fire , but from the thermal energy generated by an arc flash , which can also cause external and internal burns .
While the threads used for the structural seams must be fire-resistant , under IEC 61482 , arc flash resistant clothing has various standards that separate it from fire-resistant clothing . Each arc-resistant garment must be designed in a way to allow the wearer to quickly remove the item , must always have long sleeves rather than short sleeves , and feature no exposed metal .
However , it ’ s not just the fabric that needs to be arc flash resistant , in order to provide the ultimate protection , garments should have every stitch , button , popper , zip and press-stud as flame resistant to provide enhanced and effective arc flash protection as well as durability .
When searching for appropriate arc flash PPE , safety experts should keep their eyes peeled for SafetyICON marking or equivalent , which allows workers to see what type of protection they offer , as well as suitable , arc resistant components , which have been safety approved and tested to withstand an arc flash incident .
Making the right choice There ’ s no disputing the danger posed by arc flash incidents , but to fully understand the protection offered by making the correct PPE choice here are five ways ProGARM arc flash PPE saves lives . 1 Protects you from internal burns caused by the energy in an arc flash incident 2 The garments instantly extinguish to avoid the additional risk of fire 3 Thermsafe fastenings don ’ t melt or fail , meaning clothing can be safely removed
4 The fabrics have inherent protection , so they offer as much protection one year later as they did on day one
5 They are super-comfortable which means that users will wear it properly so allowing it to do its job . Our experts know that any PPE must make it easier for enable workers to do their job , not hinder it .
Fuel Oil News | August 2021 21