Arc Flash and Electrical Safety Solutions for Canada
CSA Z462 and NFPA 70E are heavily aligned because CSA Z462 was created based on NFPA 70E through a memorandum of understanding between the two organizations. The goal is to harmonize electrical safety standards across North America to ensure consistency for multinational companies and to elevate overall safety practices.
Personal Protective Equipment categories
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) uses four Arc Flash PPE Categories to classify ranges of arc flash hazards, and the corresponding requirements for PPE. The categories are one of the methods used in the current NFPA 70E standard to inform workers about the protection they need while working on energized equipment. CSA Z462 recently added an Arc Flash PPE Category 5 for equipment with potential incident energy levels up to 75 cal/cm2.
Each category includes a minimum arc rating value for the required PPE. This value is determined by the PPE manufacturer, and indicates the protection provided by the equipment (in cal/cm2) as the point where a worker would have a 50% probability of receiving a 2nd degree skin burn.
Always abide by the limits of use and minimum working distance. The following PPE categories are described by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 70E. The greater the electrical hazard, the higher the personal protective equipment arc rating must be to withstand an arc-flash incident. Please note that the following chart is a summary only. For a complete list of NFPA standards see NFPA 70E Table 130.7( C)(16)
Arc-Rated Clothing
- AR long-sleeve shirt and pants or arc rated coverall
- AR face shield or arc flash suit hood
- AR gloves
- AR jacket, parka, rainwear or hard hat liner
Protective Equipment
- Hard hat
- Safety glasses or safety goggles
- Hearing Protection
- Heavy-duty leather gloves
- Leather footwear
Minimum Arc Rating
4 Cal/cm²
Arc-Rated Clothing
-
AR long-sleeve shirt and pants or arc-rated coverall
-
AR suit
- AR Gloves
-
Suit hood or arc-rated face shield & balaclava
-
AR jacket, parka, rainwear, or hard hat liner
Protective Equipment
- Hard hat
- Safety glasses or safety goggles
- Hearing Protection
- Heavy-duty leather gloves
- Leather footwear
Arc-Rated Clothing
-
AR long-sleeve shirt, pants, and hood or arc-rated coverall and hood
-
AR suit consisting of hood, coat, bib overalls, or hood & coveralls
-
AR gloves
-
AR jacket, parka, rainwear, or hard hat liner
Protective Equipment
- Hard hat
- Safety glasses or safety goggles
- Hearing Protection
- Heavy-duty leather gloves
- Leather footwear
Arc-Rated Clothing
-
AR long-sleeve shirt, pants, and hood or arc-rated coverall and hood
-
AR suit consisting of hood, coat, bib overalls, or hood & coveralls
-
AR gloves
-
AR jacket, parka, rainwear, or hard hat liner
Protective Equipment
- Hard hat
- Safety glasses or safety goggles
- Hearing Protection
- Heavy-duty leather gloves
- Leather footwear
Arc-Rated Clothing
-
AR long-sleeve shirt, pants, and hood or arc-rated coverall and hood
-
AR suit consisting of hood, coat, bib overalls, or hood & coveralls
-
AR gloves
-
AR jacket, parka, rainwear, or hard hat liner
Protective Equipment
- Hard hat
- Safety glasses or safety goggles
- Hearing Protection
- Heavy-duty leather gloves
- Leather footwear
Overview of Electrical Safety Standards
North American and European Standards
NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 Standards
The National Fire Protection Association and the Canadian Standards Association address the required elements of corporate electrical safety program, including training, engineering controls, work methods, and ultimately the personal protective apparel as the last line of defense for worker safety.
European Standards
The European Economic Area or EAA has standards for health, safety, and environmental protection. All products sold into the EAA must meet these standards and should be CE marked by the manufacturer to signify these European Standards are met.
ANSI Standards
The American National Standards Institute oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel.
ASTM Standards
The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) F18 Committee has developed standards covering the manufacturing, testing, care and use of arc ash PPE. Oberon’s products have been certified using the most current version of every applicable ASTM testing standard and are in compliance with the overarching performance standard, ASTM F1506.
ASTM F1506 Standards
When it comes to labeling Arc Flash PPE it is important to refer to ASTM F1506 Standards.
Even after assessing the hazard risks and selecting the appropriate Arc Flash PPE, it still falls on the employer to ensure that each garment truly matches the hazard it’s designed to protect against. That’s why it’s especially important to identify proper labeling on the part of the manufacturer as an indicator that the garment is fully compliant.
According to ASTM F1506, arc flash garments must be labeled with the following information:
- 6.4.1 Meets requirements of Performance Specification F1506,
- 6.4.2 Manufacturer’s name,
- 6.4.3 Fabric identifier,
- 6.4.4 Garment Tracking and Identification Code:
- 6.4.5 Size and other associated standard labeling,
- 6.4.6 Care instructions and fiber content, and
- 6.4.7 Arc rating (ATPV) or arc rating (EBT).
In the most recent version of NFPA 70E the labeling requirements for PPE is also mentioned and is as follows:
(c) Marking. All suppliers or manufacturers of PPE shall provide the following information on the personal protective equipment, on the smallest unit container, or contained within the manufacturer’s instructions:
- Name of manufacturer.
- Product performance standards to which the product conforms.
- Arc rating where appropriate for the equipment.
- One or more identifiers such as model, serial number, lotnumber, or traceability code.
- Care instructions.
There is a lot of redundancy between the two standards and so it is easy to incorporate both standards into one label. It is an important practice to make a habit of reading your labels to better protect yourself and your crew from any potential electrical safety hazards.
NFPA 70E Conformity Standards
When it comes to labeling Arc Flash PPE it is important to refer to ASTM F1506 Standards.
Recent changes to NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 have created new conformity standards for Arc Flash PPE. There are 3 levels of conformity standards which are listed below.
- Self-declaration with a Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity.
- Self-declaration under a registered quality management system and product testing by an accredited laboratory and a Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity.
- Certification by an accredited independent third-party certification organization.
Additionally, it is important to note that NFPA 70E also now references an ANSI/ISEA 125 standard as an informational note to the new conformity standards. The note reads as follows:
- Informational Note: Examples of a process for conformity assessment to an appropriate product standard can be found in ANSI/ISEA 125, American National Standard for Conformity Assessment of Safety and Personal Protective Equipment. See Informative Annex H.4.
The reference to this ANSI standard is of particular importance as this standard requires testing of all products at an interval not longer than every five years. This requirement is part of an overall quality management system and is mandatory no matter what level of conformity the manufacturer is trying to achieve.
