2 What is an fault arc - Die BG ETEM

5 Standardized test procedures for PPE
products against thermal arc hazards
5.1 General
Necessary base for the assessment of PPE and their selection for practical use are
reproducible product tests. The PPE have to be tested for proving its resistance as
well as its protection effect (heat attenuation) against the thermal effects of electric
fault arcs (see Fig. 5.1).
PPE must meet these two requirements
regarding arc flash risks. In
the past the considerations and tests
were only focussed on flame resistance
and proving PPE to do not
aggravate the arc consequences. To
be flame retardant, is a very important
base for PPE but not sufficient.
PPE components such as textiles
of garment and clothing, gloves and
visors must also limit the incident energy
to a non-dangerous degree. According
tests of products as
well as systems are necessary with
measuring the incident energy.
Today there are 2 different test methods
standardized for testing of textile
material and clothing and meeting the
requirements mentioned above:
Fig. 5.1: Test mannequin with a jacket
exposed to an arc in a box test
• The Arc rating test according to IEC or EN 61482-1-1 [3] and
• The Box test according to IEC or EN 61482-1-2 [4].
Both test methods use different test-set-ups, arc configurations and types, test
parameters, test procedures and result parameters. The results cannot be neither
physically compared nor mathematically transformed into each other. PPE have to
be tested and assessed either to the one or the other method.
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