As a leading PPC manufacturer, CHARNAUD® supplies their garments and equipment to a number of countries including those in the European Union, Middle East and the US. What this means is that CHARNAUD® garments are certified to several international safety standards, thereby ensuring that wearers are suitably protected against the hazards of their jobs wherever they may be in the world.
The Different Arc Flash Standards
CHARNAUD® SURVIVE-ARC® garments undergo a series of stringent tests in order to be certified to international safety standards both in Europe and the US. European safety standards are prefixed by the letters ‘IEC’ and US standards are prefixed by the letters ‘ASTM’.
European Standard – IEC
According to European standards, IEC 61482-2 stipulates that electrical arc flash PPC &PPE be tested to one of two methods, or both:
• Open Arc Test Method, IEC 61482-1-1
This will provide a fabric or garment arc rating expressed in cal/cm2
• Box Test Method, IEC 61482-1-2
This will determine the arc protection class rating of a fabric or garment, which is either Class 1 or Class 2.
Depending on which test method is used, the garment will have a pictogram showing either the arc rating or arc protection class rating. In line with the PPC & PPE Directive EU 2016/425, all CHARNAUD® SURVIVE-ARC® garments are CE-marked and subject to the Module D manufacturing certification.
The CE mark is there as a mark of quality to inform the wearer that the safety test reports has been verified by an independent auditing body, and the information therein is true, correct and valid. The series of digits which follow the CE mark on your CHARNAUD® SURVIVE-ARC® garments denote which independent auditing body is responsible for verifying the garment’s test reports and checking that the information contained in the documents is not out of date. Garment test reports are carefully checked, and garments are inspected to prove that the components listed on the manufacturer’s CE application are consistent with the garment’s physical components.
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US Standard- ASTM
NFPA 70E, requires that a fabric and garment be assessed against the ASTM F1506 performance standard for the thermal effects of electric arc flash.
• ASTM F1959 – Open Arc Test Method
This method is used to determine the arc rating of an FR fabric. Only once the fabric’s arc rating is determined, can a finished product or garment then be tested and evaluated. The finished product is also exposed to electric arc flash and tested according to ASTM F2621.
As per NFPA 70E, a fabrics arc rating alone does not determine the arc rating of the PPC; a garment needs to have a one shot test as per ASTM F2621, or in the case of hoods, ASTM F2178, in order to safely determine the garment systems ATPV. There is a minimum arc rating required in 4 different PPC categories, with the lowest being Cat 1 (Category 1) which has the lowest arc rating per-square-centimetre, or 4 cal/cm2. The next 3 levels stipulate a minimum arc rating of 8, 25 and 40 calories-per-square-centimetre or cal/cm2, respectively. The garment’s ATPV can be found on the label, as per the NFPA regulations.
Order Your Team’s SURVIVE-ARC® Garments Today
CHARNAUD® SURVIVE-ARC® garments are IEC 61482-2, NFPA 70E and SANS-724 certified. By purchasing a CHARNAUD® SURVIVE-ARC® garment, you can be assured of the highest safety standards and that the fabric and garment testing certifications are verified as true, valid and are up to date. Request a quote on our website today.
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