Building safety programs require a lot of vocabulary and knowledge. It needs words related to FRC. A lot of terminologies are present on the list. Other than safety programs, these terms come in handy in many ways. Although, some of these words are hard to memorize and takes time. In this article, there are several important terms explained to you. They are in alphabetic order. So, you can easily seek guidelines whenever you need them.
Arc Flash
Arc flash is an electric discharge that happens due to the wrong path of electricity. It occurs when electricity travels via air or the ground, from one conductor to another. This can affect electricians, operation managers, maintenance services, and people working in such an environment. The temperature of the surroundings can rise above the 35,000 F°.
Arc-Rated (AR) Protective Clothing
These types of clothes protect against the arc flash. You must wear arc-rated protective clothing in places with the risk of arc flash hazards. You can measure the arc-rated clothing in cal/cm².
Remember that all the arc-rated clothes are FR. You can not say all the FR clothes will be arc-rated as well.
Break open
Manufacturers test the failure of arc-rated protective clothes. During the test formation of holes in the clothes. Break open is the name of the formation of holes and failure of the product.
Energy Break open Threshold (EBT)
It is the maximum energy that arc-rated clothing can bear before break open. It can tell you the amount of energy at its highest level before the formation of holes.
Flash Fire
Flash fire is a hazard that can occur mostly in the oil and gas industry. It can happen during drilling, exploration, and refining. Flash fire is a rapid and sudden explosion that takes place when flammable vapors mix with air. It causes intense fire in the surroundings.
Hazard Risk Assessment
Hazard risk assessment is a formal procedure. In this assessment, you determine the risk and hazard factors. The things that can cause potential harm. Employers should assess the risk at the workplace that requires personal protective equipment.
Hazard Risk Category (HRC)
The hazard risk category is the standard of NFPA. In this standard, they define the levels of arc flash clothes. From minimum to the maximum level of ATPV for manufacturing protective clothes.
PPE Category
It replaces the NFPA 70E in the 2015 edition. In the new edition, it eliminates the ‘0’ category. The new PPE category includes similar levels as HRC from 1 to 4. This edition is only for arc flash boundary.
CAT 1
The rating of the clothes in this category contains a minimum of 2 cal/cm² rating with one layer only.
CAT 2
HRC 2 rated garments in CAT 2 include rating between 8 cal/cm² and 25 cal/cm². Clothes contain one or two layers and you can call it “daily wear.”
CAT 3
HRC 3 rated garments contain an arc rating between 25 cal/cm² and 40 cal/cm². It includes two or 3 layers.
CAT 4
HRC 4 rated garments contain an arc rating equal to or greater than 40 cal/cm². It includes 3 or more layers.
You can check the FR layering fact sheet. It will provide you further information about the layering FR system.
Inherently Flame Resistant
Inherently flame resistant does not require any additional FR treatment. Those clothes during the manufacturing process become flame-resistant at the fiber level.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA®)
The NFPA is an organization working to eliminate the risk at a hazardous workplace. It works to provide the standards for the safety of workers.
NFPA® 2112
This is the standard of NFPA that is for the assessment of the protective clothing. The type of protective clothing for short-duration thermal exposure. It is for the testing methods and the performance of protective garments from flash fire.
NFPA® 70E
This standard is for the electrical safety of the workers working at risk of arc flash hazards. It is to ensure the safety of employees. NFPA 70E is only for the general industry electrical safety. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
OSHA is a federal agency working in the United States. The aim of this agency is to prevent occupational fatalities and injuries. It ensures that the employees working in hazardous surroundings stay safe and healthy.
OSHA covers a huge range of risks and hazards like electrical and fall hazards, toxic substances, harmful physical agents, fire and explosion, etc.
OSHA gives and enforces standards and educates workers through training programs.
OSHA 1910.269
This standard covers a wide range of electric power generation, distribution, and transmission. It asks the utilities to determine the probability of heat energy incidents. It states that employees working in such domains must wear arc-rated protective clothes. All the employees should acquire knowledge and understand about this standard.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
ANSI is a non-profit organization. The goal of the ANSI is to develop standards for products, services, processes, and systems. ANSI officially represents the US in International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
PPE is a safety gear that workers wear from different professional fields. PPE protects the wearer from any type of contamination and other risks. PPE includes arc-rated and flame resistant suits. It delivers utmost protection in case of any mishaps.
Moisture Wicking
Moisture-wicking fabrics dry out the sweat from the wearer’s body. This fabric cools down the temperature. So, the wearer can work in a comfortable, hygienic, and clean environment. There are many manufacturers who manufacture moisture-wicking fabrics.
Breathability
Most of the workers, especially in the fields with high-temperature need breathable PPEs. Breathability means the fabric that allows the transmission of air through protective clothes. In this way, the wearer can work more effectively.
