Arc Protect Workwear Standards
IEC 61482
Protective clothing against thermal hazards of an electric arc
The IEC 61482 standard dictates that workwear must possess resistance properties against the thermal hazards of an electric arc.
Workwear produced according to this standard must delay the transfer of thermal energy by absorbing as much of it as possible.
For clothing to use this standard, the materials and garments must both be tested.
There are two classes for IEC 61482 protective clothing:
- Class 1: 4kA
- Class 2: 7kA
These classes refer to the measurement of energy that can be absorbed by the garment, with a probability of 50%, before the wearer experiences second degree burns.
This test is otherwise referred to as the “box test”. Protective clothing with a single layer will typically be rated as Class 1.
