Three steps to comply with NFPA® 70E apparel requirements

At ARAMARK Uniform Services, we can help you navigate through important FR apparel and PPE decisions so your workplace becomes compliant with NFPA® 70E. We offer a wide selection of products to not only enable you to get up to code, but more importantly, to help you safeguard your employees from the ignition hazards they face on a day-to-day basis. Whatever industry you're in, we can tailor an FR clothing program to fit your workforce and provide the appropriate level of protection for each and every risk they face.

STEP 1: Conduct a Shock and Flash Hazard Analysis

Under NFPA® 70E, employers are required to conduct a hazard analysis to determine the “flash protection boundary.” This boundary is defined as the area where exposure to an electric arc is predicted to cause a second-degree burn injury and FR clothing and/or PPE is required for worker safety. The requirements for FR clothing and other PPE is determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the specific hazard present.

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STEP 2: Determine PPE Clothing Needs Based on Degree of Hazard

The industry-wide method for determining the appropriate type of FR clothing an employer needs is with the NFPA® 70E Hazard/Risk Chart. Use this reference table to determine the arc rating that corresponds to each Hazard/Risk category, required to meet NFPA®70E specifications.

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STEP 3: Select Protective Clothing that Matches the Hazard Category

All garments are rated based on their ability to protect against electric arcs (which is expressed as cal/cm²). NFPA® 70E requires that all garments have a minimum arc rating, which may be either ATPV or EBT. You should keep in mind that certain tasks may require additional PPE, such as hard hats, face shields, double-layer FR flash hoods, safety glasses/safety goggles, leather gloves, voltage-rated gloves, and voltage-rated tools. The most effective way to comply with NFPA® 70E is to choose protective clothing made from FR fabrics. Untreated cotton and wool and the fabrics made from these fibers do not provide FR protection against the range of hazardous conditions that can occur in the workplace environments faced with ignition hazards.

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