Arc Flash Clothing in California

Arc Flash Clothing in California

Burlington Safety Laboratory is a leading test lab and provider of insulating personal protective equipment (PPE) like arc flash clothing. We have been testing and distributing PPE since 1971, and our company president played a key role in establishing standards for the National Association of Independent Laboratories for Protective Equipment Testing (NAIL for PET). Our testing procedures meet NFPA 70E, ASTM/ANSI and CAL OSHA standards. As part of our rigorous quality control, we document every article with its test values and dates.

If you are looking for arc flash or flame-resistant clothing in California, Burlington Safety Laboratory has two locations to serve you.  We have an office in northern California in the city of Pleasanton as well as an office in southern California in the city of Westminster.

Learn more about the importance of arc flash clothing, its requirements, and the products we offer.

What Is Arc Flash Clothing?

Arc flash clothing protects the wearer by providing a barrier against heat and flames. It maximizes overall protection and minimizes burn injury risk, giving the wearer extra time to escape the fire or secondary explosions. By protecting against burns, this flame-resistant clothing increases survival rates while reducing the need for medical treatment such as skin grafts and the likelihood of infections.

While arc flash PPE kits are not intended as firefighting gear, electrical workers wear them to protect themselves from serious injury due to arc flash and explosions. As a result, PPE plays a vital role in preserving the electrical worker’s quality of life if they are exposed to an arc flash accident.

Arc Flash Clothing Requirements

Even when components are not energized, arc flash can occur at any time and can cause severe injury or death. NFPA 70E requires electrical workers within the flash protection boundary to wear arc flash clothing and have an understanding of arc flash protective clothing requirements. Inadequate arc flash clothing puts workers at risk of serious injury, while excessive levels of arc flash clothing can restrict movement and vision, which can increase accident risk, work time, and work difficulty.

To have optimal protection, workers must wear arc flash clothing that complies with NFPA 70E. NFPA 70E classifies five levels of arc flash risk and assigns a level of protection based on the incident energy in calories. It ranges from Category 0—with an incident energy of 2 calories or less—to Category 4, which has an incident energy level of 25 to 40 calories or more. The degree of protection and number of layers required increases according to the category.

Nomex® arc flash clothing meets or exceeds ASTM F1506 and NFPA 70E multi-hazard thermal environment standards.

The Importance of Arc Flash Clothing

Arc flash results from one or more faulty bus bars quickly releasing energy, causing a blinding light and burst of heat that can reach up to 35,000 °F. When a current departs from its normal pathway, it can ionize the surrounding air, which turns from an insulator to a conductor. As a result, the energy released from the bus bars can lead to an explosion.

Energy from the explosion gets transferred to nearby surfaces, such as workers’ clothing and skin. Therefore, working on or around energized and potentially energized equipment can expose workers to dangerous arc flash and electrocution. Wearing the appropriate PPE is their last line of defense.

Our Arc Flash Clothing Offerings

Burlington Safety Laboratory offers the following types of flame-resistant arc flash clothing:

  • Arc Flash Faceshields
  • Arc Flash Coats
  • Arc Flash Coveralls
  • Arc Flash Dailywear
  • Arc Flash Head Protection
  • Arc Flash Hood
  • Arc Flash Kits
  • Arc Flash Bib Overalls
  • Arc Flash Suits

Contact Burlington Safety Laboratory for Your Arc Flash Clothing Needs

Arc flash accidents can cause serious injury or death to electrical workers if they are not properly protected. Having adequate arc flash clothing and PPE is crucial to protecting your workers and enhancing their productivity. At Burlington Safety Laboratory, we carry a variety of NFPA 70E-compliant arc flash clothing and PPE to meet the needs of your unique application.

For flame-resistant clothing near you, you can contact us online, call our Pleasanton office at 925-251-1412, or contact our Westminster office at 714-373-2801.

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