Warning! There’s Another Hidden Killer in the Power Industry…
When talking about risks and hazards in the power industry, many people immediately think of the dangers of electric shock and high voltage, which necessitates wearing insulated clothing. However, aside from shock hazards, there is another highly dangerous threat lurking in this industry—Arc Flash.
WLTech Science Time!
Q: What exactly is an electric arc?
A: An electric arc is a high-energy electrical discharge phenomenon that can cause serious safety risks and health hazards in industrial and power settings.
Characteristics of an Arc Flash
- Extremely Brief Duration: The instantaneous spark generated when current breaches the air is incredibly fast, typically lasting less than 1 second.
- Extremely High Temperature: The core temperature of an arc flash can reach up to 20,000°C, which is four times hotter than the surface of the sun. It also emits intense thermal and electromagnetic radiation capable of igniting or even melting everyday clothing.
- Severe Hazards: An arc flash produces intense light, extreme heat, high noise levels, and blast overpressure. Molten metal splatter can cause fatal burns, the noise can lead to permanent or temporary hearing loss, and there is a risk of temporary vision impairment.
Key Differences Between Arc Flash Clothing and Insulating Clothing
1. Different Materials
- Arc Flash Clothing: Made from inherently flame-resistant (FR) arc-rated materials, focusing more on high-temperature and thermal protection.
- Insulating Clothing: Made from highly insulating materials, focusing on isolating electrical current.
2. Different Protective Functions
- Arc Flash Clothing: Protects against the instant energy release and thermal hazards from an arc flash. The primary focus is thermal protection.
- Insulating Clothing: Protects against electric shock hazards. The primary focus is current isolation to prevent electricity from passing through the body.
Please Note! All arc-rated protective clothing is necessarily flame-resistant, but not all flame-resistant clothing may pass arc flash testing standards.
As one of the principal drafting units for China’s first national standard for arc flash protective clothing, GB 8965.4, WLTech leverages its absolute expertise to research and develop ARC STOPPER®—a high-quality, high-performance fabric offering dual protection against both arc flash and flames.
Wearing arc flash protective equipment made from ARC STOPPER® can effectively guard against arc flash hazards corresponding to its rated protection level.
