Using rainwear as switching jackets. A reasonable solution for electric arc exposure

LG&E has tested numerous types of clothing for worker protection under electric arc exposure situations and discusses the test methods used along with practical application of the ATPY (arc thermal protective value) and HAF (heat attenuation factor) results which are being reported by manufacturers of flame retardant (FR) clothing. This article focuses on the newly discovered and documented feasibility of using FR rainwear in high fault current switching applications. This article includes data and a comparison of 7 popular rainsuits materials in their performance under electrical arc conditions. Some of these rainsuits have been shown by mannequin testing to withstand arcs up to 30000 Amps 15 cycles without sustained fire or ignition of clothing covered. Using rainwear as switching jackets could allow “double duty” use of rainsuits in plants and on line trucks. Further Neoprene/Nomex(R) and some PYC/Nomex(R)/Kevlar(R) rainsuits have, in testing, proven more protective than woven Nomex(R) “switching jackets” costing substantially more