Since 1982, when Lee wrote [1], industrial and utility engineers have
been attempting to better quantify the degree of risk to personnel ass
ociated with electric are exposure and the appropriate protective clot
hing to wear to mitigate serious injury. Recent activity by OSHA, NFPA
70E, and ASTM F-18 has further emphasized the need to protect workers
from are flash burn injuries. This paper discusses the results of rec
ent multiphase are testing which has enhanced knowledge about potentia
l are energy as a function of prospective fault current and are protec
tive clothing designs that are suitable for different levels of incide
nt are energy. Incident energy levels are correlated with second-degre
e burn criteria for unprotected human skin. Protective clothing system
s consisting of flame-resistant outer layers in single-layer and multi
ple-layer construction, as well as combination systems of flame-resist
ant outer layers with natural and man-made fiber inner layers are disc
ussed. Protection recommendations for the face, head, hands, and feet
are also included.