Incident Energy Rating of Gloves

[busman]

So, how does one determine the IE rating of gloves?? All the other PPE clothing is rated in cal/cm2. Gloves are rated by voltage. What IE can my class 00 gloves protect for?? My class 1 gloves?

Just curious?

Mark

(Yes, I do have a copy of 70E)

 

[zog]

There is no standard to test (And therefore rate) leather or rubber gloves, so you won't find a rating on those.

Now that being said, I friend of mine did some testing on rubber gloves to try to get an idea of how much protection they really offer. http://www.arcwear.com/arcwear.com/downloads/Salisbury_2002-04_Glove_Test_Report.pdf

Keep in mind, this was just a lab test, there is no ASTM testing standard so these numbers don't mean squat. Even if they did, how would that help you? The Ei is calculated for a specific working distance, usually 18" based on the toro distance to the equipment being worked on, your hands will be much closer so the Ei will be exponentionaly higher than your label states.

The leather protectors for your rubber gloves are good for arc flash protection, thats why the 70E requires them. There are some arc rated gloves on the market, made from similar fabrics as your clothing, but they offer no shock protection, are very cumbersome to work in, and again, you don't know the Ei at the working distance of your hands so there is no real way to properly apply them.

 

[wtucker]

NFPA 70E Art. 130.7(C)(6)(b) "Arc Flash Protection...The apparel described in 130.7(C)(13)(c) shall be required for protection of hands from burns."

"130.7(C)(13)(c)(1) Leather gloves shall be worn where required for arc flash protection.
(2) Where insulating rubber gloves are used for shock protection, leather protectors shall be worn over the rubber gloves."

FPN: Insulating rubber gloves and gloves made from layers of flame-resisting material provide hand protection against the arc flash hazard. Heavy-duty leather (e.g., greater than 12 oz./yd2) gloves provide protection suitable up to Hazard Risk Category 2. The leather protectors worn over insulating rubber gloves provide addtional arc flash protection for the hands. During high arc flash exposures, leather can shrink and cause a decrease in protection.

HRC 2 = 8 cal, so there's a start. Table 130.7(C)(10) Note 2 (which is found at all Hazard Risk Categories, up through 4) says "If rubber insulating gloves with with leather protectors are required by Table 130.7(C)(9), additional leather or arc-rated gloves are not required. The combination of rubber insulating gloves with leather protectors satisfies the arc flash requirement."