Arc flash PPE Category 2 requires arc-rated clothing.

Arc flash PPE Category 2 requires arc-rated clothing.

• A. Yes
• B. No
• C. Only gloves
• D. Not specified

Answer: (A)

Arc flash protection scales with the energy you could be exposed to, so clothing that can resist ignition and limit heat transfer is required at Category 2. Arc-rated clothing is specially designed fabric that carries an arc rating (cal/cm²) showing how much energy it can withstand before it ignites or continues to burn. At Category 2, the expected incident energy is high enough that wearing this arc-rated clothing is necessary to protect the skin and reduce burn severity. Without arc-rated clothing, non‑FR fabrics can ignite and burn, increasing injury risk. Having only gloves does not provide torso protection, so it wouldn’t meet the Category 2 requirement. Saying it’s not specified or that you don’t need arc-rated clothing would be incorrect because the standard specifies the need for arc-rated clothing at this Category level.

Arc flash protection scales with the energy you could be exposed to, so clothing that can resist ignition and limit heat transfer is required at Category 2. Arc-rated clothing is specially designed fabric that carries an arc rating (cal/cm²) showing how much energy it can withstand before it ignites or continues to burn. At Category 2, the expected incident energy is high enough that wearing this arc-rated clothing is necessary to protect the skin and reduce burn severity. Without arc-rated clothing, non‑FR fabrics can ignite and burn, increasing injury risk.

Having only gloves does not provide torso protection, so it wouldn’t meet the Category 2 requirement. Saying it’s not specified or that you don’t need arc-rated clothing would be incorrect because the standard specifies the need for arc-rated clothing at this Category level.