Bison Product Guide Edition 2.0 - Flipbook - Page 95
HIGH RISK
HIGH RISK
HIGH RISK STANDARDS EXPLAINED
CODE OF PRACTICE FOR TEMPORARY TRAFFIC
MANAGEMENT (COPTTM) - TTMC-W17
AS/NZS 1906.4:2010 - HIGH VISIBILITY MATERIALS FOR
SAFETY GARMENTS
CoPTTM describes best practice for the safe and efficient
management and operation of temporary traffic management
(TTM) on all roads in New Zealand.
This standard specifies the requirements for high-visibility
materials for outdoor daytime use and retro-reflective
materials for use at night or in other dark conditions. Designed
to be worn in situations where the wearer needs to be highly
visible. The standard specifies minimum colour and luminance
requirements for fluorescent (F), non-fluorescent (NF)
and retro-reflective materials.
STAYING COMPLIANT IN TTMC-W17 GARMENTS
• TTMC-W17 garments must not display any lettering/
symbols/logos on any compliant high visibility material
except within an area located on the wearer’s upper front left
side of the garment. The maximum area permitted is
7500mm2 (eg 100mm x 75mm).
• Garment designs that include a clear plastic pocket or
similar must locate this pocket within the described
maximum 7500mm2.
• Where required for related safety reasons a fabric’s technical
recognition I.D. may be added in an area not exceeding
30mm x 30mm (900mm2) to the wearer’s upper front right
side of a garment (such as PPE/HRC high risk rating).
• A manufacturer’s label to a maximum size of 50mm x 20mm
may be sewn or printed on non-compliant material on the
lower sleeve or leg.
• Any buttons, domes or similar closure devices that are
placed on compliant material must match the colour of
the garments.
AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 - HIGH VISIBILITY SAFETY
GARMENTS STANDARD
AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 is a joint Australian and New Zealand
standard covering high visibility safety garments.
The standard specifies visual requirements of hi-vis safety
garments, and refers to AS/NZS 1906.4:2010 for fabric and
tape used in the products.
AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 + AMDT 2:2020 CLASS DN
Class DN are garments designed for day and/or night time use.
These garments are the most common and are a combination
of compliant background material and retro-reflective tape.
AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 + AMDT 2:2020 CLASS D
Class D are garments designed for daytime use only. These
garments have compliant background material, but no retroreflective tape.
AS/NZS 4602.1:2011 + AMDT 2:2020 CLASS N
Class N are garments designed for night time use only. Class
N has no fluorescent fabric but does have retro-reflective tape.
Class N provides the wearer with high visibility at night when
viewed under retro-reflected light such as vehicle headlights.
CLASS F (FLUORESCENT BACKGROUND MATERIAL)
Refers to fluorescent fabrics which have the ability to retain
fluorescent pigment. Often, but not limited to, man-made
fibres such as polyester and plastic coatings.
CLASS NF (NON-FLUORESCENT BACKGROUND MATERIAL)
Refers to non-fluorescent background material. Class NF
materials do not have the fluorescent properties of class F
materials and will provide reduced luminance for the wearer.
Where for safety reasons a garment must be made from
natural fibre which is unable to retain fluorescent colour class
NF fabric can be used. These are often, but not limited to,
cotton and FR blends.
NFPA 70E
Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. NFPA 70E is
a globally used American consensus standard that addresses
electrical safety in the workplace. It explains how to protect
electrical workers against electrical hazards. This standard is
revised every three years.
One revision you will start to notice is the change from HRC
to PPE. In 2015 NFPA 70E eliminated the term Hazard Risk
Category (HRC) and replaced it with Personal Protection
Equipment Category. This can be shortened to CAT or PPE.
Arcguard uses PPE.
Most importantly the category levels remain the same. The
minimum arc rating for PPE is the same as HRC. The change
is merely a name to more accurately describe the function of
the categories.
NEW:
FORMER:
HRC
Minimum Arc Rating
CAL/CM2
1
1
4.0
2
2
8.0
3
3
25.0
4
4
40.0
PPE
All of our Arcguard garments exceed the 8.0 cal/cm² minimum
requirement for PPE 2.
94 / Bison Workwear Edition 01
ASTM F1959/F1959M AND IEC 61482-1-1
ISO 11611:2015
Standard Test Method for Determining the Arc Rating of
Materials for Clothing. This standard test method is used to
measure the arc rating of materials intended for use as flame
resistant clothing for workers exposed to arc flashes.
Protective clothing for use in welding and allied processes.
This standard specifies minimum safety requirements and test
methods for protective clothing which is intended to protect
the wearer against spatter (small splashes of molten metal),
short contact time with flame, radiant heat from an electric arc
used for welding and allied processes. It also minimizes the
possibility of electrical shock by short-term, accidental contact
with live electrical conductors in normal conditions of welding.
EXPLAINING ARC FLASH?
The arc flash is the resulting discharge of energy caused by an
arcing fault. An arcing fault is the unintended flow of current
through a medium not intended to carry the current. That
just means that the electricity is flowing through something it
shouldn’t be; in most cases that result in injury, the medium
was the air. The air becomes like a piece of copper conducting
the electricity, only with the air you can see the massive
discharge of the electrons from the discharging element. This
is the arc flash (lightning on a smaller yet more deadly scale).
WHAT DOES CAL/CM² MEAN?
An Electric Arc Flash is normally expressed in cal/cm², or
calories of heat energy per square centimetre. For example,
the Arcguard 43317RBO Overall has a 12cal/cm² ATPV electrical
arc flash rating. This means that 12 cal/cm² is the maximum
incident energy resistance demonstrated by the 43317RBO
fabric, prior to break-open or at the onset of a second degree
skin burn. A typical electrical arc flash can release energy
levels from 4cal/cm² to 30cal/cm² and exposures between
30cal/cm² and 60cal/cm² are not uncommon.
ARC FLASH CLOTHING SELECTION
First, consult the NFPA 70E compliance guide to determine
which category of risk a particular activity belongs and the
ATPV (Arc Thermal Performance Value) rating needed. Second,
consult the high visibility standard AS/NZS 4602.1:2011
(TTMC-W17 standard if working on or near a road or highway)
to determine what type of clothing you will need based on the
environment you will be working in.
One thing to consider when evaluating the best protective
workwear for you, is to aim to have no skin exposed. Ensure
that the pant leg covers the top of the boot and the sleeves go
to the hand, covering the wrists. High-voltage gloves are also
necessary. And lastly, remember that the head is the most
vulnerable part of the body. Don’t forget to complete the arc
flash protective clothing with suitable head gear of the same
ATPV rating as the rest of the workwear.
ISO 14116:2015
Protective clothing - Protection against flame - Limited
flame spread materials, material assemblies and clothing.
Garments complying to this standard protect workers from
occasional and brief contact with small igniting flames, in
circumstances where there is no heat hazard from flame or
other source. The standard specifies limited flame spread
properties in order to reduce the possibility of the clothing
burning and thereby itself becoming the hazard.
ISO 11612:2015
Protective clothing - Clothing to protect against heat
and flame - Minimum performance requirements. These
performance requirements are applicable to protective clothing
where there is a need for clothing with limited flame spread
properties and where the user can be exposed to radiant/
convective/contact heat or to molten metal splashes.
EN 1149:2008
Protective clothing. Electrostatic properties. Material
performance and design requirements. The EN 1149 standard
specifies a test method for materials to be used in the
production of protective clothing with electrostatic dissipation
for preventing incendiary discharge.
EN 1149-3:2008
Protective clothing. Electrostatic properties. Test methods
for measurement of charge decay. The fabric releases its
electrostatic charge to the air therefore won’t conduct it to
the user of the clothing. The standard contains a test method
in which the amount of time it takes to dissipate electrostatic
charge from the surface of the clothing material.
EN 1149-5:2008
Electrostatic properties. Performance requirements and
material design. This is the European Standard for garments
that protect against electrostatic discharge in areas where
there is a risk of explosion and where there is a risk that the
garments could create sparks (source of ignition), which in
turn could ignite explosive materials.
CHANGE FROM HRC TO PPE
You may have noticed, in our communication and labelling, a
change from HRC to PPE, on the Arcguard range. Most obvious
is the change to the woven badge on Arcguard garments that
denotes the Arc Rating and the corresponding category. This
is because the standard that sets these categories has had an
update. This standard is NFPA 70E.
www.paramountsafety.co.nz / 95
