EN 61482: What you need to know about arc faults protection.

Banner with employees in BP® protective clothing (PPE).

EN 61482-2

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING AGAINST THERMAL HAZARDS FROM ARC FAULTS

The consequences of an arc fault for those affected are serious and can even be fatal in extreme cases. In the light column of the arc, the temperature briefly exceeds 9,000 degrees Celsius, which is almost twice as high as on the surface of the sun. The current reaches values of several kiloamperes (kA).

Even electric shocks of less than one hundred milliamperes (mA), as they come from a standard household socket, can be life-threatening for a person. The great heat and high currents are accompanied by a pressure wave that expands rapidly and can hurl all parts of the system and people away with its enormous force.

And the dangers don't stop there: The electromagnetic radiation from the arc fault can cause serious damage to the skin and eyes, and the toxic gases produced by the combustion can cause chemical burns and poisoning in humans.

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Questions and answers on EN 61482-2 (formerly IEC 61482-2)*

What is EN 61482-2?

Protective clothing that meets the requirements of this standard protects wearers against the thermal effects of a defined electric arc and prevents further burning. The clothing also protects wearers from heat. The heat may be convective, radiant, liquid metal splash or a combination of these.

The tested protective clothing is not electrically insulating protective clothing, for example according to EN 50286:1999 "Electrically insulating protective clothing for low-voltage work". Full personal protection also requires additional suitable protective equipment such as hard hat/visor, protective gloves, etc.

What arc protection classes are there?

Arc protection classes 1 and 2 represent safety requirements that cover actual potential risks from arc faults. The fireball resulting from the arc fault (flames, heat radiation and hot metal splashes) is only effective for a short time (0.5 s), but it can be very energetic and have a devastating effect. The flame temperature can reach up to 9,000 °C.

The tests are carried out in a low-voltage test circuit and can be carried out in two defined test classes. A distinction is made here according to the value of the short-circuit current.

Arc protection class 1 (APC) - 4 kA/0.5 s

Arc protection class 2 (APC) - 7 kA/0.5 s

An energy supplier wears Multinorm protective clothing and works in a room with a circuit breaker.

What are the test parameters for the box test?

Protection class 1:

0.5 seconds

Short-circuit current: 4 kA (kiloampere)

Electric arc energy: 158 kJ

Impact energy: 135 kJ/m²

Protection class 2:

0.5 seconds

Short-circuit current 7 kA (kiloampere)

Electric arc energy: 318 kJ

Impact energy: 423 kJ/m²

A worker on a photovoltaic system wears protective clothing for electric arcs.

What is the protective effect of EN 61482?

The effects of an arc fault accident are manifold and include much more than the obvious thermal effects. For example, an arc fault can also result in an electric shock. Sound and UV exposure are also very high. In addition, such an incident is often accompanied by subsequent psychological stress. The EN 61482-2 standard focuses on thermal hazards.

What are the areas of application of the EN 61482-2 standard?

The EN 61482-2 standard primarily relates to occupational safety in the electrical industry: The standard is particularly relevant for working environments in which electricians, electrical engineers or other professionals work in the vicinity of electrical systems that harbour the risk of an arc flash.

Typical industries for this are:

Utilities & Public Utilities,

Electrical installation, electrical trades, electroplating,

processing industry,

transport of hazardous goods,

chemical industry,

plant construction, mechanical engineering,

solar plants, wind turbines,

combined and network fitters.

* As these are abbreviated summaries of binding occupational health and safety standards, this article does not claim to fully reflect the requirements defined in the standards. Although this article is regularly revised by our experts, we cannot guarantee that the information is up-to-date and correct.