Protection against the effects of electric arcs can be mentioned as an example of a solution which reduce possible secondaries damages as well as protect the workers against this risk.
The electric arcs happen by some of the following causes:
-Condensation (humidity in the assembly of the equipment)
-Contamination (dirt in the electrical panel)
-Premature deterioration of insulating materials.
-Defectives contact points, and many more…
Even in a spray paint booth, an explosion can occur caused by improper electrical appliances or static electricity that ignites flammable vapours or dusts.
Some of the consequences are:
-Complete destruction of the electrical panel. It may be that the side walls, doors and cover of it are ejected when an explosion occurs due to an internal arc.
-Brain contusions.
-Hearing loss.
-Broken bones and even death.
-Reaching temperatures up to thousand degrees, and exposure of the skin only 1/10 of a second to 95ºC (203 ºF) can cause third degree burns.
The protection fabrics against electric arc from Marina Textil are according to current European and American regulations:
-IEC 61482-2. Protective clothing against thermal hazards of an electric arc.
-IEC 61482-1-1. Protective clothing against a thermal risk of an electric arc according to the Open Arc Test.
-IEC 61482-1-2. Protective clothing against a thermal risk of an electric arc according to the Box Test.
-ASTM F1959/F1959M-04. Standard test method of determining the arc rating of materials for clothing.
-NFPA 70E. Standard for electrical safety in workplaces and HRC classification.
