Are your hands protected? When to use NFPA 2112 and NFPA 70E for specifying gloves

Up until recent years, standards related to hand protection for workers in industrial flash fire and electric arc hazard areas did not match their respective garment counterparts. As the standards have evolved, so have the offerings for hand protection. More and more gloves coming to the market are claiming to provide flame and/or arc protection in accordance with NFPA 2112 and NFPA 70E standards.

As industrial workers now have more options for FR and Arc-rated gloves, we have noticed a common question circulate among the industrial workforce: “When should I use NFPA 2112 FR rated gloves and when should I use NFPA 70E rated gloves?”

The short answer: “You should match your gloves to the hazard.”

In this article, we will address the importance of hand protection, the differences between flash fire and arc flash hazards, and how the NFPA 2112 and NFPA 70E standards apply to selecting gloves.

The importance of hand protection

Burn injuries only account for 1% of all U.S. injuries and 5% of all workplace injuries, but require almost twice the amount of hospitalization than non-burn injuries, according to a study conducted by Healthcare Cost Utilization Project.¹ The U.S. department of Labor has calculated that – while falls are the primary cause of injury in the workplace – the average medical cost of a single burn injury is five times greater than a fall.²

When it comes to hand protection itself, in a study conducted by NSC.org, seventy percent of hand injuries result from not wearing any type of hand protection while thirty percent of hand injuries are caused by wearing the wrong glove.³

Not only can burn injuries be costly, injuries can still happen while wearing the wrong protection. This is why proper selection of PPE is so important – especially when it involves your hands.

1. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, 2013
2. 2015 U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA American Burn Association BIC Magazine
3. NSC.org, 2013 Safety Statistics for the Well Service Industry

Short Duration Fire Exposure vs. Arc Flash Exposure

Before we discuss the specifics of the NFPA 2112 and NFPA 70E glove standards, it is good to understand the background into the specific hazards they address: Short duration (or Flash) Fire and Arc Flash.

Short Duration Fire Exposure:

A flash fire or short duration fire exposure is the hazard addressed in the NFPA 2112 standard.

The NFPA standards define a flash fire as a short-duration fire that spreads by means of a flame front rapidly through a diffuse fuel, such as dust, gas, or the vapors of an ignitable liquid, without the production of damaging pressure.

While the industry tends to focus on flash fires, there are four primary types of industrial fires that can create a short duration fire exposure:

• Flash fire: Rapid burning of vapor cloud
•  Jet fire: Burning of pressurized fuel supply
• Pool fire: Burning of flammable liquid spill
• BLEVE (boiling liquid expanding vapor explosion): Explosion and fireball from catastrophic failure of contained liquid

Each of these types of fires creates a unique hazard that should be included in a PPE needs analysis when the risk is present.  It is important to remember that the magnitude of every fire is equal to the duration of the fire multiplied by the intensity. The duration and intensity are not always the same in each fire and can change based on the specific hazard.

Arc Flash

Arc flash originating from an electrical source is the hazard addressed in the NFPA 70E standard.

An arc flash is a phenomenon where a flashover of electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another, or to ground. The result is a violent extremely short energy blast, with momentary temperatures upwards of 35,000⁰F, molten metal spray, and blast pressure upwards of 2,000 psi.  The event can cause burns to the skin from non-FR clothing melting to the skin and other types of serious injury. 

When this hazard is present, PPE should be selected based on a risk assessment that considers stand-off from potential energy sources and the energy level present using IEEE and/or NFPA 70E best practices.  PPE needs are selected to address the various levels of energy bursts that emanate during a potential arc flash event from equipment being serviced.

NFPA 2112 gloves vs. NFPA 70E gloves

NFPA 2112

Flame-resistant (FR) PPE meets the requirements of the NFPA 2112 Standard on Flame-Resistant Clothing for Protection of Industrial Personnel Against Short-Duration Thermal Exposures from Fire.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2112 standard has been relied on for years by oil and gas workers to ensure their gear provides the necessary protection for fire safety performance. In 2018, this standard was updated to extend the specifications to include industrial flash fire protection for the worker’s gloves.

NFPA 2113 was also modified in 2020 to include for the first time, hazard assessment, care & maintenance, and selection of hand protection. This modification was made to ensure the safety of workers in industries such as oil & gas, chemical, manufacturing and transportation by having an NFPA 2112 compliant glove available to them.

To pass these standards, a glove and its components must meet three essential and rigorous tests that match existing requirements for NFPA 2112 compliant garments:

o   Flame resistance

o   High temperature melt resistance/shrinkage resistance and

o   Heat transfer performance

The tests associated with NFPA 2112 must be conducted through a third-party test lab with a certifying body review. Additionally, gloves produced to the standard must be produced in an approved factory with ongoing quality audits to ensure compliance with the standard.  The gloves should carry the certification seal of either Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Safety Equipment Institute (SEI).

NFPA 70E

NFPA 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace provides guidance to select appropriate PPE to protect workers against arc flash hazards. It is not a pass-fail standard and gloves are rated to various levels of performance to enable the needed protection in various arc risk environments.

NFPA 70E is specific to workers who are in the electrical support or utility industry participating in tasks that include operation, installation, and maintenance of electrical equipment.

Arc rated gloves designed to meet the NFPA 70E arc flash requirements will be tested in accordance with ASTM F2675: Standard Test Method for Determining Arc Ratings of Hand Protective Products Developed and Used for Electrical Arc Flash Protection.  Gloves will receive a performance level rating to enable use in various classification levels based on the level of arc risk present in the electrical equipment being serviced.

In ASTM F2675 testing, gloves are exposed to a range of arc flash intensity levels to determine the maximum energy protection level the glove can provide.  Additionally, the glove body is either flame-tested or arc tested above the protection limit to be sure the glove will not ignite at the rated energy level. 

Testing is typically done at a third-party laboratory, but compliance and quality control is by self-declaration from glove maker.  Various trim materials and bumpers are allowed, as long as they do not ignite during the arc testing.

Can my NFPA 70E gloves provide protection in flash fire hazard areas and my NFPA 2112 gloves provide protection from arc flash hazards?

Arc flash and flash fire rated gloves will both typically be made from heat and flame-resistant materials, like DuPont™ Kevlar® and DuPont™ Nomex® fibers.  While the designs and materials are similar in nature, each glove type has been constructed and tested to meet the unique hazards associated with the use in electrical or fire risk situations. Furthermore, each glove type has been designed to match the protection of garments rated for the same risks. 

Recall that,

• Flash fire hazards are short duration bursts of flame from a combustible fuel source.
• Arc flash hazards are short bursts of heat from an electrical energy source.
• NFPA 2112 gloves match materials and testing requirements that align with existing garments requirements designed for flash fire protection and use quality control and third-party certification procedures that also match with this industry standard.
• Arc rated gloves that meet the requirements of NFPA 70E need to be tested according to ASTM F2675 to establish ratings. However, NFPA 70E also allows use of ensembles such as a combination of rubber gloves with leather protectors that are not arc rated. Therefore, not all gloves prescribed in NFPA 70E are suitable to use against flash fire hazards. 

PPE manufacturers and providers source multiple different materials to construct their PPE apparel and gloves. From the glove body, to the bumpers, to the thread used to sew the glove together – every material performs differently in a flash fire or arc flash situation.

Match your gloves to the hazard

One of the best ways to determine which glove you should be using is to match the certification of your glove to the hazard present in your site area.

• Workers in arc rated zones should use gloves that meet the requirements of NFPA 70E.  
• Workers in flash fire hazard areas should use gloves that meet the requirements of NFPA 2112. 
• If both arc flash and flash fire hazards are present, workers should use gloves that meet the requirements of both standards.

At most sites, your garments can also help you determine which gloves you should be wearing. For example, if you are wearing a garment that is FR rated meeting the requirements of NFPA 2112, your gloves should also meet the requirements of NFPA 2112.

At the end of the day, we understand the PPE selection process can be complex and confusing. We have listed some actions you can take to help you find the right PPE:

• Consult with an expert to help identify the specific combination of PPE that can address the multiple hazards a worker may face on the job.
• Look for PPE manufacturers that have in-depth knowledge, expertise, and resources to help guide you in your research.
• Ask companies for resources and information that can help simplify the process of matching PPE to the hazards your workers face.
• Choose a PPE partner that can work side-by-side with you to help you match PPE to your hazards and provide additional support, such as training.