The typical clothing program supplies a flame resistant daily wear garment (a piece of FR apparel that is compliant to NFPA 70E and can be worn all day, every day),  with an arc rating higher than 8, thereby meeting the clothing performance requirements of Hazard Risk Categories 0, 1 and 2 as a single layer. Companies that have conducted fault-current studies have found, and industry experts agree, that 80 to 90 percent of typical industrial electrical jobs fall into these three categories.

Daily wear clothing can be supplemented with arc flash "switching" clothing that meets the performance requirements of Hazard Risk Category 4. Switching clothing refers to the arc flash gear designed of multiple layers of flame-resistant fabrics to provide protection from the significantly higher incident energies expectant in NFPA 70E Hazard/Risk categories 3 and 4. (please see NFPA 70E 2009 annex H)

It is important to identify the potential arc flash hazard of your tasks. Utilize the NFPA 70E tables or an arc flash hazard assessor. Identifying the arc flash or hazard rating will make selecting the correct flame-resistant clothing options simple: People working on or near energized electrical equipment wear single layer HRC 2 clothing (ATPV>8) at all times, and supplement with HRC 4 (ATPV>40) switching clothing when the arc hazard is more than 8 calories. Taking action to implement protective clothing on an accelerated basis demonstrates to employees your commitment to safety, and demonstrates to OSHA that your company understands and is addressing the electrical hazards present in your workplace.