ASTM_F_2178_-_12.pdf

Designation:F217812Standard Test Method forDetermining the Arc Rating and Standard Specification forEye or Face Protective Products1This standard is issued under the fixed designation F2178;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon()indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This test method and product specification is used tomeasure the arc rating and specify the requirements forproducts intended for use as eye or face protection for workersexposed to electric arcs that would generate heat flux valuesfrom 84 to 25 120 kW/m22 to 600 cal/cm2s.Products aretested as sold.1.2 This test method determines an arc rating for eye or faceprotective products.The faceshield,safety spectacle,goggle oror other applicable portions of the complete product must meetANSI Z87.1.This excludes the textile or non ANSI Z87.1testable parts of the hood assemblies or other tested products.This standard does not measure optical and impact properties(seeANSI Z87.1)but does specify requirements for optical andimpact properties.1.3 The materials covered by this standard are in the form offaceshields attached to the head by protective helmets(hardhats),headgear,hood assemblies,safety spectacles or goggles.Faceshields,safety spectacles or goggles are tested with orwithout other face and head protective products,for example,sock hoods,balaclavas,sweat shirt hoods or jacket hoods.1.3.1 Fabric layers used in hood assemblies or other itemstested under this standard shall meet the requirements ofSpecification F1506.1.4 This test method shall be used to measure and describethe properties of materials,products,or assemblies in responseto convective and radiant energy generated by an electric arcunder controlled laboratory conditions and does not purport topredict damage from light other than the thermal aspectsmeasured.1.5 The values stated in SI units shall be regarded asstandard except as noted.Within the text,alternate units areshown in brackets.The values stated in each system may no beexact equivalents;therefore,alternate systems must be usedindependently of the other.Combining values from the systemsdescribed in the text may result in nonconformance with themethod.1.6 This standard does not purport to describe or appraisethe effect of the electric arc fragmentation explosion andsubsequent molten metal splatter,which involves the pressurewave containing molten metals and possible fragments of othermaterials except to the extent that heat energy transmission dueto these arc explosion phenomena is reduced by test specimens.1.7 This standard shall not be used to describe or appraisethe fire hazard or fire risk of materials,products,or assembliesunder actual fire conditions.However,results of this test maybe used as elements of a fire assessment which takes intoaccount all of the factors which are pertinent to an assessmentof the fire hazard of a particular end use.1.8 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.For specificprecautions,see Section 7.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2C177 Test Method for Steady-State Heat Flux Measure-ments and Thermal Transmission Properties by Means ofthe Guarded-Hot-Plate ApparatusD123 Terminology Relating to TextilesD3776 Test Methods for Mass Per Unit Area(Weight)ofFabricD4391 Terminology Relating to The Burning Behavior ofTextilesE457 Test Method for Measuring Heat-Transfer Rate Usinga Thermal Capacitance(Slug)CalorimeterF1494 Terminology Relating to Protective ClothingF1506 Performance Specification for Flame Resistant andArc Rated Textile Materials for Wearing Apparel for Use1This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F18 onElectrical Protective Equipment for Workers and is the direct responsibility ofSubcommittee F18.65 on Wearing Apparel.Current edition approved Oct.1,2012.Published November 2012.Originallyapproved in 2002.Last previous edition approved in 2008 as F2178 08.DOI:10.1520/F2178-12.2For referenced ASTM standards,visit the ASTM website,www.astm.org,orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org.For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information,refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.Copyright ASTM International,100 Barr Harbor Drive,PO Box C700,West Conshohocken,PA 19428-2959.United States1 by Electrical Workers Exposed to Momentary ElectricArcand Related Thermal HazardsF1958/F1958M Test Method for Determining the Ignitabil-ity of Non-flame-Resistant Materials for Clothing byElectric Arc Exposure Method Using MannequinsF1959/F1959M Test Method for Determining theArc Ratingof Materials for Clo