Which organization sets the primary safety standard for arc flash protective clothing in the United States?

The organization that sets the primary safety standard for arc flash protective clothing in the United States is the ASTM International, which is known for developing voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems, and services. ASTM standards are critical in defining the performance requirements for various types of personal protective equipment, including those for arc flash hazards.

Arc flash protective clothing is specifically designed to reduce the severity of burns and other injuries that can result from electrical arcs, and ASTM provides guidelines that ensure such clothing meets minimum performance criteria for arc flash protection. This includes testing methods for determining arc thermal performance values (ATPV) and other important factors that ensure the effectiveness of the protective gear used by electrical workers.

Other organizations mentioned have different roles: ANSI (American National Standards Institute) oversees the development of American national standards but does not specifically create standards for arc flash clothing; OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) establishes workplace safety regulations but relies on existing industry standards; and NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) focuses on research and standards in various fields but does not specifically address arc flash clothing safety standards.