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Electric arc Certification standard

IEC 61482

Protection against electric arc flash

The international standard for protective clothing designed to shield workers from the thermal hazards of an electric arc flash. It applies to garments worn by workers in electrical utilities, industrial plants, substations, and any environment where accidental arc flash poses a risk. The standard defines two independent test methods, each measuring arc protection in a different way.

Fabrics with this certificate
IEC 61482 pictogram
ScopeElectric arc flash
Current versionIEC 61482-2:2018
Construction requirementsFrom EN ISO 11611
Code lettersATPV · Class 1/2

The contents of this standard

In addition to arc protection performance, garments certified under IEC 61482 must meet ergonomic and design requirements drawn from EN ISO 11611 (welding protective clothing), covering fit, mobility, dimensional change after washing, and mechanical durability. The active edition is IEC 61482-2:2018, which specifies performance requirements and test methods for arc-protective clothing used in electrical work.

Different tests, codes

Two independent test methods — open arc for the US market, constrained arc for Europe.

Code letter · classes
Test setup & description
Test method
Open arc (ATPV)
ATPV≥ 8 cal/cm² minimum (US)
an open-air arc between electrodes exposes the vertical fabric panel open arc fabric sensors predicts 50% chance of a 2nd-degree burn xmtextiles.com
The fabric is exposed to an open-air arc and heat sensors behind the sample record the incident energy. The Arc Thermal Performance Value (ATPV, in cal/cm²) is the energy level that predicts a 50% chance of a second-degree burn — the higher the value, the better the protection. The measured ATPV is printed on the garment label.
IEC 61482-1-1
Constrained arc (Box test)
Cl.14 kA, lower energy
Cl.27 kA, higher energy
a short circuit inside a box directs the arc at the fabric, max. 500 ms constraining box fabric sensors xmtextiles.com
A fabric sample is exposed to an arc from a short circuit of 4 kA (Class 1) or 7 kA (Class 2), lasting no more than 500 ms. The heat transmitted through the sample is measured and, using the Stoll curve, converted into the time to onset of a second-degree burn. Samples are also checked for after-flaming, hole formation, melting, dripping and shrinkage.
IEC 61482-1-2
The requirements set in this standard

Alongside the fabric-level energy tests, a complete garment must also be tested — not to derive an energy value, but to confirm the integrity of seams, closures and accessories after arc exposure. Class 1 garments provide protection against lower arc energies; Class 2 garments offer higher protection and are required in more hazardous environments. XM FireLine offers a range of inherent and treated FR fabrics in cotton, cotton/nylon and cotton/polyester blends suitable for IEC 61482 garments — contact us for ATPV or Box-test data on specific fabric references.

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