EN ISO 11611: Protective clothing used during welding and related techniques

Category 2 PPE: significant risks.

This protection protects against small splashes of molten metal, brief contact with flames, radiant heat from the arc, and provides a certain degree of electrical insulation in the event of accidental contact with an electrical conductor at a voltage greater than approximately 100 V in continuous current under normal welding conditions.

Certain designs must be adhered to for this PPE: the jacket must overlap the trousers by at least 20 cm, any openings must be closed with a flap, no lapels are allowed, etc.

Tests are carried out on the fabric as well as on the accessories and seams; nothing must catch fire or melt (fastening systems are always tested to ensure that they still work afterwards).

The purpose of PPE is to be a first line of defence against danger, and the wearer must be able to use this garment to move away from danger and, if necessary, be able to remove it quickly.

There are two performance classes depending on the fabric used:

Class 1 fabric

Resists 15 drops before raising the temperature on its reverse side.

Takes at least 7 seconds to conduct heat through the material.

→ Fabric resistance to small splashes and low radiant heat.

Class 2 fabric

Resists 25 drops before raising the temperature on its reverse side.

Takes at least 16 seconds to conduct heat through the material

→ Fabric resistance to small splashes and high radiant heat

And two methods for testing flame spread:

Method A: ignition on the face (code letter: A1).
Method B: ignition on the edge (code letter: A2).

To choose the right performance level for PPE clothing, it is necessary to understand the welding process and related techniques used by the wearer of the clothing.

Type of clothing for welders

Selection criteria relating to the welding process:

Selection criteria relating to environmental conditions:

Class 1

Manual welding technique with slight spatter and droplet formation, for example:

gas welding,
TIG welding,
MIG welding (with low current),
plasma micro welding,
brazing,
spot welding,
MMA welding (rutile-coated electrode).

Operation of machines, for example:

oxy-fuel cutting equipment,
plasma cutting equipment,
electric resistance welding equipment,
thermal spraying equipment,
bench welding.

Class 2

Manual welding techniques that generate significant spatter and droplets, for example:

MMA welding (with basic or cellulose-coated electrodes),
MAG welding (with CO2 or gas mixture),
MIG welding (with high current),
self-shielded flux-cored arc welding,
plasma cutting,
gouging,
oxy-fuel cutting,
thermal spraying.

Operation of machinery, for example:

in confined spaces,
at welding/cutting locations above head height or in uncomfortable positions.