I am lucky enough to work with large power and utility organisations such as SSE, so I see the pressure health and safety leaders are under to get arc flash layering right. It’s one of the important areas to understand, not just for safety leaders themselves, but for the education of frontline workers. It’s crucial to keep everyone up to date, so they can they keep themselves and the people around them safe when working with high voltage.
So here’s my top five rules to ensure you are layering arc flash correctly.
Here are all the rules in full, so you can really take it in. I have also included a download to our latest FireBear arc flash layering guide and 2026 Buyer’s Guide at the end.
Every layer worn under your arc flash outerwear must be either a long sleeve FR or arc rated top. If not, it must at least be a top made from 100 percent natural fibres such as cotton. One unsuitable layer can compromise the entire system, and man-made fibres like polyester will melt, stick and burn into the skin during an arc flash. This is why our latest polyester-free orange hi vis is such an important innovation from FireBear.
All arc flash garments are tested as a complete system. That means brands like FireBear test their base layers and outer layers together to meet Class 2 requirements in a Box Test. But if you mix brands (for example a base layer from one brand and an outer garment from another), you break that tested system and cannot guarantee protection levels. The result is non-compliance even if each item is arc rated on its own.
Any exposed skin is an exposed risk. Short sleeves leave the forearms unprotected, and in an arc flash this means direct exposure to heat, flame and the risk of electrocution. The golden rule is to always wear long sleeves no matter what layer it is.
Comfort is not a nice-to-have, it’s essential for people to do their job safely. If PPE does not fit properly or feels restrictive, then I have found people do dangerous things to make themselves comfortable, such as rolling up sleeves or even taking off the layer completely. Making sure garments are a good fit and provide comfort will always support better protection, better compliance and better performance at work.
This is one of the most common areas of confusion. And it’s important to remember the two systems are not interchangeable:
If your specification requires one system and you buy PPE certified to the other, you are not compliant even if the numbers look similar.
That’s my five rules, and here’s the arc flash class 2 layering guide and FireBear Buying Guide you can download and take away.
Class 2 FireBear Layering Guide.pdf
2026 FireBear Arc Flash PPE Buying Guide.pdf
Remember, arc flash layering is an area where small decisions can have big consequences. If you want to discuss your arc flash layering challenges or want to know more about FireBear products, connect with me on LinkedIn or via a contact form.
