This document specifies minimum safety requirements and test methods for protective clothing including hoods, aprons, sleeves, and gaiters that are designed to protect the wearer's body including head (hoods) and feet (gaiters) and that are to be worn during welding and allied processes with comparable risks. For the protection of the wearer’s head and feet, this document is only applicable to hoods and gaiters. This document does not cover requirements for feet, hand, face, and/or eye protectors.

This type of protective clothing is intended to protect the wearer against the following hazards:

—     spatter (small splashes of molten metal) in 2 risk levels, short contact time with flame, radiant heat from an electric arc used for welding and allied processes,

—     harmful artificial optical radiation (UV-A, UV-B and especially UV-C) in 3 risk levels generated during welding and allied processes and

—     minimizes the possibility of electrical shock by short-term, accidental contact with live electrical conductors at voltages up to approximately 100 V d. c. in normal conditions of welding. Sweat, soiling, or other contaminants can affect the level of protection provided against short-term accidental contact with live electric conductors at these voltages.

The main manual welding processes are exemplified and are classified into process groups according to the maximum effectively emitted total irradiance, which has been determined and evaluated by measurement for these types of welding processes.

For adequate overall protection against the risks to which welders are likely to be exposed, personal protective equipment (PPE) covered by other standards should additionally be worn to protect the head, face, hands, and feet.

This document is not applicable for laser welding processes (coherent, monochromatic radiation sources).

Guidance for the selection of protective clothing for different welding activities is detailed in Annex B.