Arc-rated face shields and hoods: what category needs which
NFPA 70E matches the face protection to the category. Category 1 (4 cal/cm²): an arc-rated face shield with wrap-around guarding for the face, forehead, ears and neck, or an arc flash suit hood. Category 2 (8 cal/cm²): the same face shield plus an arc-rated balaclava covering the back of the head and neck, or an arc flash suit hood. Categories 3 and 4 (25 and 40 cal/cm²): an arc flash suit hood that encloses the whole head. Every shield and hood must carry its own arc rating at or above the exposure; a shield with no arc rating is not allowed. Safety glasses or goggles are worn under the shield or hood every time, and a hard hat under the shield, with hearing protection for anyone inside the arc flash boundary.
PIP 9150-56515T toric arc shield kitHard hat, arc-rated face shield and chin guard; 12 cal/cm² as published by PIP under ASTM F2178Why does the face get its own rule? The face is the closest part of the body to the arc when a worker is looking into an enclosure, and the eyes, ears and neck cannot be covered by a shirt. An arc flash also throws molten copper and a pressure wave, and the light alone can injure the eye. So NFPA 70E requires three separate things at once: an arc-rated barrier (shield or hood) rated for the heat, eye protection under it for the light and debris, and a hard hat for impact. As the energy goes up, the gaps close: Category 1 leaves the back of the head to the hard hat and the shirt collar; Category 2 adds a balaclava; 3 and 4 enclose the whole head in a hood.
What does each category require on the head?
From NFPA 70E Table 130.7(C)(15)(c), with the general rules in 130.7(C)(10).
What is the difference between a face shield, a balaclava and a hood?
An arc-rated face shield is a tinted window on a hard hat bracket with a chin guard, and in the wrap-around designs 70E calls for, side and forehead coverage. It is rated under ASTM F2178, the arc test for face protective products, at 8 to 20 cal/cm² in most models, and it is the daily tool for Category 1 and 2 tasks. It leaves the back of the head, ears and neck uncovered, which is why Category 2 adds a balaclava: an arc-rated knit hood that covers the head and neck under the hard hat and pulls up over the chin, so the shield and balaclava together close the gaps.
NFPA 70E-2024, 130.7(C)(10), head and face protection, and Table 130.7(C)(15)(c) note on wrap-around guarding; ASTM F2178, Standard Specification for Arc Rated Eye or Face Protective Products.An arc flash suit hood is a full enclosure: an arc-rated fabric hood that sits over a hard hat, with a large window and a skirt that overlaps the suit jacket. It is rated as a complete product, window and fabric together, under F2178, and comes in 25, 40 and higher cal/cm² versions. Most hoods are sold with a fan or a lift-front window because the enclosed design fogs and traps heat; those parts do not change the rating. A hood is required at Category 3 and 4 and is an alternative at any lower category.
NFPA 70E-2024, Table 130.7(C)(15)(c); 130.7(C)(10); ASTM F2178; manufacturer ratings for the hoods listed below.What eye protection does NFPA 70E require for arc flash?
- Employees wear protective equipment for the eyes whenever there is danger of injury from electric arcs, flashes or flying objects from an electrical explosion. OSHA’s general industry rule says the same.
- Safety glasses or goggles are worn under the face shield or hood, always. The shield protects against heat; the glasses protect against the light and the debris that gets around a shield.
- The glasses meet ANSI/ISEA Z87.1; they are not required to be arc rated. Metal frames are avoided near energized parts.
- A face shield without an arc rating, such as a standard Z87.1 clear or grinding shield, is not permitted for arc flash protection, whatever its thickness.
- The tint on an arc-rated shield reduces the light from an arc. It is a fixed tint, not a welding shade; shields that comply with Z87.1 light transmission are marked as such.
What else goes with the shield or hood?
A hard hat, under the shield bracket or inside the hood, wherever there is danger of head injury from shock, burns or falling objects; it is listed in every category. Hearing protection, ear canal inserts, for anyone within the arc flash boundary, not only the person doing the task; the 2024 edition of NFPA 70E removed the word working from that rule to make the point. And a check that the shield, bracket and hood are the same manufacturer’s system: brackets and chin guards are tested with the shield, and a shield on a bracket it was not rated with has no rating.
NFPA 70E-2024, 130.7(C)(3) (head, face, neck and chin protection), 130.7(C)(5) (hearing protection within the arc flash boundary, 2024 revision), Table 130.7(C)(15)(c); 29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(iv); manufacturer instructions for the shield systems listed below.Arc-rated face shields, hoods and balaclavas by rating
27 items · prices liveEach item shows the arc rating its manufacturer publishes under ASTM F2178 (shields and hoods) or ASTM F1959 (balaclavas). Match the rating to the category minimum or the incident energy on the label. Contractor Direct orders ship free.
Arc flash kits that include the hood are in the arc flash finder. Safety glasses to wear under the shield are in the eye protection finder.
Questions people ask
Does Category 1 require a face shield?
Yes. Category 1 requires an arc-rated face shield with wrap-around guarding for the face, forehead, ears and neck, or an arc flash suit hood, plus safety glasses or goggles under it. (Table 130.7(C)(15)(c).)
Does Category 2 require a balaclava?
Yes, when a face shield is used: an arc-rated balaclava plus the wrap-around shield, or an arc flash suit hood instead of both.
When is an arc flash hood required?
For Category 3 and Category 4, and under the incident energy method wherever the exposure is above 12 cal/cm². A hood may also be worn in place of a shield at lower categories.
Can I use a regular Z87 face shield for arc flash?
No. NFPA 70E requires face shields to have an arc rating suitable for the exposure and prohibits face shields with no arc rating. A standard clear or grinding shield has none. (130.7(C)(10).)
Do I still need safety glasses under an arc flash hood?
Yes. Eye protection (safety glasses or goggles) is always worn under face shields or hoods. (130.7(C)(10).)
What does ASTM F2178 mean on a face shield?
It is the arc test specification for eye and face protective products. The rating it produces is in cal/cm², the same unit as clothing, and is matched to the incident energy or category the same way.
Do arc-rated safety glasses exist?
Glasses are not arc rated; they meet ANSI Z87.1 and go under the arc-rated shield or hood. Some manufacturers sell Z87.1 glasses marketed for electrical work, but the arc protection comes from the shield.
Does the hard hat need to be arc rated?
No. The hard hat is for impact and shock (Class E for electrical work); the arc protection is the shield or hood over it. A hard hat liner worn with it must be arc rated or non-melting.
Standards and ratings on this page are as published in the documents named and by the manufacturers named. The employer’s hazard assessment and written program decide what applies at a given workplace. Verify a rating on the product and its spec sheet before use.