Which of the following is/are the recognized methods for the selection of protective clothing and other PPE where work will be performed within the arc flash boundary?

• A. I and II
• B. II and III
• C. I, II, III
• D. III and IV

Answer: (D)

When work will be performed inside the arc flash boundary, the protective clothing and other PPE must be chosen using methods that directly relate to the actual energy exposure or the level of risk. There are two recognized approaches: calculating or estimating the incident energy at the worker’s location (in cal/cm^2) and selecting PPE rated to withstand that energy, and using the hazard risk category (HRC) method from NFPA 70E, which maps the task and conditions to an HRC and chooses PPE accordingly. These two approaches are standard because they tie PPE to real, measured or calculated energy levels and risk, ensuring appropriate protection for the specific scenario rather than relying on general or non-standard criteria. The other options describe methods that do not provide the energy-based or risk-based framework required by NFPA 70E, so they aren’t recognized for PPE selection within the arc flash boundary. In this item, the recognized methods correspond to the two energy/risk-based approaches, which is why the correct choice points to those methods.