Arc Flash & Electrical Safety: NFPA 70E - More Than Labels and PPE

Thursday, August 24, 2006

NFPA 70E - More Than Labels and PPE

We are a labeling machine company, so of course labeling is important to us. And labeling is a key component of NFPA 70E and arc flash safety. It's important not because we are a labeling machine company, but for safety. Labels and signs communicate information about arc flash hazards, and required protection, at the point of need. But there is more to arc flash safety than labeling and PPE.

An article by Chet Davis in Plant Engineering magazine points out that employees must also understand the reason why the arc flash label is there. The article quotes Gary McGuire, a safety manager for a large pulp and paper mill in the Northwest who says, "'Safety must be operated by principle, not practice.' He stresses the 'why' of safety, not just the dos and don'ts of a task. This knowledge gives people confronted with something out of the ordinary the background to understand the potential dangers, enabling them to make safe choices. Safety is a culture that must be ingrained with principle. This culture starts from management and filters down to the worker where ultimate responsibility rests."

Labels: Arc Flash Labeling, NFPA 70E