Arc Flash & Electrical Safety News

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Arc Flash Training & PPE Protection

Hugh Hoagland has an article in Occupational Health & Safety magazine that discusses why meeting OSHA and NFPA requirements for PPE does not always provide adequate protection. The article defines the problem with this example:

"I received a call recently from a large electric utility. A line worker, we'll call him Bill, had been badly burned while performing work near a 69kV piece of equipment."

"The worker was in a 50 cal/cm² rated winter suit. The undergarments and outer garments were provided by the company, but workers were given a lot of latitude on undergarments as long as the outer shell was compliant with the company's clothing policy."

"The worker chose not to wear an arc-rated sweatshirt even though this was commonly available in the company's clothing catalog. Instead, the worker was wearing a non flame-resistant T-shirt under the sweatshirt. Though this system was in compliance with NFPA 70E, NESC, and OSHA 1910.269, it was not the best choice for the worker."

You can read the entire article here: OSHOnline Articles

Related Past Posts:
PPE: Better Safe Than Sorry
The myths and Reality of Arc Flash Protection
NFPA 70E Clothing Requirements

Labels: Arc Flash, Arc Flash PPE, Electrical Safety