Page 33 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2017

The NFPA 70E Standard, known as “recognized industry practice” by OSHA, also provides guidance for protection against this hazard. To comply, employers are required to perform a hazard analysis. Where required, employees shall wear AR/ FR protective clothing that meets ASTM F1506—the minimum performance speci- fications for protective clothing for workers exposed to the risk of electrical arc flash.
There are two main incident analysis schemes utilized within the NFPA 70E standard. One is the calculation method, and the second is the table method. When utilizing either method, it is important to remember that you cannot mix the two methods. They are stand-alone procedures.
The calculation method is much as it sounds. The potential incident energies of various pieces of equipment are calculated utilizing formulas and/or commercially available software. The clothing and cloth- ing systems chosen must have an arc rat- ing equal to or greater than the anticipated level of energy calculated. The difficulty of this method is related to the complexity of the electrical system.
The table method within NFPA 70E has characterized AR/FR garments and garment systems by PPE Categories. Vari- ous look up tables show typical equip- ment, their operating conditions, and the required PPE Category. For example, PPE Category 2 requires that the arc rating be 8 cal/cm2 or above and PPE Category 3 re- quires an arc rating of 25 cal/cm2 or above.
Flash Fire
A flash fire is a fire that spreads by means of a flame front rapidly through a diffuse fuel (NFPA 2112). Workers in the oil, gas, chemical, and petrochemical in- dustries can be at risk for flash fires. NFPA 2112 is the industry standard on FR gar- ments that protect industrial personnel against flash fire. The companion stan- dard, NFPA 2113, provides guidance on the selection, care, use, and maintenance of those garments.
While setting clear guides for fabric and garment testing, NFPA 2112 provides minimum performance criteria. One re- quirement of NFPA 2112 is that the FR fabric be tested in a three-second flash fire per ASTM F1930 test guidelines and pro- vide protection up to 50 percent total body burn. Naturally, this criterion encompasses a large variation of performance.
For workers exposed to flash fire haz- ards, a certification to NFPA 2112 is really a starting point. Because all fabrics with less than 50 percent burn can be certified to NFPA 2112, it is important understand there can be a variance in body burn results of fabrics that are commonly available in the marketplace today. Knowing how your fabric performs is critical in minimizing burn injury.
Why Some FR Fabrics
Are Not Sufficient
While flame resistance performance is an imperative quality of your FR apparel, there are other key factors to consider that greatly affect the success of an FR program.
Not all FR fabrics are equal in terms of comfort, shrinkage, long-term perfor- mance, washability, and reliability. And when FR apparel isn’t comfortable or en- joyable to move in, workers won’t wear it properly—or, worse, they won’t wear FR apparel at all. The most important factor is that your FR workwear is comfortable and guaranteed flame resistant for the life of the garment.
Specify the Fabric for
FR Program Success
As discussed, when developing an effective FR apparel program, standards are only the starting point. Know what you are truly buying: The AR/FR fabric in workwear is the single largest factor in determining the garment’s protection level, comfort, and overall value. Work through the following four steps to go beyond compliance stan- dards to specify reliable FR workwear:
1. Research environmental risks.
Gain a deep understanding of your work environment and the specific issues that impact worker safety. Begin with iden- tifying the risks at hand, such as arc flash risks versus flash fires, as the apparel needs are different.
The standards for which you are speci- fying fabrics must apply to your individual work environment. For example, FR fabrics that meet PPE Category 2 are irrelevant in the oil and gas industries because the arc rating standard addresses electrical arc flash, not flash fire hazards.
External factors, such as weather, also should be considered. The fabric and fab- ric system needs in diverse climates can be very different. Workers in cold, northern
climates may need insulated products for their daily work, whereas southern climates may dictate a single layer.
2. Evaluate fabric options.
When evaluating viable options for AR/ FR fabric, don’t settle for minimum com- pliance. Instead, know the exact rating of each fabric. Also consider a wear trial to as- sess comfort and wearability so you know firsthand that employees will be able to work effectively and comfortably.
3. Understand the fabric’s performance.
There is a vast disparity between prod- ucts that comply with NFPA 2112 and NFPA 70E. Compliance is a starting point, then individual fabric performance should be evaluated to help ensure you are ad- equately protecting workers.
4. Specify fabric by brand name.
Brand-name FR textiles carry a trusted reputation because they have been market proven to protect workers. Brand-name reputations also help you know exactly what you are purchasing. Not all FR fab- rics, or constructions, such as 88/12 fiber blends, are the same. There are significant differences in how similar fabrics with similar fiber constructions perform. Rely on proven brand-name reputations to gauge the effectiveness of FR performance, backed up with third-party certification.
Understanding the nuances of what is required to adequately protect against arc flash and flash fire burn injuries can seem daunting. However, true protection from AR/FR apparel comes down to understand- ing the risks of your work environment and knowing the quality and reliability of the fabric. By researching your specific envi- ronmental risks, evaluating AR/FR fabric options, understanding their performance through third-party testing, and specifying trusted brand names, you can create a reli- able AR/FR PPE program that goes beyond compliance.
Scott Francis is the Midwest Regional Mar- ket Manager for Westex by Milliken. He has been involved with the safety industry since 1991 and has extensive experience with the performance of protective apparel fabrics as well as protective apparel programs. He par- ticipates in several industry organizations and frequently addresses trade associations and groups on electric arc and flash fire haz- ards, body burn injury, the protective perfor- mance of FR clothing, and related topics.
www.ohsonline.com
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