Page 24 - Occupational Health & Safety, December 2017

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
dition to a Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity
■ Certification by an accredited, independent third-party
organization
Currently, most PPE manufacturers and suppliers use the first
option to demonstrate conformity. While the first option continues to be appropriate, the PPE industry will have to assess how to move forward if requested to use the other two options.
Personal Protective Equipment and the 2018 NFPA 70E
A common theme of understanding hazards and implementing appropriate steps to mitigate those hazards is present throughout NFPA 70E. The standard calls for reducing or eliminating these hazards through expanded risk assessments, clearly assigned re- sponsibilities, and enhanced definitions and details to underscore the standard.
PPE is a final layer of defense for employees facing electrical hazards—it is meant to mitigate injuries in the event of an arc flash but should not be the only barrier for employees. Both employees and employers play a vital role in recommending and wearing PPE. While hazard elimination is the first priority in implementation, PPE still plays a crucial role.
Some electrical safety programs encourage the use of task- based PPE instead of daily AR/FR wear. While task-based wear may make sense in theory, in application, task-based poses a number of risks to employees because of the inherent risk of in-
consistent PPE use. Task-based AR/FR wear requires constant risk assessment and relies on the user to make accurate judg- ments at all times, which is easily foiled by human error. It also is subject to employee complacency, in that an employee may be- come desensitized to site risks.
Everyday AR/FR apparel reduces these task-based wear issues and helps rectify the cultural issues found in task-based PPE pro- grams. By incorporating everyday wear, employees are consistently protected throughout their day. AR/FR clothing, enabled by im- proved comfort and performance of innovative AR/FR fabrics, are now advancing a “want to wear” experience. Employees required to wear PPE can enjoy the functionality of non-FR garments backed by the protection of AR/FR fabrics.
By understanding the NFPA 70E updates, all affected parties can work together to become and remain compliant. Through cross-functional collaboration, further movement can be made in creating the safest possible environment for electrical workers.
Scott Francis is the Midwest Regional Market Manager for Westex by Milliken. Involved in the safety industry since 1991, he has exten- sive experience with protective apparel fabrics, as well as protective apparel programs. He participates in a number of industry organiza- tions and frequently addresses trade associations and groups regard- ing relevant safety topics.
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