Page 35 - Occupational Health & Safety, March 2019

PROTECTIVE APPAREL
leather protectors.
The other option is implementing a
“task-based” program, in which work- ers bring a full PPE kit that includes all of their electrical safety PPE needs with them in a gear bag. When workers are faced with an electrical task, they would quickly put on the appropriate level arc flash suit over their clothing along with a balaclava, faceshield/hard hat, ear plugs, safety glasses, and voltage-rated rubber gloves and leather protectors.
The criticism of task-based programs is typically focused on the concern that work- ers might skip the step of donning the arc- rated suits to do some “small” and/or “quick” electrical tasks (sound familiar?). This is a le- gitimate concern but it’s important to under- stand that going with a daily wear program does not eliminate this concern of taking shortcuts when it comes to protecting your head, face, and hands as well as insulating workers from electrical shock.
2. Stop, Think, Select the Proper PPE
Regardless of whether you’ve imple- mented a task-based or daily wear PPE program, it’s important for everyone to un- derstand that they need to stop and think about what PPE is required before they do any tasks. While daily wear could save a few minutes, the fact remains that this step needs to take place regardless of what they’re wearing when they walk out their door in the morning.
Furthermore, if your workers are only doing a handful of electrical tasks each week, task-based programs may actually be a bet- ter fit for you. Conversely, if they are doing work that requires PPE multiple times a day, an arc-rated daily wear program may be the best solution for your company.
Innovations Make Daily Wear
and, More Recently, Task-Based Programs Easier
Fortunately, there has been a tremendous amount of progress and innovation to ad- vance arc flash safety. It’s amazing to com- pare the arc-rated FR daily wear from 10- 15 years ago to the options that exist today.
These advancements, specifically in the area of comfort, have been a key fac- tor in moving hundreds of thousands of electrical workers into arc-rated clothing. Arc-rated daily wear has made dramatic strides in the past decade, and there are
finally some new products in the task- based market with dramatically improved comfort and mobility that are much easier to don and doff.
Many Paths to One Goal—Safety
We’ve all heard the statistics about electri- cal hazards and it’s important to recognize that complacency and human error still ex- ist, so processes should be put in place to ensure full body protection from electrical hazards. At the end of the day, there is no “right” way to comply with NFPA 70E to keep your workers safe and you should take
the path that best fits your specific needs. The goal is always to make sure you select the best solution and PPE products for your company so your workers go back home to their families in the same condition they came to work.
Mike Enright is President and CEO of En- espro PPE. He has more than 25 years of ex- perience in the flame resistant protective ap- parel market. He is committed to advancing the electrical safety PPE market by building a company that is focused on bringing mean- ing ful innovations to electrical workers.
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