Page 46 - Occupational Health & Safety, October 2019

ELECTRICAL SAFETY
Five Important Things to Know About Arc Flash PPE Programs
A well-designed electrical safety PPE program can help mitigate injuries in the event of an arc flash. BY SCOTT FRANCIS
When it comes to arc flash protection, multiple factors must be considered when creating, implementing, and maintaining a workplace electrical safety personal protective equipment (PPE) program. While utilizing the hierarchy of risk controls, such as lock-out/tag-out procedures, to put equipment in an electrically safe work condition, those working on en- ergized electrical equipment should always wear arc rated (AR)/flame resistant (FR) personal protective equipment (PPE) on a job site to help mitigate injuries should an arc flash occur. AR/FR PPE includes, but is not limited to, head gear, clothing, gloves, and foot- wear. If an employee is not equipped with the proper PPE required for the task at hand, he or she could be at risk of serious or fatal burn injuries due to an unex- pected arc flash.
Arc flashes are dangerous and unexpected, but a well-designed electrical safety PPE program can help mitigate injuries in the event of an arc flash. With a surplus of information available, it can be difficult to determine what is important to incorporate into a thorough PPE program and what is not. Safety man- agers should be aware of these five caveats when de- signing and implementing an electrical PPE program that will be most effective in helping to protect em- ployees on a day-to-day basis.
1. The company is responsible for developing and implementing an electrical safety PPE pro- gram. When it comes to employee electrical safety, the company is responsible for ensuring that a thor- ough and effective PPE program is in place to help
protect workers from jobsite electrical hazards. An employer is financially accountable for injuries its em- ployees sustain from an arc flash incident. The associ- ated costs of arc flash injuries can compound quickly, especially if an AR/FR PPE program is not in place. The upfront costs of implementing an AR/FR pro- gram may seem daunting; however, the absence of an appropriate program can add up. Not investing in an AR/FR daily wear program can end up costing a com- pany much more for an employee’s medical bills than the initial costs of implementing adequate PPE safety measures. Moreover, it places employees’ safety first.
2. Employees must be properly trained and informed about AR/FR PPE. In addition to imple- menting a PPE program, it is important for employ- ees to receive thorough training on the importance, proper use, and care of their AR/FR daily wear and task-based PPE. It is the company’s responsibility to educate their employees to ensure they understand the implications of wearing daily wear and task-based AR/FR PPE incorrectly.
PPE, including AR/FR clothing, gloves, shoes, and head and face protection are all crucial components to keeping electrical workers safe. Wearing them correctly is vital to helping mitigate injuries if an arc flash takes place. As such, educating employees on the proper fit and how to wear their AR/FR PPE helps to ensure they understand how to thoroughly protect themselves against hazards. Additionally, the com- pany must monitor PPE use to ensure its employees are diligently donning their AR/FR PPE and wearing it correctly. If an employee’s AR/FR PPE is not being worn properly, the company must address the issue and work with the employee with additional training or other incentives or consequences to ensure he or she is wearing the AR/FR PPE correctly while em- ployed by the company.
Care for AR/FR garments is another important safety measure that must be communicated to em- ployees. All AR/FR garments come with care tags, which provide the wearer with instructions on how to wash and maintain the garments. It is important to follow these instructions, as not doing so could com- promise the AR/FR properties of the garment.
3. The company must stay familiar with updated NFPA 70E consensus standards. NFPA 70E publish- es updates every three years, and it is the safety man- ager’s job to know when new information becomes available and to review it thoroughly. Once revised
42 Occupational Health & Safety | OCTOBER 2019
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