Page 49 - OHS, June 2020

PPE so they would comply with the new arc flash requirements. At that time, shar- ing electrical PPE seemed to be a viable op- tion. This approach started to spread until it morphed into an “industry norm.” The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a huge challenge to these programs and compa- nies that are now scrambling to figure out a new solution.
What’s interesting about this situation is that safety professionals understand how dangerous electrical work is and want all workers to comply with safety re- quirements. Therefore, safety profession- als are often willing to invest in the most user friendly and comfortable electrical PPE so the workers will want to wear PPE when it’s required. Otherwise, workers may avoid wearing it altogether, which can negatively impact compliance rates and, more importantly, compromise worker safety. Many case studies performed over the years from actual injuries and fatali- ties prove that one incident could more than pay for an individual electrical PPE program for many years or even decades. There is no question that the upfront cost of electrical PPE is much higher than other types of PPE. However, electrical PPE is very durable and routinely lasts five to 10 years in the field. In addition, it’s human nature to take better care of something that is personal to you, which lowers re- placement costs due to loss and damage. Therefore, although the upfront expense of issuing electrical PPE to each worker will be higher, it balances out over time, and the “cost per wear” would not be much more in the long run. Another common concern is: “what if employees leave and we get caught holding the bag?” (literally). Well, as con- firmed by the CDC, it’s nice to know that electrical PPE can be properly cleaned and disinfected so it can easily be reissued to a new employee in safe condition.
When this pandemic is over, there will undoubtedly be many positive changes made in the way we work and live. One of the changes should be keeping electrical personal protective equipment “personal” by phasing out legacy shared electrical PPE programs. That would allow the heroes who are keeping the lights on to be proper- ly protected, without having to worry about any additional hidden hazards.
Mike Enright is the President and CEO of Enespro.
www.ohsonline.com
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