Intelligent Power Today Magazine

It may seem like all flame-resistant (FR) garments are the same. After all, government regulations demand that every FR fabric protects workers to a certain degree. However, the real issue isn’t protection. The issue is compliance. For your workers to be compliant, protection and comfort must go hand in hand. You may have the highest protection in your FR garments, but if your workers leave them in their truck, they cannot provide the necessary protection.

I recently viewed a destroyed 600-volt electrical panel board that had exploded when an operator reset an 800-ampere (A) breaker. His leather-palmed gloves had synthetic backs that ignited and seriously burned the back of his hands. His flame-resistant (FR) shirt was untucked and he was burned on his right side.

It is unfortunate that he was not following Canadian Standards Association’s CSA Z462 standard: “Workplace Electrical Safety” clause 4.3.7.3.10 (d). It is incredibly fortunate that his employer provided arc-rated clothing, as only a few years ago, he would have been wearing cotton coveralls.

Consequently, this incident would have resulted...