Intelligent Power Today Magazine

While the threat of shock and electrocution from inadvertent contact with energized parts has long been recognized, the arc flash and arc blast hazards have only fairly recently been incorporated into the electrical safety standards.

The U.S. federal agency the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces electrical workplace safety standards outlined in the National Fire Protection Association’s NFPA 70E: “Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace”. Basic compliance with guidelines in the NFPA 70E 2015 Edition, can be established with a five-step process.

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.