You may be taking a first look or a closer look at flame-resistant (FR) clothing for a simple reason: Legal regulations and voluntary industry safety standards encompassing personal protective equipment (PPE) are becoming more exact and pervasive. NFPA 70E, a national consensus standard that establishes safety guidelines for workers exposed to electrical hazards, is a [...]
The 2012 Edition of NFPA 70E has been published and there are a large number of changes. There are a few key changes related to arc flash protective apparel. The three most notable are: First the terms Arc Rated & AR have replaced Flame-Resistant & FR. This is an attempt to prevent the use of [...]
FR clothing is designed to protect workers from arc flash and flash fire, two hazards that can cause serious injury or death. In an arc flash, the amount of energy released is “quite significant,” with temperatures reaching between 10,000 and 20,000 degrees Fahrenheit, explains Dan Bowen, technical marketing specialist for DuPont Personal Protection. “Even though [...]
It is widely understood that clothing made from non-flame resistant synthetic fabrics, such as polyester, nylon and polyester/cotton blends, are not appropriate when working on or near electrically energized parts and equipment. If these garments are exposed to an electric arc flash, they can ignite, melt and drip, which can lead to severe contact burns [...]
Key factors in Selecting FR Clothing Question – When in the initial phases of coming into compliance with NFPA 70E and starting to evaluate different FR garments, why wouldn’t you just go with the least expensive garment that meets the standard? Answer – While garments can look very similar on the surface, they often contain [...]
OSHA prohibits the use of nylons, acetates, polyesters alone or in blend with cotton, when work around thermal exposures could occur and cause these fibers to melt and stick to the skin. Therefore, many companies require electrical workers to wear natural fiber, or all cotton clothing, while working in these situations. Cotton also presents a [...]
Protective Industrial Products has come out with brand new revolutionary fire resistant clothing. These new FR clothes are perfect for use as a winter coat, or just as a sweatshirt. They are fully fire resistant and meet NFPA 70E, ASTM F 1506, OSHA 29, CFR 1910.269 and NESC 2007 standards. The best thing about them [...]
OSHA really wants to get their point across that worker safety is a priority and contractors need to make sure they are constantly making it a priority. Back in December of 2011, OSHA proposed more that $127,000 in fines to contractors for violating workplace health and safety hazards. The contractors who do business with TheManStore [...]
