Electrical PPE Is Crucial To Arc Flash Safety

Electrical PPE, or personal protective equipment, is crucial to arc flash safety. Arc flash PPE should feature head-to-toe protection against this serious hazard in order to complete the job in the safest, most efficient and professional manner possible. Appropriate arc flash PPE includes arc-resistant gear, voltage rated gloves and insulated tools to protect the entire body from the dangers of arc flash and shock hazards, including skin, vision and hearing.

An arc flash is the light and heat produced as part of an arc fault, a type of electrical explosion or discharge that results from a low-impedance connection through air to ground or another voltage phase in an electrical system. Electrical arcs experience negative incremental resistance, which causes the electrical resistance to decrease as the arc temperature increases.

NFPA 70E 130.7 Personal and Other Protective Equipment states that employees exposed to electrical hazards when the risk associated with the hazard is not adequately reduced by the applicable electrical installation requirements shall be provided with, and shall use, protective equipment that is designed and constructed for the specific part of the body to be protected and for the work to be performed.

NFPA 70E 105.3 Employer Responsibility states that the employer shall have the following responsibilities:

1. Establish, document, and implement the safety-related work practices and procedures required by this standard.
2. Provide employees with training in the employer’s safety-related work practices and procedures.

Arc flash training from ESS covers the following topics specific to electrical PPE:

• Who is responsible?
• Care and Maintenance
• Outer and Under Layer
• ATPV (Arc Thermal Performance Value) and HRC Category Electrical PPE examples

Electrical PPE is the last line of defense against arc flash hazard injuries! Be confident that your employees are protected. Electrical Safety Specialists offer arc flash training including electrical PPE across the United States. 

Our trainers are Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professionals (CESCP), certified to ensure they can provide the highest quality training possible. Our trainers are real world electricians who will not only provide job specific examples for your team, but they will present them in a manner that makes the content immediately applicable to daily routines.

Our team of safety experts will help you identify a training program that suits your team’s needs, specific to the various tasks and job requirements of the workers in your facilities. For more information about nationwide arc flash training and electrical PPE, click here or call ESS at (816) 925-0443.