Across America, states vary widely in how promptly, or even if, they adopt the latest edition of NFPA 70: National Electrical Code® (NEC®). Not adhering to the latest edition can lead to serious shortfalls in electrical safety for citizens and a failure to protect first responders and workers from preventable dangers.
In the past few decades, there have been high-profile combustible dust incidents with substantial injuries and mortalities, leading OSHA to reissue the National Emphasis Program (NEP) in March 2008.
Other than high voltage shock, an arc flash and blast event is one of the most horrific electrical accidents a person can experience. When an arc flash occurs, temperatures in arc plasma can reach up to 10,000˚F.
If your workers face short-term thermal exposure from fire, you should research the 2018 edition of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA®) 2112 standard.
In the best-case scenario, normalization of deviance goes against recommended work practices, but when it comes to safety, this common human tendency can have devastating consequences.
The NFPA 70E Standard “Electrical Safety in the Workplace” recognizes that the quicker a circuit breaker operates (instantaneous trip preferred) the less incident energy (arc flash) an individual maybe exposed who is working on electrical equipment and an arc flash incident occurs.
The new Honeywell Salisbury™ Premium Light Weight Lift Front Hood and Face Shields deliver industry-leading comfort and safety on the job — and CE certification.
A flash session on the expo floor Tuesday at Safety 2017 focused on the science behind flame-resistant clothing. Speaker Scott P. Francis told attendees to beware of simple terms.
He said for flame-resistant, arc flash PPE, words like 88/12, inherent, certified do not tell you anything about specific fabric or fabric manufacture. It’s important to know what fabric your garment is made from and who makes the fabric, Francis said. “Fabrics perform very different so you should know the specifics on protection, comfort and value.”
The statistics are well known. Each day three or four workers are killed due to electrical related accidents, according to NIOSH. A Michigan burn center found that 34 percent of patients injured on the job received flash injuries.
Fibox’s Instrument Protection Window (IPW) provides an non-conductive secure barrier to sensitive controls and components, limiting access to just where it is needed. Now available in two sizes (12 x 10 3.31 and 16 x 14 x 3.31), with an opaque or transparent cover, and several locking options.
