• • • EDITOR’S CHOICE • • • How to get the best out of the
arc rated PPE procurement Across many industries and within dangerous occupations, such as electrical engineering, legally compliant workwear garments are vital to workers health and safety, especially for those who work outside in all weather
ere, Jonas Andersson, GORE-TEX Professional Sales Associate provides an insight into how to motivate and protect workers by adopting a smart approach to PPE procurement.
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Start with a risk assessment “A necessary practice for all employers to effectively manage risks in the workplace is a full risk assessment. This is then used as a blueprint for any required PPE provision. Accidents and exposure to risks, such as heat, flame and electric arc, are more likely to happen when PPE is discarded or only used sporadically when they aren’t comfortable to wear. Multiple studies show us that workers are more productive if they feel safe, well protected from work related risk and are wearing comfortable ergonomic and lightweight garments that move freely.
All key aspects below should be carefully considered when procuring weatherproof and arc rated PPE:
Ask the end user
All legally compliant employers know the regulations and safety risks they need to protect their employees against but a sound starting point is to also make sure workers are consulted on what is important to them with their PPE. Full workers engagement in wearer trials and their feedback on prototypes is a smart and often money saving initiative and will help ensure effective and modern designs are keeping workers safe in high-risk situations. Increasingly, workers demand that their safety PPE has a modern design, is protective as well as comfortable to wear. Too hot, cold, leaky or heavy and no matter how good the product is in protecting against danger, the wearer is less likely to use it.
Review the latest fabric technologies
In the competitive workwear market, designers and manufacturers continue to innovate through the development of new fabrics for protection in combination with wearer comfort. High-tech safety materials ensure that electrical engineers and industrial workers can rely on their PPE. Increasingly there is wider availability of lightweight multi norm garments which protect against more than just the elements but also against additional risks, such as electric arc flashes. For example, new Arc Rated GORE-TEX PYRAD Stretch jackets and trousers have 50 per cent more stretch than other existing products currently available and are 45 per cent lighter than other Class 2 arc protection rainwear.
12 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING • NOVEMBER 2024
electricalengineeringmagazine.co.uk
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