Safe
Saf tyan Workwear fety andWorkwe
Whilemany could be orgiven fofor thinking that flame retardant (FR) PPE can also provide protection in an Arc Flash incident, this is not the case. There are separate safefety standards fofor Arc Flash clothing which go further than those fofor fire resistance,meaning that the level of protection provided by FR clothing does notmatch that of Arc resistant PPE.
2. Flame Retardant doe ffo
,
Arc Flash protective clothing is designed to not only protect operatives in the industrial electric sector fromfire, but fromthe thermal energy generated by an Arc Flash, which can also cause external and internal burns. In fafact, fafabric used in Arc resistant garmentsmustmeet higher tear resistance and tensile strength than those used fofor fire-resistant clothing.
3 Is the ma erial trea ed or inherent? 3. I. s thematerial treated or inherent?
abric’. Treated fafabric ismade fromfibres which are not flame retardant by nature but have undergone a chemical process to add a quality to them. The protection relies on that treatment
or worn off during its lifefetime. However,r, washing or long-termuse can reduce the protection these safefety garments offe clothing is generally cheaper.
whichmake up the clothing are inherently so. Inherent fabric does not lose any of its protective qualities aftfter long periods of wear or washing, but tends to bemore expensive due to its durability.
Inherent fafabric, on the other hand, refefers tomaterial which has FR properties as part of its naturalmake-up. In other words, they needn’t undergo a chemical process to become flame-retardant, as the polymers fa
4. PPE designed specifically for both men and womenwomen The universal fit of safefety garments combinedwith increasinglymixed gender workfoforces across all industries is posing a great risk to fefemaleworkers, due to protective clothing that is not tailored to their size and shape.
4. PPE designed specifically for bothmen and Many women are oftften fafaced with wearing either unisex ormen’s jackets,
ewnews.c.co.ws o.u.uk
Two phrases regularly used fofor PPE clothing are‘treated abric’and‘inherent ffa
ffa
not being degraded fire resistance
ffer, which is why this type of
oesn’t mean Arc Flash resistant
up the sleeves or unfafasten the jacket which leaves areas of the body unprotected. Those looking to address the issue of protective clothing fofor women, should look to specially designed PPE fofor women.
5. Comfort is crucial
5. Comfort is crucial A garment can offe
ffer the ultimate
protection, but if your teamis not comfofortable wearing it, that
protection diminishes when they choose not to wear the garment correctly. It’s all too easy to wear an everyday belt, roll sleeves up or undo a jacket when a garment is uncomfofortable, but this seriously compromises Arc Flash protection. Howeverr,, uncomfofortable PPE can
nowbe a t Garments
madewith inherent fibres hing of the past.
allowmovement, breathability and moisturemanagement. The fafabric readily absorbs sweat and then dries quickly, not only providing cooling in hot, humid conditions, but doesn’t lea the skin.
For more information, visit
https://www.prog arc-flash-protection/
ormore info ar -flash-protection/ Marc rch202 020 el electrical wh wholesaler | 25
ve sweat running down formation, visit
ogarm.com/
which are sizes too big and not suitably fitted.Whilemanymay not realise it, these ill-fitting clothes hugely impact the l Uncomfofortable and baggy jacketsmake it all ,
too easy and tempting to roll evel of protection.
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