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2. Electric Arc Hazards and Flame Resistant Clothing
Indiana Statewide Association
Regulatory Compliance Group

3. This program will focus on arc flash and arc blast.
Workers performing tasks on or near exposed energized electric circuits face three major hazards:
1. Electrocution
2. Arc Flash
3. Arc Blast
This program will focus on arc flash and arc blast.
It is fair to say that hazard number 1, electrocution is the most recognized. The results of arc flash and arc blast are poorly understood and less recognized, but pose dangerous, even mortal risk given sufficient energy levels. The training program you are about to review will help clear up the confusion of arc flash and arc blasts. We will also review what the compliance expectations are from OSHA, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and NFPA and how we can meet these standards. Perhaps most important, we will review the many ways you can assure you protect yourself from possible arc flash and arc blast.

4. An arc-flash is an electric current that passes through air when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is no longer sufficient to withstand the applied voltage. The flash is immediate, but the result of these incidents can cause severe injury including burns.
Arc injuries and deaths frequently occur without electrical contact to the burn victim
Read slide then: Electric arcs can occur with or without an electrical contact injury, so a worker who gets an electrical contact could survive the contact and get burns from the arc, or workers who did not get contact could still be exposed to a fault. Worker injuries can include damage hearing, eyesight, and severe burns requiring years of skin grafting and rehabilitation. Later in our training we will see test video that replicate the thermal and physical responses to an arc.

5. Arc Flash and Arc Blast What’s the difference?
The term arc flash refers to the thermal aspects of an arcing fault. Temperatures have been recorded as high as 36,000 degrees fahrenheit.
An arc blast is an explosion in exactly the same way that dynamite explodes. A high-amperage arc can produce a pressure wave blast with a force of up to 1000 pounds.
A little more clarification between arc flash and arc blast. (read slide now) An arc flash can reach 16,000 to 20,000 degrees F. The arc blast is the expanding air in excess of 700 mph and can also inflict physical injury to a person that is nearby, and even break open protective clothing, exposing the skin to greater damage from the heat. It should be noted that the ratings on protective clothing do not represent any level of protection from arc blast. So in an arc blast you have both a high current flow and an extremely high temperature.
Conductor material (usually copper) is being transformed from a solid to a liquid to vapor. The arcing transformation takes place in only a fraction of a second.

6. What Causes Electrical Arcing
Inadvertent contact
Loose connections
Insulation failure
Poorly maintained equipment
Voltage transients
Unsuccessful Short Circuit Interruption
Animals (squirrels, snakes .. Etc)

7. How Common Is Arc Flash?
In the past, if someone suffered burns in an electrical accident, people thought the burns were caused by the electrical shock passing through the body.  Electrical shocks can cause burns.  But what research has shown is that most burns from electrical accidents actually come from arc flash.
The majority of hospital admissions due to electrical accidents are from arc flash burns, not from electrical shocks.  Of the approximately 350 persons killed in all industry by electricity in 2004, roughly 50% were related to arc flash. 
"Between five and 10 times a day, an arc flash explosion occurs in electric equipment somewhere in the United States that sends a burn victim to a special burn center, according to statistics compiled by CapSchell, Inc., a Chicago-based research and consulting firm that specializes in preventing workplace injuries and deaths.  (Again this is for ALL industry, not just electrical).
That figure only in takes into account incidents where victims were sent to special burn centers.  The number does not include cases sent to regular hospitals or clinics, nor unreported cases or near misses.

8. What is the cost of an arc flash?
Avg.cost of medical treatment for survivors is $1,500,000
Total costs including litigation can be $8-9 Million
Workers may also have difficulty re-integrating into the community, and may experience anxiety, depression, or other psychological symptoms. The social and economic costs may also be high. Workers’ compensation pays only a portion of lost wages. Some workers may not be able to return to their pre-injury job.

9. Georgia Electric Co-op Employee Flash Burn This is a first degree burn to exposed facial areas. Employee was fortunate to be able to go home that night and return to work the following day.
This photo is from a Georgia Cooperative. The employee was working in a temporary sub when two phases crossed. The doctor stated that the temperature of arc flash was about 4,500 degrees F. This burn demonstrates that we must not only wear proper fr shirts, but also appropriate protective neck, face and head coverings. Protective clothing selection must be based on the probable worst case exposure for a task. As we just reviewed, arc flashes can reach 20,000 degree so this was a comparably minor flash and you can see the damage that was done. As it is this is a first degree burn and this employee was very fortunate to have been able to return to work the day following the injury. Had this employee not been wearing an fr shirt or had the shirt not been rated higher than the energy involved in this flash the consequences very well would have been much worse or even fatal. Besides the lineman, such as the one in this slide, many other workers are exposed to the risk of electric arcs including underground cable workers, electricians, substation operators, switching operators, power generation workers and meter readers/service people.
Photo courtesy Chuck Tiemann

10. The Georgia Electric Cooperative employee was wearing properly rated flame resistant clothing and ppe as seen in this photo. There was minor arc blast break open to the blue FR shirt.
The Georgia Cooperative employee we saw earlier was wearing all the fr apparel and PPE pictured in this slide. The cable in the photo is where the phases crossed and caused the arc to the lineman’s right side face and upper body region. Notice the hardhat, gloves, sleeves and shirt held up quite well. There is some minor arc blast break open to the shirt, but an underlayer fr shirt prevented burns to the lineman’s right arm, chest and side area. This is a good example of why the layer of clothing next to the skin is so important. Hopefully you are seeing that wearing the right stuff can make all the difference.

11. Burn categories
First-degree burns represent pain where the skin becomes red but does not blister.
Second-degree burns involve blistering of the skin, and the epidermis must regenerate.
Third-degree burns cause the epidermis to be destroyed; the skin cannot regenerate itself and scar tissue forms. When the skin/epidermis can not regenerate on its own, painful skin debridement and skin grafts must be performed.
-See next two slides for more on skin grafting-
It is not recommended, holding your finger over the tip of a candle flame for as little as one second can cause a second degree burn. Third degree burns require skin grafting and the excruciating skin debriefing or the removal of dead skin. Persons with third degree burns must go through painful skin debriefing (or the removal of dead skin) daily for usually several weeks or months. Most burn deaths are due to infection which is why skin debriefing, although extremely painful, is very important. Studies have revealed that at approximately 203 degress F for just one-tenth of a second, the skin is rendered incurable or in other words the onset of a third degree burn. It does not take a very high temperature or very much energy to cause severe tissue damage, extreme pain and discomfort, and possible disability of the worker.

12. Epidermis: The upper or outer layer of the two main layers of cells that make up the skin. Skin grafts and debridement are required when the epidermis is destroyed and can not regenerate.
Debridement is a medical term referring to the removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue.
Now we are going to briefly review the different types of burns but first it is important to understand how burns effect the skins’ epidermis layer. In this diagram you can see what area of the skin the epidermis consists of. It is the outer layer of the two main layers of cells that make up the skin. Probably all of us have experienced a minor or first degree burn to a small section of the outer layer of our skin. Imagine the pain one must go through to completely burn one or both layers of the epidermis of even a small part of the body.

13. This slide is presented only to give somewhat of an idea of what the skin grafting procedure for a 3rd degree burn looks like. There are actual photographs available if you want to do an internet google search sometime to see what real life 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns and skin grafts, however I only recommend you view these if you have the stomach for that type of thing. A skin graft is a surgical procedure in which a piece of skin is transplanted from one area to another. Often skin will be taken from unaffected areas on the injured person and used to cover a defect, often a burn. If the area of the skin defect is especially large, the harvested skin may be meshed to stretch it into a larger patch. If the defect involves a great loss of tissue, a full thickness graft, a flap of skin with underlying muscle and blood vessels, may be required. Taking the graft from the injured person makes rejection of the tissue unlikely.

14. Temperature effects and duration times.
Skin Temperature
Time Duration
Effect on Skin
110˚ F
6 hours
Cell breakdown begins
156˚ F
1 second
Complete cell destruction
176˚ F
0.1 second
Curable burn (1st ˚burn)
205˚ F
Incurable burn (third ˚ burn)

15. Hotter than Hades
Temperature of metal droplets in an arc flash can reach 18,000 degrees fahrenheit.
Arc Flash temperatures have been recorded as high as 36,000 degrees fahrenheit (roughly 4 times hotter than the surface of the sun).
The temperature of burning clothing is between 700 and 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remember the previous slide: Only 1/10 of a second at 205˚ F will cause an incurable burn!

16. Arc Flash Can Cause the Following Injuries:
Skin burns by direct heat exposure
The intense heat may melt metal electrical components and blast molten droplets considerable distances. These droplets harden rapidly and can lodge in a person’s skin, ignite clothing and may cause lung damage.
-Continued on next slide-

17. Arc Flash Can Cause the Following Injuries:
Even when regular safety goggles or glasses are worn, arc-flash may cause severe damage to vision or blindness. Intense ultraviolet (UV) light created by arc-flash can burn the eye’s retina. Exposure to UV light can cause a feeling of grit in the eye, blurred vision, burning sensations, eye tearing, and even headaches. The pressure created by the arc blasts can also compress the eye severely damaging vision, possibly rupturing the eyeball. If proper eye protection is not worn, ejected materials and flying particles can impact the eye and cause further damage.

18. Arc Blast Can Cause the Following Injuries:
Loss of memory or brain function from concussion
Shrapnel wounds from metal parts
Other physical injuries from being blown off ladders, into walls, etc.
Loss of Hearing: Published test data has shown arc blasts to exceed 140 dB, which is 8 times the pain threshold and the equivalent of a jet airplane taking off. Sudden pressure changes exceeding 720 lbs/ft² for 400 milliseconds can also rupture eardrums. Even at lesser pressures, serious or permanent damage to hearing may occur.

19. Other non-human consequences
Downtime
Lost revenue
Poor Public Image
Equipment Loss or Damage
Regulatory Impact
OSHA Citation and Fines
Employers also bear the costs associated with lost productivity, reduced competitiveness, employee rehiring and retraining, as well being subject to increases in workers’ compensation premiums.

20. Burns from Arc Flash Explosions are Preventable
Job planning and adherence to the “Hierarchy of Controls” can greatly reduce the likelihood of one of these tragic accidents. “The Hierarchy of Controls” details a strategy for the elimination and mitigation of hazards. It recognizes that multiple safety precautions may be required in different situations. Generally, safety precautions should be implemented in the order outlined on the following two slides.

21. “The Hierarchy of Controls”
Elimination/Substitution – Can jobs be scheduled so that power sources can be de-energized, grounded and tested thereby eliminating the hazard? Can an outdated or worn piece of electrical equipment be removed from service or can a newer safer model replace it?
Engineering Controls – Prevent accidents by engineering barriers to dangerous locations.
Administrative Controls – An effective lockout/tagout program that includes all necessary training and equipment needed to implement it is an example of an administrative control. To be successful it must have the earnest support of management and labor.

22. “The Hierarchy of Controls”
Work Practice Controls – These are matters of supervisor and worker knowledge, training and education. Does management set expectations for safe work practices? Do workers meet or exceed safety rules and best work practices? Do supervisors encourage and if necessary enforce safety rules and best practices? Is a culture of safety proactively endorsed and practiced by all levels of the organization?
Personal Protective Equipment PPE – This is normally considered the least effective method of protection. However, sometimes PPE and properly rated clothing may be necessitated by administrative or work practice controls and by the potential hazards of the work being performed. For instance, wearing insulated gloves, fire resistant clothing and possibly a face shield when working on energized electrical equipment.

23. Protective Clothing Standards ASTM = American Society for Testing and Materials
When you see these standards you know your apparel meets approved standards:
Clothing - ASTM F1506
Rainwear - ASTM F1891 or NFPA 2112
Hoods and Face Shields - ASTM F2178
Gloves – ASTM D120
Other flame resistant standards are useless in electric arc !
FR Clothing of any weight complies with OSHA. OSHA has clarified that flame resistant clothing is acceptable under all conditions if it is made of fabrics that meet ASTM F Furthermore OSHA has stated that “Apparel which meets the flame resistant (FR) clothing requirements of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard, ASTM F1506, is acceptable under all flame and electric arc hazard conditions for compliance with paragraph (l)(6)(iii) standard.” However, keep in mind that not all clothing is not equal so be careful when choosing FR clothing. You want to only purchase clothing must meet the ASTM F1506 to meet requirements and will be labeled with the arc rating. Many materials claim to be FR that do not perform in the electric arc. For example clothing can claim to fr only if it meets a non ASTM arc test - what is known as a vertical flame test. Simply look for the ASTM ratings to assure your clothing has been shown to perform well in electric arc conditions you work around.
Clothing for protection against arc flash is rated in terms of the protection provided against burns. An ATPV or Arc Thermal Protective Value is listed on all garments meeting ASTM F1506 and is defined as the maximum incident thermal energy that the fabric can support before the wearer will suffer the onset of second degree burns. Clothing is most often rated by the ATPV in calories per centimeter squared. And remember that protective clothing must be based on probable worst-case exposure for a task. In other words, ensure that the ATPV values for the selected FR clothing exceed or are higher than the calculated incident energy at the minimum approach distance for any given work location. The performance requirements for electric arc protective clothing are to not ignite and continue to burn when exposed to a high-intensity, short-duration electric arc, resists break open during electric arc exposure, insulates the wearer from heat and provides permanent flame resistance.

24. Flame Resistant vs Flame Retardant
Flame Resistant (FR): “Flame resistant” can describe a fabric naturally resistant to burning but also can represent a material with special treatment applied to the fabric.
Occasionally, the letters FR are used to represent “flame retardant.” This can lead to some confusion because a flame-retardant treated fabric is flame resistant, but a flame-resistant fabric is not necessarily flame retardant. Flame Retardant: This term could be used to describe a fabric made up of a flammable fabric treated in such a way that it will provide arc-flash protection.
This is why checking for the approved standards mentioned in the previous slide are so important.
This is especially true with raingear as it is often identified on the label as only being “FR”.

25. Examples of Flame Resistant Clothing Products
Products with flame retardants
Banwear®
FR Rayon Blends
Firewear®
Indura®
Inherently flame resistant products
Kevlar®/PBI Blends
Nomex®/Kevlar® Blends
Nomex® IIIA
Flame resistant clothing will not ignite and continue to burn from exposure to flame or an electric arc. In warmer months heat stress is a concern. Heat stress and thermal protection must be balanced, therefore use extra protective clothing only in necessary situations to avoid heat-related stress disorders.

26. Understanding Clothing Labels
Arc Ratings are typically found on the garment label.
On the label you should see the Arc Thermal Performance Value (ATPV) and one of the approved ASTM test methods mentioned previously. The ATPV is the level of energy that will provide protection to an employee from a second degree burn.
The Calories per Centimeter Squared is a number identifying the amount of energy that can be delivered to a point at a particular distance from an arc flash. Once this value is known, the ATPV rating of the flash clothing required for work at that distance from the potential flash hazard is also known.
For example a 13.3 oz material levi jeans ignite at around 15.5 ATPV or calories/cm2 .
This means the fabric in the 13.3 oz levi jeans was tested to the standards of ASTM F 1506 and shown it will provide protection to an employee from a second degree arc flash burn if exposed to an incident energy or ATPV of 15.5 calories/cm2.

27. Potential Exposure Assessment
A Potential Exposure Assessment calculation performed by a qualified engineer on the electrical system can provide an estimate of the calories per centimeter squared/ATPV.
The Assessment can provide a guide to choosing properly rated clothing needed for your electrical system.
Calculating arc fault incident energy or calories per cm/2 is a very complex engineering task often resulting in numbers that are not reliable due to there being many different assumptions and variables that must be factored in.
For this reason and others, many utilities have not performed a full blown assessment and instead have decided to meet compliance requirements by wearing 100% FR.

28. Prohibited Fabrics
Everyday fabrics, such as nylon, polyester, acetate, cotton and wool, can ignite and burn from exposure to flame or an electric arc, increasing the extent of a worker’s injury.
OSHA states in section (l)(6)(iii): The employer shall ensure that each employee who is exposed to the hazards of flames or electric arcs does not wear clothing that, when exposed to flames or electric arcs, could increase the extent of injury that would be sustained by the employee.
100% untreated cotton is protective, however the fact is that all garment weights of 100% untreated cotton can ignite and burn when exposed to an electric arc. Also, the heavier the cotton that does ignite will only be more fuel for the fire. It can increase the extent of a worker’s injury and does not pass ASTM F However, there may be some low-severity exposure conditions where garments of 100% untreated cotton do not ignite. Most utilities will find that 100% untreated cotton and existing clothing performs well under 95% of work conditions. Natural fibers do comply with OSHA only if they will not ignite under the conditions faced by the worker. Lighter clothing may be fine for normal distribution work while high fault current situations will need to be identified for special fr apparel and ppe protection.

29. FR Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment
FR Clothing/PPE is not a suit of armor and one can still be seriously injured by an arcing fault event even when wearing the recommended clothing and equipment.
Do not expect FR Clothing/PPE designed to protect against a thermal hazard to offer protection from shock or arc blast.
As lightning is to thunder, you can’t have an arc flash without an arc blast
The clothing that a utility worker is wearing when accidentally exposed to an electric arc is an important factor in determining if he/she is injured, and how badly. Again the message we all need to understand is that FR clothing is not invincible – you must choose the right FR for the application.

30. The Outermost Layer Must Be FR
The outermost layer of clothing must always be flame resistant. Wearing highly-flammable garments (such as nylon, for example) over FR clothing greatly compromises the overall protection of the FR clothing. Even though the underlying FR garments will not ignite, the flammable jacket can become a combustible fuel source that can still severely burn the wearer through contact with the flames or heat transfer through the FR fabric.

31. What Should be Worn Underneath FR Clothing?
FR garments must be worn over non-melting fabrics or other similar FR materials. One recommended combination is wearing a 100% cotton T-shirt and underwear underneath FR clothing. Layering garments in this manner dramatically increases the thermal protection of the clothing system by adding “air gaps” that provide excellent thermal insulation.

32. Safe Laundering of FR Clothing
According to clothing manufacturers, as long as the garments are laundered in accordance with the fabric manufacturer’s recommendations, the flame resistance will not wash out.
It is important to note that some FR fabrics’ protective qualities may be compromised if laundered with certain chemicals, namely chlorine or hydrogen peroxide bleaches.
Also, do not use fabric softeners and fabric sheets.
Tide with Bleach is good (does not contain chlorine or peroxides).
Keep FR clean. It is easier to ignite when dirty.
Though there is little chance of “washing out the FR” of any of the major materials on the market today, the FR integrity can be compromised by using chlorine bleach, washing Aramid fabrics with cottons, failure to remove oils in the cleaning process, or failure to repair garments properly. Also note that clothing loses weight as it wears. This can lower the ignition threshold, especially if the garment has threadbare areas or is torn so replace or repair garments properly. Also, note that some cooperatives have chosen to do industrial laundering, however they can be just as big a problem as guy doing own laundering.

33. Insect Repellent Insect repellent IS COMBUSTIBLE!!!
A can of Deet says “non-combustible”. What is doesn’t tell you is that it will still BURN.
Recommend only insect repellent be of a water based repellent which is designed to be put on clothing. Apply as lightly as possible.

34. When should an FR garment be retired?
Garments should be removed from use when they have developed holes or tears that cannot be repaired, or when the fabric has thinned and become “thread bare.”
Garments contaminated with flammable substances should also be removed from service if they cannot be adequately decontaminated.

35. No T-shirts or shorts permitted
OSHA requires properly rated flame resistant/retardant clothing with full-length sleeves rolled down and buttoned shall be worn when working on or near live parts and while on poles or structures, or exposed to potential flames or electric arcs.
This would include working at a meter base if you are checking voltage or pulling/installing a meter.
Your company’s hazard assessment under paragraph OSHA (d)(1) indicates that the use of long sleeves or full length pants is required to provide personal protection.
The wearing of only short sleeves or less than full length pants is a violation of paragraph OSHA (d)(1)(i).
Shirts must be long sleeve and made from FR material. OSHA requires that long sleeve shirts be worn at any time an employee is exposed to the potential of an electric arc and at any time required to protect the employee from hazards other than arcing (ie. Climbing poles, working with sharp tools, wire, ect) In an effort to stay cooler in the summer months, use extra protective clothing only in necessary situations to avoid heat-related stress disorders.
Because REMC employees are often required to perform work such as pole climbing, working with sharp tools, wire, etc… OSHA requires REMC employees to wear long sleeve shirts. Sorry, no short sleeve shirts allowed.

36. Sew-on Patches (name patches) Boots, and Zippers
Due to their weight, thickness, or type of material, or because they usually are covered by other materials, the following items are not expected to contribute to the severity of injury sustained by an employee in the event an electric arc occurs.
Hard Hats
Belts
Harnesses
Sew-on Patches (name patches)
Boots, and
Zippers
Due to their weight, thickness, or type of material, or because they usually are covered by other materials, hard hats, belts, harnesses, patches, boots, clothing shirt buttons, and jacket zippers are not expected to contribute to the severity of injury sustained by an employee in the event an electric arc occurs. They should be acceptable for compliance. Note that fall protection harnesses are now available in FR however, little documentation could be found showing non FR to have ever contributed to the injury following an arc event. Note that there is currently an OSHA proposal which may in the future require fr harnesses. For this reason if replacing harnesses it’s a good idea to purchase these in fr.
Heavy leather boots will provide good arc flash protection for the feet.
It is still recommended that we not use non arc tested harnesses. (READ TIM”S OSHA PROPOSAL ON THIS)
NOTE: Recent proposal to make harnesses fr not expected to pass.
Also, note that any foam inserts on a hard hat will ignite.

37. Effects of an arc
Non-igniting materials can be critical in electrical injuries.
When clothing does ignite during a contact, it multiplies the injury.
The next two slides contain audio and video of arc clothing tests. Adjust your audio levels.
Extensive testing has been done in an effort to rate clothing for protection against the thermal energy released by arc flash. FR clothing cannot prevent accidents but it can eliminate or greatly decrease the severity of the injuries sustained by workers. Also, remember when choosing clothing that fr (flame resistant) doesn’t always mean the clothing is arc resistant. Whether or not clothing is fr depends on the energy it is exposed to. In other words the arc threshold of the clothing must be higher than the energy. The energy is expressed in calories per centimeter squared while properly tested clothing is labeled with the ATPV or arc thermal protective value. You must make sure the ATPV of your clothing is higher than the energy of the area of the potential arc hazard areas you are working in. If you are not sure, talk to your supervisors and make sure a proper assessment has been performed on the cooperative system.

38. Staged Arc Flash Video - ArcLite vs
Staged Arc Flash Video - ArcLite vs. Melting Nylon As you watch this video pay attention to how the yellow melting nylon raingear breaks open due to arc blast and how the elastic on the hood continues to burn following the arc. Mouse click anywhere on picture to begin the video.
Nasco.com
Electric arc parameters: 15ka, 3kV available, 15 in. from arc, 12 in electrode gap, 10 cycles
In this video the manufacturer tried to create a worst case scenario for it’s Arclite fr raingear which is on the mannequin on the left. When meltable raingear or clothing fibers melt, they can adhere to the skin, transferring heat more rapidly, exacerbating any burns, and complicating treatment. This can be true even if the meltable fabric is not directly next to the skin. The clothing that a utility worker is wearing when accidentally exposed to an electric arc is an important factor in determining if he is injured, and how badly. Some electric utilities have found that arc resistant rainwear makes sense because it eliminates melting rainwear and can often serve as a switchwear alternative available to every worker at much less cost than textile based switchwear. Outer garments must be flame-resistant. Flammable outer garments worn over flame-resistant garments can ignite and continue to burn, creating a heat source close to the skin. Although a flame-resistant underlayer will not burn, the wearer can be burned by the additional heat transfer from the ignition of the flammable outerlayer. As you watch this video pay attention to how the yellow melting nylon raingear breaks open due to arc blast and how the elastic on the hood continues to burn following the arc. The Arclite raingear held up well with only a blackening of the outer surface.

39. Indura® UltraSoft® FR cotton duck jacket with a flame resistant wool lining. vs normal winterwear with a non-flame resistant lining. The heavier the material that ignites, the more fuel you have to burn. This video clearly demonstrates this. If you are wearing a jacket with a non-fr lining keep the jacket zipped closed so you do not expose the lining. Outer FR layers must not have openings that expose flammable underlayers. This was a <20 cal/cm2 arc. Click anywhere on picture to begin the video.
arcwear.com
This test represents what the average worker could be subjected to in the performance of his job. Many accidents have been made worse by melting winterwear. Non FR lining can get you burned in the winter. If you are wearing a jacket with a non-fr lining keep the jacket zipped closed so you do not expose the lining. Outer FR layers must not have openings that expose flammable underlayers. A recent accident had a worker burned on his chin, face, and cornea when the lining of this winterwear burned up onto his face. Protective performance usually increases with fabric weight and thickness when energy exposure levels are less than required to cause ignition or decomposition of the fabric. The heavier the material that ignites, the more fuel you have to burn. This video clearer demonstrates this. You obviously do not want to use this type of fabric for arc protection.

40. Common Places to Find Arcs
Meter bases and meter banks
-higher fault current of secondary side
-longer clearing times if phase to phase
-shorter clearing times if phase to ground since the lower voltages tend to self-extinguish when they go through zero
A little more on meter safety later in this presentation.

41. Common Places to Find Arcs
Pole Mount
-clearing time varies
-substantial fault currents
ArcWear.com

42. Common Places to Find Arcs
High Voltage Switching and Grounding
-fast clearing time
-substantial fault current
-long arcs
-good distance for switching
not for grounding
Other common areas to find arcs include around Metal Clad Switchgear, another area is where equipment may fail which also may include arc in box potential. And arcs are a common scenario especially for electricians using low voltage meter to test primary voltage, as in 4160 volt to volt.

43. Common Places to Find Arcs
Padmount Switching
-Clearing time varies
-Substantial Fault current
-Arc in Box potential
Cooper Power Systems
Your cooperative should have already conducted an arc hazard analysis to determine the probability and severity of potential arc exposures. Once a hazard analysis is completed you can match protective clothing and equipment performance with incident energy levels from potential arc exposures. The next few slides review the most common places to find arcs. Arc in a box potential not in open air so all energy is directed toward the worker.

44. 480 v arc blast“arc-in-a-box” 3-phase arcs, or arcs in enclosed spaces, such as metal-clad switchgear can be magnified many times and therefore the electric arc intensity in enclosures can significantly effect the extent and seriousness of worker injury. Click anywhere on picture to begin video
3-phase arcs, or arcs in enclosed spaces, such as metal-clad switchgear can be magnified many times and therefore the electric arc intensity in enclosures can significantly effect the extent and seriousness of worker injury.

45. Protecting yourself from arcs
Violation of the minimum approach distance (MAD) has been a primary cause of electric arc accidents involving burn injury. When working on energized circuits the minimum approach distance and distance from the arc is critical. Maintain MAD as outlined in OSHA tables R-6 through R-10.
Nominal voltage in kilovolts
Distance: Phase to ground exposure
0.05 to to to to to to to to to to to to 800
Avoid contact 2'-1" (0.64m) 2'-4" (0.72m) 2'-7" (0.77m) 3'-0" (0.90m) 3'-2" (0.95m) 3'-7" (1.09m) 4'-0" (1.22m) 5'-3" (1.59m) 8'-6" (2.59m) 11'-3" (3.42m) 14'-11" (4.53m)
Reference Table R-6 in [ (l)(10)]
When working on energized circuits the minimum approach distance and distance from the arc is critical. Maintain MAD as outlined in OSHA tables R-6 through R-10.

46. Suicide attempt - arc before and during photos
Suicide attempt - arc before and during photos. Amazingly, this guy survived.

47. Safety Glasses
Safety glasses are a given for eye protection. Safety glasses can save eyes when exposed to electric arc.
As mentioned earlier, there are work situations where faceshields – either alone or in conjunction with a hood assembly – are giving more protection than previously thought possible. Consider faceshields or faceshields with hood assemblies for your worst electric arc hazards. OSHA requires employees to wear protective equipment for the eyes or face wherever there is a danger of injury to the eyes or face from electric arcs or flashes or from flying objects resulting from electrical explosion.

48. Traffic control vests must be FR when working in an energized location
Traffic control vests must be FR when working in an energized location. Otherwise, remove the vest.

49. Elastic
Elastic tested in several facemasks burned and melted profusely when exposed to an electric arc.
Non-melting undergarments, i.e. cotton, wool and silk can be worn to increase thermal insulation and protection. If flammable undergarments, cotton, wool and silk are worn, the flame resistant outergarments must be selected to avoid breakopen of the flame layer closest to the skin. The good news here is f you are involved in an arc at least you may not have to change your underwear.

50. Flannel Shirts Flannel is ALWAYS bad!!!
Stay away from flannel shirts when working in a potential arc location.

51. Gloves and Sleeves
Leather gloves are very good FR. Very unlikely to get burn thru leather gloves.
Leather protectors never ignited in testing.
Cotton liner in rubber gloves will probably help further. They are not a problem to wear in FR situations.
If voltage rated gloves are required, the leather protectors worn over the rubber gloves provide good arc flash protection. The use of 100 % cotton gloves under the rubber insulating gloves will add an additional layer of protection. Gloves made of multiple layers of flame-resistant material provide the highest level of arc flash protection. In arc testing black colored gloves withstood arc a little better than other colored gloves such as the red or orange gloves some cooperative utilize. So you may want to stick with black gloves next time buying new gloves.

52. Metering
Wear appropriate PPE and apparel when testing, installing or pulling meters from energized meter sockets.
Always check meter sockets to ensure there is no damage, loose connections or foreign objects present that could cause a short circuit or flashover.
All cooperative safety rules (and OSHA) require wearing face protection during metering and any other job where there is the potential for face injuries from physical and/or electrical hazards. This includes wearing of face protection when working in not only metering locations, but also in any arc hazard location. At any energy level, face shields can help protect workers from much of the flying metal and mnotlen metal particles produced by the arc.

53. Check the Meter Carefully Before Installing
When installing a self-contained household meter make sure you use only a 100 or 200 class meter (4 spaded meter, above left). For households you will usually use the 200 class 240 volt meter. Occasionally a lineman who does not install meters often has mistakenly installed a 10 or 20 class (5 or 6 spaded, above right) and shorted out the meter. The meters look very much alike to one another and it is an easy mistake to make so be aware.
When installing a self-contained household meter make sure you use only a 100 or 200 class meter. For households you will usually use the 200 class 240 volt meter. On more than one occasion a lineman who does not install meters often has mistakenly installed a 10 or 20 class and shorted out the meter. The meters look very familiar to one another and it is an easy mistake to make so be aware.

54. Meters with six
spades or more
often come
equipped with
disconnect switches.
Always switch dis-
connects OFF prior
to removing/installing
meter to remove
chance of creating an
arc flash.

55. Arc Protection Meter Puller Shields
Stand to the side

56. Arc Protection Products
SAFETYSHIELD is designed to mount on various styles and sizes of hot sticks and shotgun-type hot sticks, up to a diameter of 1 5/8".
SAFETYSHIELD used for added protection against electric arc flashback while working on dead front transformer.
SAFETYSHIELD used for added protection from flashback while pulling a fuse on a 3-phase transformer
SAFETYSHIELD used for added protection from flashback while pulling off an end cap.
SAFETYSHIELD adds protection against electrical arc flashback when applying a fuse after a fault.

57. Arc Protection Products
Utility linemen have found balaclava's to be a favorite.  You can easily find them made from Nomex or PBI. They can be used to cover the head or pulled up to cover the mouth and nose.    

58. FR Clothing Comfort
Most new FR Clothing on the market is now as comfortable or more so than clothing made from natural fibers.
While FR may be priced higher than standard clothing, the long term benefits far outweigh the initial costs. Many FR garments have a longer wear life than basic clothing.
More importantly, if FR clothing saves one life, there is no cost too great.

59. Who is responsible for buying FR?
Who is required to pay for the apparel is not covered currently covered the OSHA standard.
Presently, the OSHA apparel standard does not classify apparel as PPE, although other standards may classify certain types of apparel as PPE.
The question of who is to pay for apparel is a management-labor issue to be settled at each individual utility.
Current (2008) OSHA proposals may change payment responsibility to the employer in the future.

60. Additional Compliance Issues
The Regulatory Compliance Program (RCP) is currently reviewing upcoming regulatory proposals related to arc protection. Two in particular are as follows:
OSHA’s proposed rule would require the wearing of “clothing” to protect against the possible arc on a system.
The 2007 NESC is a voluntary standard we are also monitoring.

61. Additional Compliance Issues
 NESC, Effective Jan. 1, 2009: Perform assessment to determine exposure to electric arc for work on or near energized parts or equipment. (410-A 3).
 The NESC as written is a voluntary standard. It only becomes mandatory when it is adopted as law by your state. Every state adopts the NESC sooner or later, but some states change it a little when they adopt it. The Statewide RCP will continue to track.

62. To review: Our only current arc protection requirement is:
Compliance with the (l)(6)(iii) requirement may come through FR clothing of any weight, or through 100% natural fiber clothing of a sufficient weight not to ignite in an arc on the particular system.
If you go the 100% natural fiber route, you must do a calculation involving fault current and other variables to determine what weight is the correct weight of clothing for your system.

63. Closing Comments
Your safety depends upon all electrical work being carefully planned and carried out.
Follow safe work practices and use proper tools and equipment in addition to proper ppe and apparel.
The decision to work safely is yours.
The choices you make can save your life.

64. Closing Comments
A significant percent of electrical injuries happen because a worker took a short cut or ignored safety procedures. Because they did not recognize the severity of the hazard, they thought they could "get away" with not fully complying with all requirements.

65. Closing Comments
No worker has ever been injured or killed by an arc flash while working in an Electrically Safe Work Condition!

66. FR Clothing and PPE is the last line of defense when accidents occur.
Sometimes your FR Clothing and PPE is the only thing between you and
this

67. If you are comfortable with the material just presented…
Move to the self-testing portion of this training by:
1) moving to the beginning of the presentation by clicking on the arrow button located in bottom left of this page.
2) follow the instruction on the Training Program Entry/Exit slide.
3) If you would like to continue your review of the presentation materials continue to click on the “orange arrow” button to move back into the training presentation.