A vital part of FR safety is raising awareness and education. At Westex by Milliken, we pride ourselves on being more than just an FR fabric manufacturer. We are your FR resource when it comes to navigating the complex industry of arc rated and flame resistant fabrics and protection. We are committed to advancing FR […]
Burn injuries resulting from arc flash, flash fire or combustible dust hazards can be life threatening or worse, life-ending. Both the temperature and duration of the exposure directly impact injury severity. In honor of National Electrical Safety Month, this blog post takes a look at the impact of a burn to help raise awareness of safety […]
The best way to enforce NFPA 70E is through company policy for your employees and customers. Companies should look at all aspects of NFPA 70E to determine what policies are needed and what policies they want to create and enforce. The purpose is to set forth procedures for the safe use of electrical equipment and […]
Starting later this year, a new arc flash testing laboratory in Brazil will begin testing to ASTM and IEC standards for flame resistant fabrics, garments and rainwear, face shields and gloves. Petrobras, the largest multinational energy corporation in South America, has partnered with the Energy and Environment Institute at the University of Sao Paulo (IEE […]
Accidents are just that, they happen by chance and not on purpose. In fact, after an accident workers are often heard saying how safe a particular electrician “always was”… until the day he or she wasn’t. Accidents where workers think energized circuits are dead claim the lives of electricians every day. Many electricians have consciously […]
A qualified person is defined in various ways by different standards and depending on what industry you are in. In the electrical industry, for example, it’s important for both qualified and unqualified workers to understand and receive training for the equipment they are working on. In construction, and electrical construction more specifically, codes and standards […]
In recent years, the combustible dust hazard has been receiving increasing attention from both OSHA and NFPA. OSHA defines combustible dusts as fine particles that present an ignition hazard when suspended in air under certain conditions. The combustible dust hazard is a flash fire event or rapid combustion known as deflagration. A flash fire is […]
Personal protective equipment (PPE), such as arc rated FR clothing, is a critically important part of every electrical safety program. It should be used as the last line of defense, meaning it helps protect when all other preventative measures have failed. In fact, the hierarchy of controls puts eliminating the hazard as the most effective […]
Flame resistant (FR) coveralls, shirts and pants afford workers a few extra seconds of escape time when faced with a flash fire and aim to dramatically reduce or eliminate body burn. FR garments are tested according to a variety of standards. For flash fire, ASTM F1930 (Standard Test Method for Evaluation of Flame Resistant Clothing […]
The answer to this question has been debated along with other FR marketing issues; however, groundbreaking research has been conducted to reaffirm the behavior of flash fires. Research performed by the University of Alberta’s Protective Clothing and Equipment Research Facility (PCERF) has reaffirmed the industry’s benchmark flash fire standards from the NFPA and CGSB.
