Where we share our perspective on current trends, best practices, and the future of FR safety.
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 and prevent injury.
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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 tools, and to comply with NFPA 70E requirements.
Each May the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) commemorates National Electrical Safety Month (NESM) to raise awareness and educate the public on critical electrical safety topics. EHS Today reported in 2015 that, “Workplace electrical incidents result in another nearly 300 deaths and more than 3,500 injuries every year. Although not the leading cause of workplace fatalities, electrical incidents are disproportionately fatal. For every 13 electrical injuries, a worker dies.”
Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd, an annual event to celebrate environmental protection. Did you know that 70 years before the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established, Milliken & Company initiated voluntary environmental stewardship practices? In fact, today more than 99% of Milliken’s solid waste worldwide is reused, recycled or used for energy. Milliken is proud to be a leader in sustainability and mindful business practices!
When it comes to arc-rated and flame resistant clothing, there’s a science behind peace of mind, a science to feeling good, and a science to coming home safe. When it comes to the science of being safe, of caring, we are all in.
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 USP), to establish a new facility to support the growing demand and need for arc flash testing, specifically for personal protective equipment (PPE).
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 chosen to work on circuits that were energized without applying the principles found in NFPA 70E, and sadly, many have been killed or seriously injured as a result.
Milliken has long understood that ethical behavior is not just the right thing to do but is a key to sustainable growth, forming the foundation of the company’s strong sense of purpose to Do Good. Milliken is proud of its reputation as a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices and a role model for ethical conduct. Each Milliken associate understands that our recipe for success begins with Ethics, Excellence and Leadership.
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 define what constitutes a qualified person in the context used within contained requirements. A key point is that workers can be qualified in one area and unqualified in another. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the employee to understand the limitations of their qualifications and when they are not qualified to perform a particular task.
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 a rapidly moving flame front that is brief in duration and can propagate through a facility as shock waves create dust waves ahead of the flame front.
