how to navigate the fr clothing market bulwark protective apparel 860-218-4159 [email protected]
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GENERAL DUTY CLAUSE
• Employer’s responsibility / Choosing FR
“Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.”
Commonwealth Edison Worker Dies of Electrical
Burn Injuries from Chicago Work Accident Posted On: December 29, 2008 by Steven J. Malman
A Commonwealth Worker who suffered electrical bun injuries while working in a manhole on June 6 has died. XXXXXXX was 38 years old.The Chicago work accident took place in the Austin neighborhood around 2:30am while XXXX was trying to make repairs following an earlier electrical outage. An “electrical flash” happened, resulting in what may have been a combination of explosion and fire. The electrical discharge is believed to have come from another electrical line and not the one that the ComEd worker was repairing. An investigation ruled out human error as a contributing factor. Following the accident, XXXX was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition. He was later admitted to Loyola University Medical Center’s burn division. He was pronounced dead on December 9.
Electrical BurnsElectrical burns can occur when the body’s tissues or bones come into contact with electricity. These types of burns can be minor, such as 1st degree burns to the skin, or they can be more severe, such as 2nd degree or 3rd degree burns. Electrical burns can also cause internal damage to the human body.Electrical burns are just one kind of injury caused by exposure to electricity. Two other kinds of shock-related burn injuries are the arc burn and the thermal contact burn. An arc burn is an injury that can occur to someone who has been exposed to high temperatures created by an electric blast or arc. A person may suffer a thermal contact burn after coming into contact with certain kinds of hot surfaces. Electrical burn injuries can be very painful. Depending on the severity of the injuries, they can require multiple medical procedures that are very costly. If you sustained your electrical burn injury in a Chicago work accident, you are likely entitled to Illinois workers’ compensation benefits.ComEd Worker Burned In Manhole In June Dies, CBS2, December 10, 2008
Anaheim Transformer Explosion Injures Three Utility Employees
By haryanaelectricity On October 27, 2011 ·
October 26, 2011-According to reports three men were injured in a transformer explosion in Anaheim. According to Anaheim Public Utilities spokeswoman Margie Otto, three men were injured when a transformer exploded at approximately 9:47 a.m. The men were at 2540 W. Lincoln Avenue replacing an above ground power vault in front of an apartment complex in Anaheim.According to Otto, the men were burned in the explosion and transported to the hospital with injuries. One of the men is an employee of Anaheim Public Utilities and the other two are under contract. According to Anaheim Police Sgt. Rick Martinez the men’s clothing caught on fire from the explosion and was left on the street and sidewalk. The three men were hospitalized, but were talking and conscious, after the transformer explosion.
Last Edited: Saturday, 13 Dec 2008, 5:53 PM EST Created: Saturday, 13 Dec 2008, 5:48 PM EST An electrician was killed Saturday morning in District Heights after being electrocuted and burned by a 13,000-Volt power line.
An electrician was killed Saturday morning in District Heights after being electrocuted and burned by a 13,000-Volt power line.
It happened in the 6600-block of Grafton Street shortly after 10 o'clock in the morning.
A witness that lives nearby told FOX 5 the horrific story. WARNING: The details of the incident may be considered too graphic for some.
The worker was on a metal ladder leaning against the power pole when something caused an explosion, knocking the worker an estimated 30 feet to the ground. The worker was reportedly alive and on fire, but responding county firefighters and paramedics couldn't get near him to help because the ground near him was electrified and they had to wait for the power to be cut off. By the time they reached him , it was too late.
Pepco investigators sent to the scene said the victim did not work for Pepco. Prince George's County Police have not yet identified him but they believe he was in his 30s.
Pepco says they had received a call Friday about power issues. Investigators found that the problem was with privately-owned equipment and advised the customer that a private contractor would be needed to fix the problem.
Electrician Killed in District Heights Accident
7/16/2012 4 workers burned didn’t wear their FR
Temperatures as high as 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit have been recorded in arc flashes. to avoid the risk of an arc flash, crews are supposed to wear special protective fabric. One neighbor told FOX 9 News the worker in the bucket kept repeating, "I should have put it on. Why didn't I put it on?"
Four of the workers were taken to Hennepin
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/19034892/shakopee-utility-worker-shocked
Arc Flash Incident – Chicago April 18, 2004
Burn Injury Costs
• Burn treatment requires approx. 1.5 days hospitalization per % burn
• Average hospitalization is 19 days, at costs exceeding $18,000/day
• Total hospitalization cost typically ranges from $200,000 to $750,000, with many over $1,000,000 USD
70E HRC 2 Arc Flash (480v)
Arc Flash• A dangerous release of
energy created by an electrical fault.
• Release will contain:• Thermal Energy• Acoustical Energy• Pressure Wave • Debris
What Equipment can Cause Arcs?
• Typical equipment can be:– Transmission and Distribution; Substation Equipment– Power Lines– Splice Joints– Metering Devices (remove – install)– Panel Boards– Switchgear (low and high voltage)– Transformers
Why is FR Needed?
• Most severe burn injuries and fatalities are caused by non-flame resistant clothing igniting and continuing to burn
• Flame resistant clothing will self-extinguish, thus limiting the injury
• Body area under non-FR clothing is often burned more severely than exposed skin
ARC Flash does happen…
What is Flame Resistant Clothing?
• Clothing made from fabrics that self-extinguish
• Fabrics may be natural or synthetic
• Designed to limit (not eliminate) burn injury
• Survival, extent of injury, recovery time and quality of life are all dependent on FRC performance
“Primary” vs. “Secondary”
• Primary Protective Clothing– Definition; “Clothing that is designed to
be worn for work activities where significant exposure to molten substance splash, radiant heat, and flame is likely to occur.” Example- Firefighter Turnout Gear
• Secondary Protective Clothing – Definition; “Clothing that is designed for
continuous wear in designated locations where intermittent exposure to molten substance splash, radiant heat, and flame is possible.”
What Flame Resistant Clothing is Not!
Sample Fabric Offerings – Application / Industry
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Welding, Arc Flash, Flash Fire, Molten Red MetalUtilities, Steel, PetroChemical , Oil, and Gas Industries
Welding, Arc Flash, Flash Fire, Molten Red Metal
Utilities, Steel, PetroChemical , Oil, and Gas Industries
Flash Fire, Arc Flash
Utilities, Steel, PetroChemical , Oil, and Gas Industries
Flash Fire, Arc FlashUtilities, Steel, PetroChemical , Oil, and Gas Industries
Molten White Metal (Aluminum)Aluminum Companies
Flash Fire, Arc FlashUtilities, Steel, PetroChemical , Oil, and Gas Industries
DEPARTMENT OF LABOROccupational Safety and Health Administration29 CFR Parts 1910 and 1926
SUMMARY: OSHA last issued rules for the construction of transmission anddistribution installations in 1972. Those provisions are now out of date and inconsistentwith the more recently promulgated general industry standard covering the operation andmaintenance of electric power generation, transmission, and distribution lines and equipment.
OSHA announced the long awaited final rule revising the standards for power generation, transmission and distribution on April 1, 2014 The document is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on April 11, 2014. It will be effective 90 days following publication, although OSHA has adopted delayed compliance deadlines for certain requirements.
Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution;Electrical Protective Equipment
The new provisions for protection from electric arcs include new requirements for the employer to: assess the workplace to identify employees exposed to hazards from flames or from electric arcs, make reasonable estimates of the incident heat energy to which the employee would be exposed, ensure that the outer layer of clothing worn by employees is flame resistant under certain conditions, and generally ensure that employees exposed to hazards from electric arcs wear protective clothing and other protective equipment with an arc rating greater than or equal to the estimated heat energy.
Downtown Honolulu electrical explosion injures 2, cuts power
January 15, 2010
Explosion knocks out traffic lights, leaves many without power
Advertiser Staff Two Hawaiian Electric Co. workers were injured yesterday, one of them critically, in an explosion in an underground electrical vault at Fort Street Mall that left 1,100 Downtown customers without power for most of the day.HECO spokesman Darren Pai said an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred at 10:18 a.m. and immediately knocked out power in parts of the Downtown business district.Lynne Unemori, HECO vice president for corporate relations, said the incident occurred as a crew was "doing scheduled work on the underground electrical system in preparation for replacing a transformer.""It was like a bomb going off," said Edith Alcalde, who was working across the street at the Aloha Sushi convenience store inside the 1132 Bishop St. high-rise building when the blast occurred.Alcalde said she looked out the store window about 20 feet from the vault access opening on the Fort Street Mall sidewalk and saw heavy gray smoke coming out.Honolulu firefighters arrived at 10:20 a.m. and found both injured workers already outside the vault."We don't know who pulled them out, but one of them appeared to be more seriously injured than the other," said Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig.Bryan Cheplic, spokes- man for the city Department of Emergency Services, said one of the men was initially deemed to be in critical condition but was upgraded to serious condition shortly after his arrival at the hospital.Yesterday afternoon, HECO said the most seriously injured worker was improving and the other had been treated for minor injuries and released.Seelig said HECO workers used hand-held extinguishers to snuff out the fire, then pumped carbon dioxide into the vault to displace the oxygen and make sure the blaze was completely extinguished.The site was cordoned off with yellow "caution" tape and attracted a few dozen curious onlookers, including a number of Hawai'i Pacific University students and faculty members.
Current Deadlines for 1910.269
Creating an FRC ProgramCreating an FRC Program
• Hazard Assessment• PPE Selection
– Protection– Comfort– Value
• Care and Maintenance
The Next Step
• Already performed hazard analysis• Decided level of protection needed, i.e. Arc Ratings• Clothing must be chosen
– Everyday garments– Arc flash suits– Outerwear?– Layering to meet levels– RENT vs BUY !!!
Comfort – The Bottom LineComfort – The Bottom Line
• Never make comfort decisions from graphs, data, office samples or appearance
• There is simply no substitute for a wear test
Proper UseProper Use
• FRC should be appropriate to hazard• Always the outermost layer• Worn correctly; zipped, buttoned, etc• All natural, non-melting undergarments• Clean, no flammable contaminants• Repaired correctly and removed from service when
needed
Maintenance of FRCMaintenance of FRC
• Garments should be cleaned to maximize performance
• Contaminants can “mask” or negate flame resistance
• Care choices– Home laundry– Industrial Laundry– Dry-cleaning
Use
Having selected the proper FR/AR Garment for your hazard is the first step. Properly training on the correct way to wear your PPE is equally important as it directly impacts how your PPE will preformObjectives•To be able to identify the correct way to wear your FR/AR garments•To familiarize yourself with common mistakes made in wear FR/AR garments•To understand what can and cannot be worn under your FR/AR garments
What can go wrong here???
What could be wrong here???
Under Armour T-Shirt
Which base layer is correct for You Utility?
Always – rolled, tucked and buttoned!
The Top 3 –
1.Do not use chlorine bleach, peroxide or fabric softener2.Do not wear if soiled with flammable contaminants3.Retire garment if worn out
• Important to read the manufacturers laundry instructions on the label
• Written care instructions are available for all employees.
• They can also be accessed at: http://www.bulwark.com/Safety-Care
The No’s
Important to Read the Label
Maintenance
Objectives
•Identify when garments need to be repaired and or replaced•Understand proper repair process for your FR/AR Garments
Laundering Guidelines -
• Wash FR/AR garments separately• Turn FR/AR garments inside out both assist in color retention
and appearance• Use liquid detergent for best results• Avoid the hottest temperature to reduce the impact of
shrinkage • For tough stains applying liquid detergent to the stain or stain
remover and allow garment to soak• Bulwark FR/AR garments can be dry cleaned for tougher
stains• Tumble dry on low setting and do not over dry
Summary
• Objections to FR are usually based on either cost or comfort…
• Wear tests and current programs clearly show comfort of newer generation FR clothing is equal to like weights of non FR cotton clothing
• Get your assessment done – know your hazard
• Any FR is better than No FR
• Get your layering solutions tested
The Bottom LineThe Bottom Line
Incidents & Accidents Happen
“Street Clothing” can and does worsen injury
You Can’t Rely on “It’s Not Going to Happen to Me”
You Can Do Something About Your Clothing
