ISHN spoke to Colin Duncan, CEO of the SEAM Group, and Jay Smith, SEAM Group director safety services, about arc flash hazard analyses (AFHA).

Electricians, like any trade professional, must complete several training programs to learn the ropes and ultimately earn certification. However, no matter how extensive, their learning is never officially complete.

Flame-resistant (FR) doesn’t last forever. Since FR clothing can be expensive to replace, it’s usually best to repair these garments whenever possible. But if your FR clothing is beyond repair, your only choice will be to replace these garments.

It only takes a cursory examination of a welding torch to understand there are some real safety concerns with this craft. Welding is a 100-plus-year-old practice that's still a fundamental component of machine work and industry today.

The 2018 print edition of NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® is 104 pages. Updated every three years by the 70E technical committee, this comprehensive standard covers the latest information about the effects of shock, arc flash, arc blast, dc hazards, and developments in electrical design, PPE.

For safety managers in the oil & gas industry, flame resistant personal protective equipment is an indispensable tool to help mitigate daily flash fire hazards. Given the variety of FR PPE options, it can be hard to understand the needs of your specific job site.

While arc flash is an increasingly well-known phenomena, workers are still suffering injuries on a regular basis. In June 2019, OSHA cited a metal smelting company for electrical hazards after an arc flash caused three workers to suffer severe burns at the ASARCO facility in Hayden, Arizona.

Whether you’re working around dangerous chemicals, electrical systems, or fire-prone areas, you need to make sure you’re wearing the right flame-resistant (FR) clothing. If a fire occurs, FR clothing will minimize the severity of the burns, improving your chances of survival.

Today more than ever, companies need to reduce employee injuries and incident rates and avoid the costs of downtime due to electrical equipment failures. Implementing comprehensive electrical safety programs that result in changing and improving a company’s safety culture can help make these goals a reality.