Worksite Today

Arc-flash garments and equipment are designed to ensure the most effective protection on the job from potentially hazardous materials and environments. These garments are most effective when they are new, before they are worn and laundered, where they can become worn down or potentially damaged.

Although arc-flash PPE does not technically ever expire, there is definitely a maximum service life that should be honored. You will not find a “best before” date on these garments, but most Arc Flash PPE should be replaced every five years to ensure it is still meeting all safety standards and working to its best ability to keep you safe on the job.

Safety standards and protocols in the workplace

Safety standards like NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 have been put in place to ensure that employers and employees alike follow safety regulations essential for worker safety and well-being. These regulations can provide guidance for the care and maintenance required to keep PPE functioning at its most effective during the longest possible lifespan. Not only will this ensure safety for your workers but save you money in the long run, as you will not have to replace PPE as often if you use and maintain it effectively.

NFPA 70E is an outline of the National Fire Protection Association’s safety regulations and guidelines when it comes to electrical safety protection. It was created at the request of OSHA (occupational safety and health administration) with the intention to protect those working with potentially hazardous electrical elements such as arc flash, shock, electrocution, and arc blast.

The CSA Z462 was created by the Canadian Standard Association to parallel the NFPA 70E as a Workplace Electrical Safety Standard. It sets the standards for those working in any industry requiring electrical safety. This is a broad category that includes workers installing, maintaining, operating, inspecting, and deconstructing electrical equipment.

How do these regulations ensure safety for employees and employers?

Both of these safety codes are in place to keep workers safe and ensure that employers are prioritizing the safety and well-being of their workers at all times. These regulations outline the requirements for inspections, adherence to manufacturer’s instructions, and proper storage of garments and equipment.

This includes inspecting and maintaining the quality of personal protective garments and equipment before every use to ensure it will provide the most effective protection.

As for following manufacturers’ instructions, PPE will be labeled with instructions for wear, exposure to elements, and wash of the garment that should be followed for the longest and most effective lifespan.

Furthermore, PPE needs to be stored in the most efficient way to ensure that it maintains the properties that make it protective and to make sure it can perform to its fullest ability for the lifespan of the garment. As mentioned before this is usually five years for most FRC, but if the PPE is stored incorrectly this maximum service life decreases quickly.

Repairing and Replacing PPE

Lastly, but just as if not more important, safety standards like NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 outline the safety protocols to be followed in regards to cleaning, repairing, and fixing PPE. PPE is exposed to many elements that quickly contribute to the wear and tear of a garment.

Due to the constant exposure to intense elements and all the laundering it goes through during its lifespan, the most common reason protective garments are thrown out is due to damage to the garment that puts its wearer at risk. This can come in the form of holes, rips and dangling material, worn down material, and pretty much any other wear that you can imagine can occur during activities done when one is wearing PPE.

These damages cannot be easily repaired with just any materials, as the garments are specially designed to ensure protection for its wearer, and any other materials or modifications could put you at more risk instead of fixing your issue. Therefore, it is important to have your PPE repaired by someone who is experienced in the area. Most manufacturer’s will be able to provide repairing services, and if not will have resources for how and where you can repair their garments.

Any results of wear and washing over the lifespan of PPE can expose workers to dangerous hazards that they think they are protecting themselves fully from, but are actually exposed to much more than they are aware of. It is important to inspect your PPE before every use, to ensure there are no visible damages that could be putting you at risk.

How to determine the maximum service life of your PPE

Furthermore, it is important to be aware of how old any PPE you are using is, as most has that five year maximum service life and any garment older than that cannot guarantee safety. Most employers will and should keep records of when PPE garments and equipment are purchased and used, but if you don’t have access to that information, you can inspect your PPE for some indicator of the life of the garment. The next few paragraphs will outline some information you can look for on your PPE to determine the lifespan of your garment and more importantly how much protection that PPE can provide for you.

Arc-Rated Garments:

           Garments that are arc-rated require a label that outlines details compliant with ASTM F1506 regulations, and although this ensures many essential details are right on the label of PPE, these regulations do not require manufacturers to include the date the garment was made. So the service life may not be explicitly labeled, but you can inspect the label for any standards or certifications for some clues to guess a vague time period of when the garment was created. NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 are updated every three years, so if your PPE is labeled with one of these safety certifications, you can assume the garment was made within three years of the year it was certified.

Arc-Rated Face Shields and Suit Hoods:

           Most arc-rated face-shield and suit hoods will contain a visor or hard hat component where a label is stamped detailing the date of manufacture. This is a requirement of ANSI and CSA standards to ensure employers and workers alike prioritize the safety of workers, especially those exposed to potentially very dangerous elements such as arc-flash.

The stamp will contain a number in the center that is accompanied by an arrow. Bordering that number, around in a circle, are the numbers 1-12, and these numbers stand for the month the PPE was manufactured. The number in the center of the stamp indicates the year the PPE was made, and the arrow accompanying that number points to a number on the outside circle, indicating the month. For example, a garment made in August 2023 would have 23 in the center and an arrow pointing to the number 8. This stamp is usually under the front brim of hard hats or along the ends of face shields or suit hoods shield windows, and are a quick way to determine when the PPE you are using was created, to ensure it has not passed its maximum service life.

Although arc flash PPE does not expire, there is a service life, and to ensure maximum protection and safety you must be diligent about when the garment was created. After years of use, garments become worn down, leaving you exposed to elements that can seriously injure you, while you think you are protecting yourself with worn out PPE. After five years, plastic components have degraded and weakened, and fabric will become thinner after regular wear and laundering. It is important to find out when your PPE was created to determine if it has surpassed its maximum service life, as well as inspect your garment in case it has been exposed to wear and tear that has decreased its lifespan and may be putting you at risk.

#Arcflashexpiration
#Arcflashstandards
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#Arcflashclothing


Terry Smeader
Safety Protection Warehouse
Ph: 888-440-4668
www.coverallsale.ca

Tags: arc flash, arc flash clothing, arc flash expiration, arc flash standards, arc rated

This entry was posted on Monday, October 10th, 2022 at 6:58 pm and is filed under Brand Performance, Purchasing/Procurement, Safety Managers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.