December 22, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

The 2012 edition of NFPA 2112, Standard on Flame-Resistant Garments for Protection of Industrial Personnel against Flash Fire, 2012 Edition became effective August 31, 2011. These revisions mostly consisted of updates to specific standard requirements, and clarifications of existing wording. Specific changes are as follows:

Garment label wording now highlights the requirement for garments to provide upper and lower body protection in order to be fully compliant with the standard. Specifically, this emphasizes that NFPA 2112 compliant shirts or pants worn alone does not provide adequate protection. The standard now also acknowledges that garment ignition and resultant wearer injury from flammable clothing can result from any type of fire (jet flames, liquid pool fires, solid fires, etc) and not just from flash fires.

The 2012 edition also added a section relating to the topic of cold weather protective garments, which may result in more insulated garments becoming NFPA 2112 certified in the future. As part of this, it requires that garments with multiple separable layers (for example, a liner that can be removed from a certified jacket and worn as a stand-alone garment) must be tested and certified in all wearable configurations. It also establishes a separate thermal shrinkage requirement at a maximum of 20% for cold weather insulation material, which may result in more options to lower price or improve performance of existing outerwear lining.

The thermal protective performance test (TPP) was updated to specify the use of ASTM Standard Test Method 2700. The thermal insulation value will now be called HTP (heat transfer performance) instead of TPP. The TPP test method was revised to show that the result is only a measure of heat transfer and not a predictor of skin burn injury. The test apparatus and test results obtained from it are unchanged. Test reports for spaced and contact testing are still required.

Other updates included a  new requirement that zipper tape must be made from inherently FR fiber, clarification that the maximum allowable 50% predicted body burn requirement on testing is based on the total surface area of the mannequin covered by sensors and excludes the hands and feet (which are not instrumented), revisions to the laundering procedures used to test flame resistant fabric durability to include additional rinse cycles, and a slight increase in the weight of the 100% cotton undergarments worn by the instrumented mannequin during flash fire testing.

These changes do not significantly impact our ability to provide high quality compliant flame resistant garments to our customers at affordable prices. 

Posted in Industrial, Flame-Resistant, American Work Safety | No Comments »

November 11, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

Work gloves are the unsung heroes of the working man. Depending on your job, a good set of gloves can enhance your grip, protect your hands from cuts and abrasions, keep out water and chemicals, help you be seen at night, or even resist extremes of heat and molten metal. When supplying your facility, work gloves should always be on the list.

Freight handling and general maintenance tasks are easier with a pair of brown jersey gloves. They are highly inexpensive when  bought by the dozen, and are good for preventing harm from minor cuts, splinters, and other minor injuries one might expect from light industrial work. They are also excellent for use in refrigerated areas to help keep your hands warm and reduce slipping. Versions with PVC dots added to the gripping surfaces increase slip resistance and grip even further, making for much better efficiency and reducing accidents.

When you need better hand protection for heavier duty applications, a sturdy pair of leather palm gloves is just what you need. While they aren’t quite as comfortable as jersey gloves, you can always wear jersey gloves as a liner for comfort while retaining the superior grip, protection, and durability of the leather work glove. Like jersey gloves, they are a staple of industrial sites and are sold by the dozen.

Anchortex Corporation and American Work Safety are dedicated to providing a wide range of personal protective equipment to meet OSHA requirements, ensure the safety of your workers, and reduce costs incurred by on-the-job injuries. Contact us today for a personal consultation with one of our sales representatives.

Posted in Industrial, American Work Safety, Uncategorized | No Comments »

July 22, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

With temperatures soaring into triple digits, the hazards of the heat are numerous. Dehydration from oversweating means that workers must frequently drink water or electrolytes to rehydrate. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can occur as body temperature rises due to the temperature. Heat rashes can form due to skin irritation from excesesive sweating. Heat cramps can cause muscle pains due to heavy exercise in hot weather. With all of these hazards from the heat, one might assume that a quick dip in very cold water or stepping into a walk-in freezer might be a good way to beat the heat. This is not as good an idea as it sounds.

While cool compresses and immersion in cool water are a good way to cool down quickly, one must be careful; too much of a temperature shift can cause a cold shock response, as veins abruptly constrict to retain body heat to prevent cold blood from reaching your heart. This can be very hazardous to your health, and can even cause organ failure and death in extreme cases.

So what can you do to beat the heat? First, make sure to drink plenty of water and consume more sodium than usual, as water and salts are drained from the body when you sweat. If your job requires working in the heat - for example, construction workers or warehouse crew - a cooler/dispenser with a push-button spigot, filled with ice and water or electrolyte drink made from powdered mix, can be every bit as vital a safety investment as a hard hat or a high-visibility vest. You may also want to invest in cooling vests and other heat stress gear to help keep you cool without causing extreme temperature shifts that can be hazardous.

Do you work in an industrial cooler or freezer? Don’t be tempted to skip your freezer wear just because it’s hot outside! Wear insulated gloves, freezer vests, and freezer boots when working in these icy environments, and remove them as soon as you leave. It may be tedious, but maintaining a consistent body temperature will ensure that you don’t suffer from shock when you go in or come out.

Maintaining your health in the heat can be a serious challenge. However, with the right work equipment to keep you cool, and adequate hydration to replenish what sweat takes away, you should be able to manage this summer, no matter what your workplace and the weather have to throw at you.

Posted in Industrial, American Work Safety, Alerts, Articles | No Comments »

March 11, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

As you may already be aware, the raw cost of cotton fiber has risen from a low of approximately 40 cents per pound to its current high of $2.45 per pound and rising over the past three years, with sharp increases over the past six months. Furthermore, the supply of cotton fabric has been strained over the past three months, with many fabric suppliers struggling to keep up with demand. This has impacted many of our clothing manufacturers significantly, and has resulted in price increases on all cotton-based clothing for the 2011 period, with further increases throughout throughout the fiscal year as prices continue to increase.

On March 7th, Westex, manufacturers of Indura and Indura Ultra Soft fabric, have released a statement that the cost of Indura and Indura Ultra Soft fabric will be increasing by between 25 and 50% effective immediately, and that lead times are to be expected on all new orders of Indura and Indura Ultra Soft fabrics. As such, price increases on all Indura and Indura Ultra Soft products are expected, and lead times are expected to increase due to the cotton supply shortage.

Posted in Flame-Resistant, American Work Safety, Alerts | No Comments »

February 4, 2011 by Austin Cushing.

(Anchortex-AWS-2011-0001)

As you may be aware, employees working on or in close proximity to high-voltage electrical equipment are required to wear protective clothing, rated by hazard risk category. This personal protective equipment is required for compliance with OSHA and NFPA 70E standards, and can be cumbersome to wear. But is it really necessary?

In a word, yes. Anyone who has witnessed a lightning strike has ample evidence of the awesome and terrible power of an electrical arc, and even low levels of electrical current are enough to injure or kill an unprotected individual. Electrocutions in the workplace cause over four hundred deaths per year, and arc flash blasts can rival conventional explosives in their devastating effects on an area. An arc flash creates intense radiant heat and light in addition to explosive force, which can burn or blind unprotected individuals even if they are not directly struck by the electrical arc.

The best way to prevent arc flash hazards, of course, is to de-energize electrical equipment before servicing it in any fashion. However, the act of de-energizing equipment (throwing the switch on a circuit breaker, for example) is itself an arc flash hazard and lock-out/tag-out procedures to deactivate industrial equipment should not be performed without personal protective apparel specifically rated for the task.

Most people know that when handling electrical equipment, they should wear rubber gloves. More specifically, however, rubber gloves should be voltage-rated and tested for the maximum line-to-line voltage on which they will be working; furthermore, leather protective exterior gloves must be worn over them if they are to be used under conditions in which they could be damaged (by being scratched up, for example.) Furthermore, the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee
Workplaces requires semi-annual glove testing to ensure that gloves continue to perform as expected.

All arc flash PPE requirements also include safety glasses to protect the eyes, a hard hat to provide protection against head injuries, leather safety shoes to reduce grounding, and natural-fiber long-sleeved shirts and pants to provide a basic level of flame resistance. This is the base level of protection considered for ‘everyday work clothing’ upon which additional protective clothing is added to provide a protective solution. NFPA 70E rates various tasks in terms of HRC (hazard risk category) levels from 0 to 4, where 0 is ‘no added protection’ - the aforementioned minimum requirements - and 4 is required for circumstances involving working on energized high-voltage equipment, for example.

For worker safety, employers are required to fully evaluate and document electrical hazards, train employees in understanding these hazards, establish a flash protection boundary, restrict access to systems within this boundary to trained employees with proper protective gear and written authorization, institute lockout/tagout procedures on energized equipment before servicing it (with certain exceptions for life-critical equipment), and audit safety procedures annually. In short, this means ‘do not flip the switch on the 480 volt circuit breaker at your workplace unless you are specifically trained in the hazards, have proper protective apparel, and have written authorization to do so.’ The cost of doing otherwise could very well be your life.

For full compliance with OSHA and NFPA 70E requirements, visit our arc flash protective gear section on americanworksafety.com for arc-rated protective apparel and equipment, or contact our sales department to request quotes on personal protective equipment for your facility, department, or organization. The life you save may be your own.

Posted in Arc Flash, Industrial, American Work Safety, Articles | 1 Comment »

May 10, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

(Anchortex-AWS-2010-0003)

You are probably at least passingly familiar with the bright orange or yellow vests worn by construction crews and public safety officials. These high visibility vests and other articles of clothing are worn to promote visibility and ensure the safety of these employees, particularly around vehicular traffic. There are several distinct standards used for high visibility vests, depending on where the wearer is relative to traffic.

ANSI 107-2004 Class I vests are similar to those you might see worn by parking lot attendants and shopping cart retrievers; they are only intended for use in situations where the employee is not near highway traffic, and maximum vehicle speeds are less than 25 miles per hour.

ANSI 107-2004 Class II vests and clothing are intended for use in situations where vehicles may be traveling at speeds between 25 and 50 miles per hour and workers may be on or near roadways. These vests typically include some manner of reflective striping, and cover a larger area. Typical users include construction workers operating on city streets, utility workers, survey crews, and law enforcement personnel.

ANSI 107-2004 Class III vests and clothing are specifically intended to be seen from a minimum distance of 1,280 feet, and are intended for use in high-risk situations where traffic speeds can exceed 50 miles per hour. They use a higher quantity of high-visibility fabric and reflective tape to enhance visibility in all light levels and weather conditions. Typical users include highway construction crews, emergency response personnel, utility workers, and others whose duties place them within the right of way of a federal highway.

A related classification is the ANSI 207-2006 public safety vest; these vests are cut to meet the needs of public safety and law enforcement officers, both in safety and in performance. While this does qualify for high-visibility requirements for items worn on federal highways, this is not equal to an ANSI 107-2004 classification.

OSHA requires compliance with ANSI 107-2004 to ensure that workers are visible and conspicuous from all directions under adverse lighting conditions whenever they may be exposed to hazards. For your own safety, be familiar with the high visibility clothing options available, and wear appropriate work wear when working near traffic, particularly at night or during inclement weather.

Posted in American Work Safety | No Comments »

April 15, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

(Anchortex-AWS-2010-0002)

Industrial workplaces can be noisy environments. While the best solution to prevent excessive on-the-job noise from damaging hearing is to properly engineer the work environment to reduce exposure to noise, there are some working environments where one cannot reduce the overall noise level, or where sudden high-volume noise is still expected. In such circumstances, workers should wear a hearing protection solution to prevent hearing damage.

Sound pressure is measured in decibels, with the extent of normal human hearing extending down to 0 decibels (though some people with extremely good hearing can register noises rated down to -15 dB.) Hearing protection is rated in Noise Reduction Rating, or NRR, which is the effective reduction in decibels the product provides for purposes of hearing protection. Since each 3 decibels represents an effective doubling in sound pressure (or protection), using NRR 20 dB earplugs underneath NRR 20 dB earmuffs would only provide a total effective NRR of 23 dB. Deceptively, a difference of 3 dB is barely perceptible to the average human ear, whereas a difference of 10 dB is considered twice as ‘loud’.

OSHA recommends that hearing protection be worn under any circumstances where workers are exposed to 100 decibels or more of noise for any period of time, or 85 dB or more of noise over the course of a typical work day, as either circumstance can result in permanent hearing loss if no protection is worn. They recommend a maximum exposure time of 8 hours for 90 dB, 6 hours for 92 dB, 4 hours for 95 dB, 3 hours for 97 dB, 2 hours for 100 dB, 1.5 hours for 102 dB, 1 hour for 105 dB, 30 minutes for 110 dB, and 15 minutes for 115 dB, even with protection in place.

Typically, when determining the noise level for a workplace environment, a noise level meter will provide an instantaneous measurement of noise present, whereas a dosimeter or integrated sound level meter is recommended to determine the overall noise a person is exposed to over the course of normal workplace operations. A full analysis of the noise hazards of an environment is required as part of a comprehensive noise reduction strategy, and employees should be trained in the use of any hearing protection required.

In order to provide full rated protection, your hearing protection solution must be worn for the entire exposure period. Even removal for a short period can drastically reduce the effective protection provided. Wearing hearing protection 99% of the time (removed for five minutes during an average 8 hour shift) reduces maximum protection to 20 dB. Wearing hearing protection 95% of the time (less than a half hour during a typical eight-hour work shift) reduces maximum protection to 13 dB, and wearing hearing protection 90% of the time (roughly 45 minutes during a typical eight-hour work shift) reduces maximum protection to 10 dB. Hearing protection must be worn at all times to provide listed benefits, without exceptions.

Your work environment must be rated individually to determine the weighted average noise level for your work area, and what level of protection is required; the following are merely overall estimations of possible workplace noise levels. A typical office environment has an overall noise level of roughly 50 dB; a normal conversation is rated at roughly 60 dB; typical street noise is rated at roughly 70 dB; a noisy office environment or call center is rated at roughly 80 dB. Anything above 85 dB will cause hearing damage with sufficient exposure. A noisy factory setting can easily rate roughly 90 dB; a lawnmower engine rates roughly 100 dB; a wood chipper or a rock concert rates roughly 120 dB. Anything above 125 dB will cause pain and risk immediate damage for any exposure length without protection; 140 dB is the maximum prolonged exposure recommended while wearing hearing protection.

Typical hearing protection solutions consist of earplugs or earmuffs worn to block out sound; for best results, these solutions must be worn at all times, and should be fitted to the wearer. Ear plugs are simpler to use, more convenient to carry, less expensive to replace, and more comfortable in hot or wet work environments than earmuffs; however, they do not provide the level of protection full earmuffs provide, are not as easily visible (and thus it is more difficult to verify that they are being worn), and must be inserted properly to provide maximum protection. Earmuffs usually provide superior protection, are easier to fit properly, are more durable, and can be worn over earplugs to provide additional protection; however, they are significantly more expensive and are less comfortable in hot environments.

Personal stereo systems with headphones or earphones (such as MP3 players and CD players) are not a noise protection solution, and in fact can cause hearing damage by themselves; a typical personal stereo system can reach a maximum output of between 105 and 120 dB at full volume, and many people use these systems to ‘block out’ external noise - increasing the user’s noise exposure, and causing increased risks of hearing damage. However, NRR-rated headphones do exist, and OSHA has issued a letter of acceptance of this as a protection under the condition that the noise level produced by the stereo system does not exceed 85 dB. Systems with ‘Automatic Volume Limiters’ are typically designed to limit maximum output of the system to meet this specification.

Electronic noise cancelling earmuffs combine the passive protection of an NRR-rated noise reduction earmuff system with active noise cancellation systems geared towards a specific noise environment, or with filtering to reduce or eliminate the effects of impact noise (such as gunfire) while not interfering with speech. These systems are typically given multiple ratings depending on the base NRR level and on possible performance enhancements when used in an appropriate environment.

American Work Safety, a division of Anchortex Corporation, is a major distributor of disposable and reusable earplugs and earmuffs to military, public safety, industrial, and personal users. For more information, or to request products not listed on our website, please use our contact form, or call our friendly sales representatives at 856-768-5240.

Posted in American Work Safety, Articles | 1 Comment »

March 19, 2010 by Austin Cushing.

(Anchortex-AWS-2010-0001)

The 2009 edition of NFPA 70E requires employers to label any electrical equipment likely to require maintenance or examination while energized with clearly visible warning labels that alert personnel to the hazard before they can be exposed to it. The most common way of doing so is to list a HRC (Hazard Risk Category) of required personal protective gear needed to service the equipment in question. So what does this mean?

Hazard Risk Category is defined within NFPA 70E as a general classification of hazard involved in performing specified tasks. HRC typically ranges from zero to four, with zero denoting minimum-risk activities and four denoting high-risk activities. Each category includes minimum safety equipment required, the minimum number of layers required to meet this requirement, and the minimum arc rating of all required equipment in cal/cm2. The arc rating, in turn, is a value of the energy required to pass through a given material and cause a 50% probability of second to third degree burns. Arc ratings from multiple layers are not cumulative.

Hazard Risk Category 0 (HRC 0)
Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 0, a long-sleeved shirt and long pants made from natural fibers (untreated cotton, silk, wool, rayon, or blends of these fibers), with a minimum fabric weight of 4.5 ounces per square yard, is required. Polyester, poly/cotton blends, and other artificial fibers are not permitted, as they will melt in an arc flash incident, increasing the potential damage.
Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 0 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat.
Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 0 only requires one layer of protective clothing.
Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: None. HRC 0 has no minimum requirements on arc rating of material.

Hazard Risk Category 1 (HRC 1)
Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 1, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: denim jeans and a flame-resistant long-sleeved shirt, OR a flame-resistant long-sleeved sirt and pants, OR flame-resistant coveralls. (Examples)
Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 1 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat with an arc-rated face shield.
Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 1 only requires one layer of protective clothing.
Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 4 cal/cm2

Hazard Risk Category 2 (HRC 2)
Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 2, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: flame-resistant long-sleeved shirt and pants, OR flame-resistant coveralls. (Examples)
Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 2 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, and a hard hat with an arc-rated face shield. In certain circumstances, an 8+-cal/cm2 stocking hood or multi-layer switching hood may also be required.
Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 2 requires one to two layers of protective clothing.
Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 8 cal/cm2

Hazard Risk Category 3 (HRC 3)
Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 3, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: a multi-layer flash suit over FR long-sleeved shirt and pants over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants, OR a multi-layer flash suit over FR coveralls over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants. (Examples)
Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 3 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, hard hat, hearing protection, and a multi-layer switching hood OR arc-rated goggle and stocking hood.
Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 3 requires two to three layers of protective clothing.
Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 25 cal/cm2

Hazard Risk Category 4 (HRC 4)
Minimum Clothing Requirements: In order to qualify as covered under HRC 4, an employee must at minimum wear one of the following: a multi-layer flash suit over FR long-sleeved shirt and pants over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants, OR a multi-layer flash suit over FR coveralls over natural fiber short-sleeved T-shirt and pants. (Examples)
Additional PPE Equipment: Employees in HRC 4 situations are also required to at minimum be wearing leather safety shoes, safety glasses, hard hat, hearing protection, and a multi-layer switching hood OR arc-rated goggle and stocking hood.
Minimum Layer Requirements: HRC 4 requires at least three layers of protective clothing.
Minimum Arc Rating in cal/cm2: 40 cal/cm2

Depending on the specific tasks performed, employees may also be required to wear voltage-rated gloves and use voltage-rated tools appropriate to the equipment being serviced. Whenever possible, energized equipment to be serviced should be put into an electrically safe work condition unless the employer can demonstrate that de-energizing creates more severe hazards (such as when performing work on life-support systems), or is not practical due to limitations of equipment or operation (such as during testing of live equipment). Any service that requires personal protective equipment should only be performed by qualified personnel following a documented plan approved by the manager responsible for the plan.

A brief overview of tasks that require arc flash protective gear, as well as the general hazard risk category they fall under, is available at http://www.anchortex.com/pdf/OEL-NFPA-70E-Compliance-Guide.pdf courtesy of OEL Worldwide Industries, manufacturers of arc flash wear and insulated tools. Anchortex Corporation is a leading distributor of OEL arc flash safety equipment.

Austin Cushing is the webmaster at American Work Safety, a division of Anchortex Corporation. Receive $10 off of any purchase over $100 with code ASP10 (offer valid indefinitely but subject to change). To track all articles written by Austin Cushing, check out the Anchortex Blog.

Posted in American Work Safety, Articles | 1 Comment »