Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued updated guidance for personal protective equipment (PPE) to provide Americans who work on energized electrical equipment with appropriate protection from arc hazards.
The new OSHA announcement provides appropriate guidance for employers and employees to ensure that arc flash protective clothing and equipment are provided and worn by anyone working on or near energized equipment.
According to the Partnership for Electrical Safety (PES), RThis action is the first update to OSHA’s arc flash guidance in nearly 20 years. It consists of four parts, including a detailed document for employers and three one-page documents for workers. The new guidance was issued primarily to address the two leading causes of arc flash injuries and deaths in the United States today: a claim of work being inactive and ineligible (most works fail to meet the standard) and therefore not having AR clothing or other PPE; and choosing to operate on power when voltage is low (120/208, 277) despite lack of justification and lack of PPE due to the common and dangerous myth that low voltage is not dangerous.
As stated in a PES press release, the guidance explains that low voltages, including 120/208, can sustain an arc flash, produce molten metal, ignite flammable clothing, and cause serious or fatal injury. All active work above 50 volts requires an active work permit and almost all work requires PPE including arc rated clothing. OSHA also notes that the vast majority of tasks that claim to be deactivated do not qualify as such. It does not meet LOTO (OSHA) or ESWC (NFPA 70E), and therefore requires PPE, including arc-rated clothing: “It is important to understand that de-energizing without locking out/tag-out does not eliminate electrical shock and arc flash hazards.” “They also point out that the deactivation steps are an energized action, as are all reactivation steps, and as such require personal protective equipment including arc-rated clothing.
As the United States continues to invest in large-scale electrification projects such as electric vehicles and DC chargers, employers will continue to hire workers with limited training and experience against arc flash hazards. The timing of OSHA’s important action better prepares employers and their new employees to improve workplace safety and prevent avoidable injuries.
“These new directives are a game-changer and could not have come at a more appropriate time,” said Scott Margolin, President of PES. “Coupled with the hundreds of thousands of electricians who are currently being asked to work without life-saving PPE, we are at an inflection point. Invest Our country is revamping the grid, electric vehicles, and DC chargers as America continues to electrify. OSHA recently made NFPA 70B – Electrical Equipment Maintenance – a standard as well. But it will expose a much larger number of American workers – many of whom will have less training, experience and personal protective equipment – to arc hazards and potential injuries and deaths. OSHA’s guidance was necessary to clarify requirements and improve safety now. PES applauds OSHA’s commitment Urgent professional action is taken.
To view updated OSHA guidance products, click here.
