Enjoy our monthly installment of unsafe photos!
Do your employees work on or near live energized parts? If so, hopefully, they are wearing dielectric and arc-rated protection! But the simple use of these products is not enough. Employees must take care of them so the products can actually prevent injury when hazards are introduced. A dielectric glove with a hole in it can allow electricity to pass through it, and heavily soiled arc-rated clothing may not resist heat and flames as long. Most are aware of these common issues, but what about the hazards associated with wearing sunscreen and insect repellant?
Did you know that some petroleum-based sunscreens can break-down dielectric rubber products, and insect repellents with DEET can reduce the performance of arc-rated clothing? If this is news to you, don’t worry… you are not alone! Many are unaware of these issues, and this is why we recommend educating your employees and double-checking any sunscreen or insect repellents they are using. Some manufacturers make alternative products that are safe to use with dielectric products and arc-rated clothing. For example, Sun-X and Stoco both make sunscreens that have passed the ANSI Lineman’s Glove Testing protocol. Bug-X and Off make a “DEET free” insect repellent. These are just a few brands of many.
Again, we hope you use this information to educate your employees and research the products they are using. Their PPE must perform when it’s needed!
