PPE is an essential part of workplace safety, acting as the last line of defence when preventing accidents and injuries.
If all other safety measures have failed, PPE can mean the difference between a minor incident to a fatal injury.
What types of PPE are used for electrical safety?
Hand protection, such as insulated gloves, are the key piece of PPE used to protect against exposure to electrical hazards. Insulated gloves prevent conduction between an electrical source and your hands.
Safety footwear can also be insulating. These are worn where there’s a risk of an electrical current being conducted through the feet and into the operative’s body.
Anti-static coveralls and other PPE may be required depending on the works taking place and the location so you should always risk assess to determine the correct task-specific PPE.
How do you choose the right PPE for electrical safety?
There are several different EN standards that electrically insulating PPE fall under. Gloves should meet that standard set in EN60903 and safety footwear should meet EN 5032-1:2018. Within these standards, different classes are identified based on the maximum voltage.
For gloves, Class 00 can be used with a maximum voltage of 500V (A/C) / 750V (D/C), Class 0 1000V (A/C) / 1500V (D/C), Class 1 7,500V (A/C) / 11,250V (D/C), Class 2 17000V (A/C) / 25500V (D/C), Class 3 26500V (A/C) / 39750V (D/C) and Class 4 36000V (A/C) / 54000V (D/C).
For boots, Class 00 can be used with a maximum voltage of 500V (A/C) / 10 kV (D/C), Class 0 1 kV (A/C) / 20 kV (D/C), Class 1 7.5 kV (A/C) / 40 kV (D/C), Class 2 17 kV (A/C) / 50 kV (D/C), Class 3 26.5 kV (A/C) / N/A (D/C) and Class 4 36 kV (A/C) / N/A (D/C).
As always, make sure to keep the scope of works in mind when you are selecting your PPE!
How do you clean electrical safety PPE?
It’s important to keep PPE clean. A particular risk for any rubber material is oils and chemicals which can weaken and break down the rubber. When cleaning PPE, make sure to check the manufacturer’s guidelines for suitable cleaning agents such as mild bleach-free detergent and tap water.
Make sure to check for holes or embedded materials! Due to the thickness of the insulating material, it’s possible to miss embedded waste materials that can’t be felt from the inside of the glove. These embedded materials may cause issues such as holes or tears which would compromise the insulation of the glove.
Safe storage of PPE is also key. Exposure to extreme temperatures, pressure and UV rays can cause damage or weaken material until tears/holes start to develop.
How can WA Management help?
WA Management offer an Electrical Safety online training course which provides learners with an awareness of working around electricity safely.
Electrical Safety and Lock Out Tag Out training courses are essential tools in staying safe when working near or with electricity. Make sure you don’t miss out on our 10% off deal on these courses, available until the end of May. Simply enter the code ‘elec10’ at checkout to save!
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