Quarterly eNewsletter

Issue 6

 

Arc Arc Flash Mitigation, Part 4: PPE and Personnel Safety

In tIn this final installment of our four-part series on arc flash mitigation, we will look at the last line of defense against injury caused by arc flash explosions – personal protective equipment (PPE). In our previous articles, we investigated the importance of arc flash studies and circuit coordination as ways to reduce the severity of an event when it did occur, and discussed a variety of safety devices that could be installed in switchgear to protect workers and equipment. But these devices only reduce the intensity of an arc flash; they do not eliminate it. With that in mind, employees exposed to a potential arc flash still need to be protected from the thermal, electrical, radiant, percussive, and physical hazards associated with such an occurrence. Selecting and using the proper PPE is essential for employee safety.y.


Disaster Response and Recovery


No business is immune from natural disaster. Whether it is the result of a hurricane, flood, fire, tornado, ice storm, blizzard, or earthquake, the interruption of operations at a plant can be devastating to a business’s profitability and viability. How prepared is your company to respond in the event of a disaster? Chances are, it has been awhile since you've considered this, so now is an excellent time to review and update your company’s disaster recovery plan—or put one in place, if necessary. This is absolutely essential to ensure a facility can get back online and in full production as quickly as possible after a disaster event is over.ter event is over.


NAT'L, OSHA Team Up to Improve Workplace Safety through 'Challenge'


National Field Services is committed to maintaining the highest standards of workplace safety, and now is a proud participant in the OSHA Challenge, a three-stage process to implement an effective system to prevent fatalities, injuries and illness. Throughout this program, NFS management and employees will report its occupational injury and illness data and notification of stage completion information to its Challenge Administrator, Gulf Coast Safety Institute. Graduates of the OSHA Challenge receive recognition from OSHA as they incrementally improve their safety and health management systems.