Highest standards required for arc-flash protective clothing

摘要

A range of inherently flame-retardant fibres are employed in fabrics for shielding workers from arc flashes, one of the most dangerous, complicated and demanding of applications in the safety and protection sector, according to Adrian Wilson.Workers in the rapidly growing wind-energy sector, as well as those in longer-standing indsutries, such as power generation and the supply of utilities, face the daily risk of arc flashes, and employers need to be fully aware of their responsibilities and ensure their staff are adequately protected, according to ProGARM, a specialist in arc-flash protective clothing based in Hull, UK.An arc flash can occur when a fault leads to the release of dangerous levels of radiant energy, enough to vaporise metal that then spews from the arc, says ProGARM's Mark Lant.'The air is super-heated causing pressure waves that can throw individuals across rooms and create a deadly molten shrapnel."