More than 2,000 people each year are treated in burn centers with severe arc-flash injuries, and five to 10 arc explosions happen in electric equipment every day in the United States.

To protect its employees, American Electric Power (AEP; Columbus, Ohio) mandated that all field personnel wear long-sleeved flame-retardant (FR) shirts at work every day. In addition, those line workers who work on the network also must wear FR pants.

AEP first began implementing the FR clothing mandate about 10 years ago by requiring line workers to wear FR shirts. Over time, the utility, which has seven operating companies in 11 states, began phasing in better layers of protection.

Over the last few years, the company moved from 100% cotton shirts to FR-only long-sleeved shirts. Short-sleeved shirts are not allowed to be worn by the line workers. The overhead line workers can still wear 11-ounce blue jeans, but the company is also evaluating FR pants.

Each line worker has a complete set of clothing for both the summer and the winter. In the winter, the line workers can wear undershirts, T-shirts, Henleys and jackets. In addition, they can wear FR-rated headbands and facebands. In the summer, they can wear lightweight FR long-sleeved shirts, which all include their company's logo and come in a variety of colors from forest green to tan.

Protecting Field Workers

AEP opted to move to a FR clothing mandate in order to protect field workers from arc flashes. The training and safety department worked together to come up with a plan to protect the areas of line workers' bodies that would be subjected to arc flash.

Because most of the exposure to arc flashes is from the waist up, AEP first focused on providing its field workforce with FR shirts.

When line workers are working on energized equipment, they can be subject to an arc flash, which occurs when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is no longer sufficient to withstand the applied voltage. If line workers are working on conductors up to 34,000 V, and they make accidental contact with another phase or ground, a significant amount of heat will be generated, which can lead to burns.

Determining Ratings

Before rolling the FR clothing out into the field, however, AEP needed to review research studies to determine what type of shirt and what type of rating would best protect the line workers in the field.

About two years ago, the utility looked closely at what kind of rating was required to protect line workers from injury if they encounter an arc flash right in front of them. If there was a problem on the line, the line could fault at the point of work. The AEP engineers looked at how long the arc flash would be there, and what kind of heat would be generated from the voltage they are working on.

FR clothing ranges from 8 to 40 calorie ratings. For example, a lightweight FR shirt would be rated at 8, while an arc-flash suit with a hood and jacket would be rated at 40. To keep the line workers both safe and comfortable while working out in the field, AEP requires its line workers to wear FR clothing with a calorie rating of 12. If they are working in an underground network vault, however, they must wear the full FR suit to protect themselves from underground faults.

The majority of the line workers can do their work with the undershirts, long-sleeved button-down shirts and jackets that have a combined 12 calorie rating. Even though line workers are wearing the FR clothing, however, they still need to take special precautions to guard themselves against arc flashes in the field.

FR clothing is often a line worker's last line of defense against getting injured. AEP advises its field crews to do everything they were trained to do through their apprenticeship and on-the-job training to protect themselves. For example, they must use coverups on the line and use the right equipment to transfer a conductor rather than grabbing it without knowing its weight.

While FR clothing has been proven to save people from severe injuries and even fatal burns, the line workers are still trained to avoid arc flashes. A small flash can do as much harm as a large flash, and the calorie weight of the FR clothing must protect line workers at a certain distance from the line that they are working on.

Technological Advances

Many years ago, FR clothing was often stiff, hot and uncomfortable. Over the years, however, vendors have designed usable products that aren't scratchy and are adopted well by the line workers.

The different materials, fiber and fabric have become more user-friendly. At first, the FR shirts are more crisp than traditional shirts, but over time, they become softer and easier to wear.

Each line worker is responsible for laundering his or her own garments. When the FR clothing gets tattered or torn, field workers must turn them back in to their supervisor, and they are either returned to the vendor or destroyed on site.

Investment in FR Clothing

Every employee who works around energized conductors gets a yearly allotment for the FR clothing. The amount of money they receive varies based upon their job classification. New line workers get the highest allowance, because they have to start from scratch with their FR wardrobe. Because a FR shirt can cost more than a regular cotton shirt, AEP provides allocations for the garments they need to stay protected in the field.

When the FR policy was first implemented, AEP issued the line workers enough money to buy two or three FR shirts. Over time, however, the utility has given the field workers allowances to order garments for both the summer and the winter. All the clothing will have their operating company's logo on it, and line workers can choose a variety of different colors in the vendor's catalog.

Handling Change

AEP requires all of its employees to wear FR clothing when they're working live and around energized sources. The utility worked with the vendors to come up with a shirt that was breathable. The material was not heavy, but it still provided the rating necessary to protect the line workers in any climate.

Over time, the line workers also began to understand that AEP was implementing the policy to protect them and to ensure that they could go home safely to their families at the end of the day.

Safety is at the forefront of the company, and AEP is doing everything it can to provide an extra layer of protection for its employees and keep line workers out of the line of fire.

---

Mike Lewis (mdlewis@aep.com) is a distribution training manager for the design group for AEP and has been with the company for 34 years. He is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Johnathan T. Workman (jtworkman@aep.com) is a senior training specialist for AEP in Charleston, West Virginia, and has been with the company for 17 years. Prior to moving to the training department, he worked as a line worker for 13 years.

AEP www.aep.com

Companies mentioned in this article:

Unico www.unico.com

Tyndale www.tyndaleusa.com