Metal industry – Thermal hazards under the microscope

02-07-20240

Metal industry – Thermal hazards under the microscope

The metal industry is known for its complex and high-risk environment, with exposure to various thermal hazards a major concern. From intense heat at melting furnaces to the rays of welding arcs and Uv radiation, workers face potential hazards on a daily basis. The proper use of heat-resistant and flame-retardant PPE is vital to preventing injury and ensuring workplace safety.

This article offers insight into three thermal hazards and emphasizes the importance of protection that is heat-resistant and flame retardant. It also discusses the impact of Uv radiation and infrared radiation as thermal stresses, and recommends appropriate PPE to protect workers.

Thermal hazards

Working in the metal industry involves several hazards. The three hazards we will focus on in this article are:

High Temperatures and Heat Radiation: Melting furnaces and heat treatment processes generate extreme heat (above 1000°C), which can lead to burns and heat stress.
Contact with Hot Surfaces: Workers may accidentally touch hot metal pieces or machine parts, which can cause burns.
UV and infrared radiation: Originating from welding arcs and natural sunlight, can be harmful to workers’ skin and eyes, leading to skin burns and eye injuries such as photokeratitis.

To mitigate these hazards and effectively protect workers, it is important to use PPE that is not only heat-resistant and flame retardant, but also protects against Uv radiation and infrared radiation. Below we explore the importance of these protective measures and how they contribute to a safer work environment in the metal industry.

Heat resistance

Heat resistance refers to a material’s ability to withstand high temperatures without melting, deforming, catching fire or losing its function. It means that the material retains its strength and properties even when exposed to extreme heat. Heat-resistant materials are crucial in applications where high temperatures are involved, such as in the metal industry.

Flame retardant

Flame retardant refers to the ability of materials to slow or prevent the ignition and spread of flames when exposed to an ignition source, such as heat or a flame. This means that flame retardant materials burn more slowly and produce less smoke and toxic gases when burned, reducing the risk of fire and injury.

Normeringen

Clothing:

For clothing during welding operations, EN ISO 11611 and EN ISO 11612 are important standards. These standards set requirements for materials, construction and performance, such as flame spread resistance and heat durability. Clothing that meets these standards protects against thermal hazards such as molten metal spatter and flames, slows flame spread and minimizes risk of burns. This increases worker safety and confidence in welding operations.

Gloves:

EN 12477 specifies requirements for welding gloves, focusing on protection against thermal hazards during welding. EN 407 focuses on general heat resistance of gloves, including protection against heat and flame. Both standards are relevant to welding activities.

Foot Protection:

EN ISO 20345 specifies requirements for safety shoes in various industrial environments, including the metal industry. Shoes that meet this standard provide protection against falling objects, sharp objects and slip hazards. They also provide thermal protection against heat, but the degree of protection can vary depending on factors such as the design and materials of the shoes.

Our recommendations:


HAVEP 2892 OVERALL Art. No.: 2.15.270.00	OXXA® MARCUS 0391 LASJACK Art. No.: 2.70.391.00	OXXA® WELD-COMFORT 53-740 GLOVE Art. No.: 1.53.740.15	UVEX 2 CONSTRUCTION 6510 SAFETY SHOE S3 Art. No.: 5.12.310.00

UV radiation and infrared radiation

In the metal industry, Uv radiation and infrared radiation are an additional form of heat exposure, especially during welding, cutting, grinding and outdoor work where workers are exposed to direct sunlight. The intense Uv radiation and infrared radiation from welding arcs and natural sunlight can be harmful to the eyes and skin, leading to acute thermal damage, such as skin burns, and eye injuries such as welding eyes or photokeratitis. Protective measures such as wearing welding helmets and welding goggles with UV filters and infrared filters are vital to prevent injury.

Standards

Eye protection:

For eye protection during welding work, standards EN 166, EN 170 and EN 171 are relevant.

EN 166 specifies general requirements for personal eye protection, including specifications for resistance to impact, optical clarity and protection against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Eyewear complying with EN 166 provides basic eye protection and can be used in a variety of industrial environments, including welding.

EN 170 specifies the requirements for UV filters used in eye protection equipment. In welding operations, protection from Uv radiation is essential due to the intense light rays released. Eyewear with filters complying with EN 170 provides protection against harmful Uv radiation, keeping workers’ eyes safe during welding.

EN 171 specifies requirements for infrared filters used in eye protection equipment. In welding operations, protection from UV and infrared radiation is essential. Goggles and welding hoods with filters complying with EN 171 provide protection against harmful UV and infrared radiation, keeping workers’ eyes protected during welding.

Our recommendation:

UVEX FUTURA 9180-145 WELDING GLASSES
Art. No.: 7.25.661.95

Need help?

Want advice or additional information on the right products when working with thermal hazards? Contact us today on T. +31 (0)181 47 50 00. Our enthusiastic team will be happy to tell you more!

Installation technology – Protected working with high voltage

25-03-20240

Installation technology – Protected working with high voltage

High-voltage installations are crucial components of modern electricity networks. Examples of work involved include installing, maintaining, operating and repairing these installations. These installations also pose significant risks to workers performing these activities, such as electrocution or arc flash.

In this article we tell you more about these hazards, relevant standards and recommend suitable PPE so that you can give clients the right advice when working with high-voltage installations.

Dangers of high voltage

Working with high voltage involves several dangerous risks, which can cause serious injury and sometimes even death. The two risks we will focus on in this article are:

Electrocution: high voltage can cause electric shock, which varies in severity depending on the amperage and duration of exposure. Even small amounts of current can be life-threatening.
Arc Flashover: arc flashovers (also known as “arc flashes”) involve extreme temperatures, bright flashes of light, flying (molten) shrapnel, pressure waves with loud bangs and toxic copper fumes. This can lead to serious risks to workers, including internal and external burns, blindness, hearing damage and copper poisoning from inhaled gases.

Important standards around high voltage

The above hazards show that the entire body is at risk of injury from electrocution or an arc. Protective clothing, head protection and arm and hand protection is therefore essential. These types of PPE come with some important standards that must be met.

Clothing: IEC 61482-2
This is an international standard specifically aimed at protecting workers from the thermal hazards of an electric arc in case of exposure. Within this standard, clothing can be tested in 2 ways, namely:

IEC 61482-1 via the ‘open arc’ test: in this test, test material is struck by an 8kA arc from a distance of 30 cm. The resulting ATPV value (Arc Thermal Performance Value) indicates the amount of energy (cal / cm²) to which the material or garment can be exposed and still provide 50% protection against second-degree burns. The higher this value, the better the protection.
EN 61482-2 via the “box test”: in this method, an arc is generated from one direction (the box) for a short duration (500ms) by short circuit at 4kA or 7kA. The result for this test is pass or fail. Passing 4kA results in APC 1 (Arc Protection Class) and passing 7kA results in APC 2. Passing APC 2 often requires combinations of different garments.

Clothing: IEC 61482-2
EN 60903 is a European standard that specifically addresses electrical safety of gloves. This standard tests insulating gloves for different voltages and divides them into 6 classes, namely 00 to 4 (see table below). Want to extend the life of insulating gloves while having the right mechanical protection? Then combine insulating gloves with suitable overgloves.

Class	Maximum AC operating voltage	Maximum DC operating voltage
00	500V AC	750V DC
0	1000V AC	1500V DC
1	7500V AC	11250V DC
2	17000V AC	25500V DC
3	26500V AC	39750V DC
4	36000V AC	54000V DC

Head protection: EN 50365 & GS-ET-29

European standard EN 50365 applies to electrically insulating helmets for use when working up to a voltage of 1000V AC or 1500 Volts DC.

Face shields provide additional protection against the dangers of an electric arc, such as flying shards or molten pieces of metal. The face shields of this type of helmet are tested according to standard GS-ET-29. This standard, like the box test, tests for either 4kA or 7kA. This also results in either a Class 1 or Class 2 rating.

Foot protection: EN 50321

For work with voltage installations, electrically insulating boots conforming to EN 50321 are applicable. Boots meeting this standard with class 00 provide protection up to a maximum of 500V AC and boots meeting class 0 up to a maximum of 1000V AC.

Our recommendations

Clothing

HAVEP 50292 jacket	HAVEP 80345 pants	Sioen 7227 Nash jacket

Art. No.: 2.48.749.00	Art. No.: 2.27.633.00	Art. No.: 2.42.675.00

Gloves

Ansell ActivArmr RIG014Y glove	uvex power protect V1000 glove	Ansell ActivArmr 96-003 glove

Art. No.: 1.89.907.00	Art. No.: 1.91.411.00	Art. No.: 1.89.925.00

Head protection

MSA V-Gard 950 Class 1 unventilated safety helmet	MSA V-Gard 950 Class 2 unventilated safety helmet

Art. No.: 6.16.876.11	Art. No.: 6.16.876.12

Boots

Dunlop Acifort High Voltage safety boot SB

Art. No.: 5.25.132.00

ARC-Configurator
Not only the outer layer should provide protection against an arc; the underlying layers should also provide the worker with additional protection in the event that the hazard penetrates the outer layers. A higher level of ARC protection can be obtained by combining several layers of ARC protective clothing.

Opting for a multi-layer solution also offers workers more flexibility. For example, if they wear an ARC Class 1 long-sleeved polo shirt as a bottom layer AND an ARC Class 1 softshell jacket as a top layer, ARC Class 2 protection level is achieved. So the combination provides a higher level of protection, and one layer can be taken off if only ARC Class 1 is required.

Sioen 581A Telfs Polo shirt	Sioen 9705 Umiat softshell jacket	Sioen 9633 Playford softshell jacket

Art. No.: 2.60.102.00	Art. No.: 2.60.683.00	Art. No.: 2.49.100.00

Use Sioen’s ARC configurator to see what clothing you can combine for the different layers to achieve the desired results. This also shows the ATPV and ELIM values; which are also used to determine the required protection of a worker exposed to the thermal risks of an arc.

MORE INFORMATION

Need help?
Want advice or additional information on the right products when working with high voltage? Contact us today on T. +31 (0)181 47 50 00. Our enthusiastic team will be happy to tell you more!

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