Electrical PPE: Types, Requirements, Importance & More

What is Electrical PPE?

Electrical PPE is a form of safety equipment. It includes specialized clothing, equipment, and other gear that protects electricians from hazards. Its use forms part of the broader electrical safety protocol stipulated by governing bodies like OSHA.

OSHA and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) set out comprehensive regulations and guidelines for safety on job sites. 

The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace code (NFPA 70E) explains PPE requirements for safe electrical work practices. While these standards aren’t legal, they were created to help businesses meet legally required OSHA standards.

Why is Electrical PPE Important?

Electrical PPE is crucial because it prevents injuries like electric shocks, cuts, burns, abrasions, punctures, and more. 

According to a study by the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), 3,114 workers were involved in fatal electrical injuries between 2003 and 2020, and 40,050 workers suffered non-fatal electrical injuries during the same period.

Correct use of PPE can prevent or lessen the damage caused by electrical injuries and could mean the difference between a few days off work and death.

Here are some key reasons why electrical PPE should be worn:

• Electrical-contact injury reduction: Safety shoes with non-conductive soles prevent electrical current from flowing through a worker’s body. This significantly reduces the severity of injuries caused by an electrical fault.

• Burn prevention: Workers can receive electrical burns following a significant shock, especially if their skin is exposed. PPE can mitigate this risk. Furthermore, flame-resistant clothing and arc flash suits provide thermal protection and ignition resistance during an arc flash.

• Shock protection: Voltage-rated tools and gloves with built-in insulation can withstand the voltage running through an electrical system, insulating the worker and preventing electrical shock.

• Risk mitigation: Using electrical PPE correctly reduces the risks of accidents and injuries from electrical work.

• Compliance: All workers must ensure compliance with safety regulations; PPE is part of that.

From Which Hazards Does PPE Protect Electricians?

Electrical workers may encounter several hazards on a job site. Thankfully, PPE can protect them from serious injury and death caused by these hazards.

Some common hazards PPE protects against are listed below:

• Electrical faults: When electrical systems are improperly grounded, exposed to water, or damaged, it can cause an electrical fault. A fault can cause electric shock, electrocution, or an arc flash (a massive energy discharge).

• Confined spaces: Electrical workers who work underground are exposed to additional risks, such as cave-ins and noxious gas. Furthermore, operating in confined spaces increases the likelihood of bumps and scrapes.

• Trips, slips, and falls: Many electricians operate at height, making them susceptible to falling from scaffolding, ladders, or other elevated surfaces. Additionally, working on uneven surfaces can cause workers to trip or slip.

• Cuts, abrasions, burns, and punctures: Electrical tools, minor electric shocks, and even job site conditions can pose a risk of minor injuries like this. 

• Arc flashes and arc blasts: An arc flash, sometimes called a ‘flashover,’ is an electrical discharge resulting from an electrical connection through the air to a second voltage phase or the ground. 

Temperatures at the source of an arc flash can reach over 36,000 degrees Fahrenheit (20,000 degrees Celsius), which is four times hotter than the sun. The flash can cause severe external and internal burns, hearing and eye damage, blindness, and intoxication from inhaling vaporized metal.

An arc blast is an explosion caused by the rapid expansion of air and vaporized material. The explosive force can exceed 100 kilopascals, propelling molten metal and debris at up to 300 meters per second.

An arc flash or blast, while unlikely, has such devastating effects when it does occur that it must be protected against for safe work. This includes wearing proper arc flash PPE, de-energizing electrical equipment, using insulated tools, and enforcing the minimum approach distance.

What are the Different Types of Electrical PPE?

Electrical workers require different electrical PPE depending on the job they perform and its location.

Here are some common types of electrical PPE:

• Head protection: Hard hats with electrical insulation protect workers from electrical shock and impact to the head from bumps or falling objects. 

• Eye and face protection: Safety glasses or goggles protect the eyes from sparks and flying debris. A face shield offers further protection to the rest of the face and is ideal for more significant, larger hazards or risks, like chemical splashes and arc flashes.

• Hand and arm protection: Insulated gloves or rubber lineman gloves protect workers' hands and wrists from cuts, abrasions, and electric shock. Sleeves made from an insulating material protect against electrical contact on the arms.

• Safety shoes: Shoes with non-conductive soles reduce the risk of electricity flowing through a worker’s body to the ground. They insulate the feet and protect against shock should a worker step on a live wire. Dielectric overshoes, worn over normal footwear, offer similar protection.

• Clothing: Flame-resistant, non-conductive clothing reduces the risk of burns from electrical fires and arc flashes. An arc flash suit (flame-resistant jacket, pants, hood, and face shield) protects the wearer against the heat from an arc flash and any resulting fire.

• Hearing protection: Earplugs protect the ears from loud noise and are beneficial when using loud electrical equipment or operating on a noisy job site.

How Does Electrical PPE Differ from IPE?

Electrical PPE differs from IPE (insulating protective equipment) because PPE protects a worker’s body, while IPE is used to insulate live electrical equipment.

Examples of IPE include:

• Insulating barriers made of phenolic resin or fiberglass

• Plastic or fiberglass hardcovers

• Rubber line hoses, blankets, and hood

• Live-line tools (hot sticks, switch sticks, shotgun sticks)

Properly installed IPE that covers or guards exposed live electrical parts allows qualified employees to enter the Minimum Approach Distance without needing to wear insulating PPE.

What Are The Electrical PPE Requirements?

The OSHA Fact Sheet stipulates the following electrical PPE requirements:

• Workers should generally wear protective outer gloves over Class 00 to 4 insulating gloves.

• All electrical protective equipment must be tested regularly.

• IPE must be inspected for damage before use each day. Defective equipment should be taken out of service immediately until repaired and retested.

• Employers must certify that equipment has been tested.

• Employers must provide paid time for workers to test and inspect equipment.

• Employers must assess workplaces and identify workers who could be exposed to flames or electric arc hazards. They must then use accepted methods to estimate the incident heat energy a worker could be exposed to.

• If the estimated incident heat energy exceeds 2.0 cal/cm square, exposed workers must wear appropriate arc-rated protective clothing and equipment.

• Arc-rated protective clothing and equipment should cover the full body, except hands, feet, head, and face, which can be covered with other PPE.

How Do You Select the Right PPE for Electrical Work?

Selecting the correct electrical PPE is about keeping your workers safe while ensuring they can complete the work. The NFPA 70E guidelines describe how to select the minimum level of PPE needed given the hazards identified in a hazard assessment.

Here are some tips to follow to ensure you choose the proper PPE options:

• Identify risks: Working with electricity is always dangerous. Look for the hazards and what damage they could cause, such as shock, burns, arc flashes or blasts, chemical splashes, flying debris, or other job site hazards. This gives you the basis for your PPE selection.

• Establish voltage levels: Check voltage levels across the electrical system where work will occur. As different voltages require varying insulation levels, ensure your chosen PPE is rated for the highest voltage.

• Meet or exceed safety standards: Safety standards and regulations often refer to the minimum safety requirements. You should always aim to exceed these standards where possible, to increase safety.

• Look at specifications and assess practicality: Review the features, voltage rating, and other specifications of available PPE options. Choose practical equipment for the type of work while offering the right level of protection.

• Assess size and fit: Different PPE items fit differently and may not be practical for all body types. Ensure you choose the right PPE for each worker.

• Define specialized PPE needs: Some jobs may require additional PPE, such as respirators for underground work.

• Select suppliers with care: Ensure you choose reputable, reliable, and high-quality suppliers and that the PPE meets officially recognized standards. Low-quality PPE doesn’t offer the same level of protection and may leave your crew vulnerable.

Should You Train Electricians in PPE?

You should train every electrical worker on PPE best practices and ensure they don’t unknowingly endanger themselves through improper PPE use.

OSHA standards require employers to train all employees who may need to wear electrical PPE in what to wear, when, how to wear it correctly, proper maintenance, disposal, and any limitations.

Making sure your crew fully understands PPE limitations is vital. This will instill the knowledge that accidents can still happen, and PPE is not necessarily going to keep you completely safe. Workers are still vulnerable to some degree, although the likelihood of serious injury is reduced with proper PPE use.

Include PPE training in your safety training courses and ensure all staff are regularly updated. 

How Do You Store Electrical PPE?

Electrical PPE must be stored correctly to prevent damage that could reduce effectiveness, like dampness, mold, mouse damage, chemical damage, or excessive heat.

Maintaining electrical PPE is important because it can extend its lifetime and ensure it can be used multiple times, reducing waste and keeping costs down.

All PPE items should be stored somewhere clean and dry, away from direct sunlight, which can cause them to perish. The storage area should be temperature-controlled to avoid heat or cold that causes materials to become brittle or weak. There should also be no chemicals or sharp objects in the vicinity.

With ServiceTitan’s Contractor Inventory Management software, businesses can monitor PPE stock levels across locations via a centralized dashboard. This ensures every worker can source the correct PPE ahead of their job, and office staff can track purchases, transfers, and booked-out equipment in one place.

Users can create automatic replenishment workflows so PPE items are replaced when they reach the end of their lifetime. This ensures you always have the correct amount of items for your workers.

Your electrical workers can also check stock levels and reserve or request PPE items as needed, ensuring you stay ahead of specialized PPE needs and can provide the best PPE combination for every job.

The Bottom Line

Personal protective equipment is a crucial safety requirement that can prevent injuries and save lives. Its proper use contributes to a safe working environment.

It’s crucial for employers and employees to fully understand how to use PPE correctly and maintain OSHA standards to keep everyone safe. 

Storing and maintaining PPE properly ensures it remains effective and is protected from damage. Using a tool like ServiceTitan to maintain PPE stock levels can enhance your PPE storage and delivery to workers. 

ServiceTitan is an all-in-one home services software solution that provides business management tools like inventory management, scheduling, and invoicing. It also offers marketing and customer experience features. It is trusted by over 100,000 contractors nationwide.