Few people regularly work with forces as volatile and dangerous as electricians.
Protective clothing for electricians and other employees who work around electricity is essential. It’s not an exaggeration to say the right electrical clothing can save lives. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, you need to understand what electricians wear and why. Even a choice as simple as an embroidered versus an iron-on logo can have safety implications.
What Do Electricians Wear?
Appropriate clothing for electricians begins with their primary work uniform.
OSHA prohibits synthetic fabrics such as nylon, polyester, rayon, and pure or blended acetate, as these fabrics can ignite or melt and adhere to the skin, causing severe burns.
Instead, electrical clothing choices include 100% cotton for shirts, pants, and all clothing worn under workwear, since cotton doesn’t ignite as quickly as other fabrics. Flame resistant or flame retardant cotton clothing is an even better choice. Flame retardant cotton/nylon or cotton/polyester blends are also acceptable.
The following examples are appropriate work clothes for electricians:
If you’re considering branded electrical clothing, your logo should be embroidered on the garment. Iron-on logos are a safety hazard to electricians because they can melt when exposed to high temperatures and cause burns.
Other basic clothing for electricians includes items such as leather electrician gloves and safety glasses. Work shoes or boots should have electrically isolated and slip-resistant soles, water-resistant uppers, and protective, non-metallic toe caps. Depending on the nature of the workplace, electricians may also be required to wear hi-vis clothing, such as the Occunomix Premium Flame Resistant Segmented Tape Mesh Vest.
What Do Electricians Wear to Protect Against Arc Flash?
In addition to basic electrical clothing, OSHA recommends different protective clothing levels for electricians, depending on the job site’s Arc-Flash Hazard Analysis. For instance, oil rig electricians are required to wear full-body fire-resistant suits on worksites daily, while electricians working on construction sites need construction-specific PPE.
OSHA determines arc flash risk by using the NFPA 70E safety standard, which prescribes protective clothing and layering requirements for electricians based on Hazard Risk Categories, with Level 0 indicating little to no risk and level 4 indicating extreme risk:
- HRC 0 requires a single layer of clothing that includes a long-sleeved shirt, pants, hearing protection, and either safety glasses or goggles.
- HRC 1 requires a PPE layer, including an arc-rated FR shirt and FR pants or an FR coverall like the Bulwark Dickie coverall.
- HRC 2 requires up to two layers of PPE, including arc-rated FR shirt and pants or coveralls.
- HRC 3 calls for two to three layers of PPE. The electrician must wear an arc flash suit that meets the workplace’s minimum arch rating and an arc-rated FR shirt and pants/coverall.
- HRC 4 requires the same clothing for electricians as HRC 3 and with three to four layers of PPE.
Most protective clothing for electricians can be embroidered with your company logo, raising brand awareness while proving your commitment to safety. Triple Crown Products offers a wide range of electrical clothing, including coveralls, shirts, pants, hi-vis FR vests, and safety glasses. Learn more about our coveralls or contact us today to discuss the types of proactive clothing for electricians best-suited to your worksite.