If you’re wearing the correct PPE and taking care of it properly, then yes. We wear PPE to keep us safe from the possibility of a life threatening injury due to an electrical explosion. In most cases a very big explosion. I was evolved in an arc flash incident a few years back and my PPE protected me well, although did feel a little heat on my left ear. I wasn’t wearing my balaclava hood at the time, as it wasn’t required for this particular job. The electrician, well, he wasn’t so lucky. It was a fatal accident.
From that moment on, my life was changed. Now, I make sure power has been verified (on or off) before an electrician about to do any service work inside of an enclosure. Since the incident, I have also been very pro-active about wearing the right PPE.
It can be difficult not knowing the HRC ratings of equipment until after arrival, so usually thermographers must pack up every piece they own. It’s not necessarily a bad thing having different levels of PPE with you when you arrive at a new job. With multiple options, you can suit up with what works best for this particular inspection.
I start with a natural fiber undergarment. Not leopard skin! Then I wear a 6 Cal/cm2 pull over shirt with 6 Cal/cm2 FR jeans and a 6 Cal/cm2 button up FR shirt. Most of the surveys done dressed like this will keep me safe and within the rating required. I have an 11Cal/cm2 overalls and 40Cal/cm2 overalls with the hood packed and ready to go also. There are so many reasons to take it all. Some companies I’ve been to have required a 40Cal/cm2 to be worn at all times. Sometimes the equipment isn’t labeled properly, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
But what if all the thermographer only has 40Cal/cm2 suit to wear? This could lead to other possible issues. Heat exhaustion or worse, heat stroke can happen. In a hot environment where a Category 0 is all that is required, the thermographer is going to have to take multiple breaks and drink lots of water. Sweat may cause the shield to fog up. What if more than one person uses the suit? Hopefully that person the day before turned the hood fan control off at the end of the day or hopefully the person took their monthly bath the day before!
We should at least have the FR shirt and FR pants. Also, add a balaclava hood to the list. There are many companies to choose from that provide good quality clothing. Like our infrared cameras, we need to have the right equipment and know its limitations. There is nothing wrong with wearing too much PPE, as long as the Thermographer and their job can be done safely.
Always make sure your PPE fits well. Many inspections require climbing, squatting, and bending of the body to get the best view of a component and if you’re wearing PPE that’s the wrong size, it can make this difficult if not dangerous. It can also be quite uncomfortable. Being uncomfortable in your PPE can make an 8 hour day mighty unpleasant.
Consult the manufacturer’s recommendations for care of your PPE. Keep track of how many times it’s been washed or cleaned as some chemically coated varieties have a limited amount of washings before they become unsafe. Keep all this in mind and take care of your PPE and it will take care of you.