Arc visors in the cold?

[bobbo]

When it's below freezing and they want to wear Arc visor or arc Protector is going to work in the cold? You can't even where safety glasses in the cold? When you exhale your going to fog up! So how is that safer when you can't see? Just asking? I really don't think people thought this through! Or when you need to communicate to the adjacent structures or on the ground and a big plastic piece of crap is in your face. I thought communication was the first thing in safety? Very confused? Do you get a break if you sneeze in the thing? Who really thought this out, with really thinking this is the safer way? I have only me two Freddy Krueggers out of a couple thousand lineman. Is Arc flash a real threat. If they flash anything in most of the states they make you unemployable. Guys that make flashes are cutting grass or doing something else. Is common sense gone?

[T-Man]

There is a product snowmobilers use to keep their face shield on their helmets clear in cold weather. I'm sure it would work in your situation. It works on goggles too.

[bobbo]

There is a product snowmobilers use to keep their face shield on their helmets clear in cold weather. I'm sure it would work in your situation. It works on goggles too.

I would want to hear and see if I was forced to wear one. For sure the companies will buy the most uncomfortable, crazy tint, worst one to wear. Are their ones that are comfortable? I don't want to feel Like a deep sea diver, or in a bee suit! The ones that are with the hardhat? How expensive are they? Where do you store that thing so it doesn't get scratched up? You figure that wouldn't make mandates with making sure the products are perfected and distributed? If you like chewing or smoking, you are kind of screwed. Are people getting forced to wear them?

[Trouble1]

Yes you will most likely be forced to wear one unless the utility that you work for does not have any locations that require it, which is highly unlikely. They can also reduce fault current availability by switching load off the circuit. All depends on fault current availability where you are working. All companies are required to do an assessment and let you know what category zone you are in in one way or another.

The Salisbury ones have anti-fog liners, but overall the shields are flimsy and are really not good for line work. They need to be handled delicately or they will crack. Like as in electricians who put them in a bag and take them out once a month, not every day use.

[bobbo]

Yes you will most likely be forced to wear one unless the utility that you work for does not have any locations that require it, which is highly unlikely. They can also reduce fault current availability by switching load off the circuit. All depends on fault current availability where you are working. All companies are required to do an assessment and let you know what category zone you are in in one way or another.

The Salisbury ones have anti-fog liners, but overall the shields are flimsy and are really not good for line work. They need to be handled delicately or they will crack. Like as in electricians who put them in a bag and take them out once a month, not every day use.

So you have to the fault duty current of each circuit you work on? I know if I am working on 6 or 1/0, having a visor would be stupid? Laterals wouldn't be be necessary? Just main feeders? And who would be responsible giving the information of fault duty current? I don't think a foreman has the time to calculate fault duty on a circuit. They have enough responsibility. And the circuits change by hours minutes and seconds with load and circuit maps are rarely updated. I don't think this was thought out. Guys sitting in an office thinking of things not considering how it will be implemented in the field. The story of this industry for a long time.

[lewy]

They looked into at our work and it mostly affect the station guys. We don't have to wear face shields in the air because there is lots of space for the flash to go, for us the only time we need it is when switching at a PMH gear because the flash mainly only has one place to go and that is back at you.

[US & CA Tramp]

They looked into at our work and it mostly affect the station guys. We don't have to wear face shields in the air because there is lots of space for the flash to go, for us the only time we need it is when switching at a PMH gear because the flash mainly only has one place to go and that is back at you.

I agree with Lewy, the flash from the fault would not be contained, and would have a lot of space to go so exposure would not be that great. The other aspect of this is the engineers would have to know the fault current of every feeder, and lateral since they design the protection/fusing. IF the fault current is a problem on the feeder you are working on have it included in your job orders.

[bobbo]

I agree with Lewy, the flash from the fault would not be contained, and would have a lot of space to go so exposure would not be that great. The other aspect of this is the engineers would have to know the fault current of every feeder, and lateral since they design the protection/fusing. IF the fault current is a problem on the feeder you are working on have it included in your job orders.

If they have to calculate fault duty current, they have to calculate fault duty current. Their job. I do mine they do theirs.

[Brooks]

The calculation uses; electrode gap, bolted fault current, clearing time and distance of the worker from the arc.

Open air requirements for face shields are different than an arc in a box.

Single phase requirements are different than multi-phase.

Proper cover(the way we were trained) can reduce a multi-phase exposure to single phase.

[Lineman North Florida]

Unfortunately a lot of company's will calculate for worst case scenario and will buy safety equipment based on those figures.

[rob8210]

So true, LNF!!!! then they will want us to use this equipment in situations where it is not necessary, just because they can't be bothered to do their job right.

[Trouble1]

You don't need them if you're hotsticking either. You may not ever need to wear one, but your employer or utility whose grounds you work on has to do an arc level evaluation of every circuit per OSHA this year and every utility most likely will have places that require them.