When safety is paramount it’s critical that you and your team can be certain that their PPE is the right PPE. That’s why ProGARM developed SafetyIcon, a label easily visible on all of our clothing which shows at a glance the type of Arc Flash protection each piece offers.
The key information
We break the information down into its important component parts:
Above each icon are the EN standards (including symbols) that the clothing conforms to, so you can see at a glance what level of Arc Flash protection is being offered and whether it’s aligned to the risk assessment for the job you’re doing.
EN standards around Arc Flash Protection at a glance
All our clothing is designed for unrivalled Arc Flash protection against Arc Flash incidents, but also needs to give other levels of protection such as being waterproof, flame resistant or protecting against liquid chemicals.
You can see easily which standards apply to each item in our brochure or product pages online, but the range of standards covered by our products includes:
Confusion around Arc Flash Protection
At ProGARM we’re serious about safety. But recent research shows some worrying gaps in knowledge and attitudes throughout our key industries – rail, utilities, power generation (including wind power), industrial electrical and petrochemical.
In 2017 in conjunction with the British Safety Industry Federation (BSIF) we commissioned a survey into attitudes to Arc Flash risks. While it revealed high levels of awareness about Arc Flash – 84% of people knew it was a risk and a staggering 57% admitted they or someone they work with has suffered an Arc Flash strike themselves – there were clearly differing opinions about who is responsible for people’s safety and overall Arc Flash protection.
Shockingly, 25% of employers believed it is the sole responsibility of the individual employee for their own Arc Flash protection. Not only that, but 50% consider it to be the employee’s responsibility to self-educate about Arc Flash through a handbook or their own research – not their responsibility as employer.
And the research also highlights an apparent gap between awareness of Arc Flash risks and knowledge of the appropriate legislation to provide Arc Flash protection to workers; a staggering 78% of respondents didn’t know the correct government safety guidance – HSG47 (avoiding danger from underground services) – that covers working when Arc Flash is a risk.
Championing safety in personal protective equipment.
We believe safety should come as standard, so all of our garments are made from VXS+ inherent fabric, meaning the Arc Flash protection is built into the fabric and can’t be washed out.
Many of our fabrics have been certified to EN11612 after 50 industrial wash cycles, as specified in ISO 15797:2004. This involves being washed at 75°C and tunnel dried at 150°C for five minutes.
We’re even ahead of the curve in complying with the new PPE regulations which need to be met by April 2019, having already started testing our products to make sure they meet the new requirements for Arc Flash protection.
We use ThermSAFE ™ zips, poppers and buttons, made from the same material NASA uses in its space suits. These ensure that the whole of our garments are flame resistant.
Our threads are flame resistant and we can also brand your PPE with transfers containing a flame-resistant component and have been tested and certified to the EN11612 Heat & Flame European Standard.
Transfers can be printed in any Pantone® colour for exact replication of your company logo or brand and can be applied to your garments before dispatch so your PPE arrives fully branded as well as fully compliant.
As an assurance of quality we’re accredited to ISO9001 quality management systems) and Article 11B which is soon to become Module D.
To speak to one of our sector experts about the range of ProGARM clothing and equipment that’s right for you, call +44 (0) 1482 679 600.
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