By K.D. Aiardo, Hi-Line Utility Supply

According to the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, in 2013 alone there were 65 fatalities in the Electrical Power Generation Industry in the United States. To keep workers safe, there are several personal protective equipment items that are utilized in the field, with one of the lines of defense being rubber goods.

Rubber Goods (gloves, sleeves, boots, blankets, line house, etc) are key Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in preventing electrical current from entering your body and causing injury and even death. OSHA upholds and enforces the way electrical work can be performed, based on the standards issued by the ASTM F18 Committee (the expert in the electrical industry who sets the standards and guidelines). Complying with ASTM standards, in addition to regular care and maintenance, can reduce the risk of injury in the field, can keep users and their companies OSHA compliant, while reducing the risk of an OSHA fine for non-compliance. In addition to daily inspection, proper storage and care, rubber goods should be sent in to a top quality, NAIL for PET Accredited Rubber Testing facility, such as Hi-Line Utility Supply for testing and recertification to stay compliant with ASTM standards (ASTM 478-09, 7.1, F479-06, 8.1.1, and F496-08, 7.1).

ASTM F496, 7.1 states rubber gloves should be electrically tested before their first use and every six months after, and sleeves, line hose, blankets and hoods have their own specific testing cycles (see Chart A – “Best Practices”). Cycle dates are determined by the end user, but max testing intervals are mandated by ASTM.

Some state and company regulations may be even more stringent in order to protect their workers. Larry Martie, the Supply Manager of Michels Power in Neenah, Wisconsin, routinely sends in his rubber gloves and sleeves into Hi-Line Utility Supply every 3 months for the last 10 years, because they are in conditions every day that wear on them. “It costs a little more, but you would hate to have something happen in the field… something that could have been avoided.” Larry is proud to say they “have not had an incident relating to rubber failure since they have increased the frequency of re-testing.”

Attention to detail and quality control, as well as implementing turnkey solutions for outsourcing rubber goods testing services, has earned Hi-Line the honor of managing rubber goods testing for customers with just a few employees, to much larger accounts (such as Entergy, American Electric Power, and Emerson Network Power) with thousands of employees spanning up to 100 locations each. Each customer that uses Hi-Line whether large or small, receives quality testing services.

Quality testing of Rubber Goods consists of cleaning, visual inspection, electrical testing, certification, date stamping, packing, and shipping.

Cleaning - A NAIL for PET Accredited, quality test lab like Hi-Line Utility Supply will hand clean the outside & inside of all rubber goods, even on items like line hose, removing old stamps and dirt, then dry it completely before going on to a visual test performed by a trained inspector (See ASTM 1236-96). Properly cleaning rubber goods removes conductive and compromising dirt and oil, while allowing for the best visual inspection.

Visual Inspection - During visual inspection of gloves and sleeves, the rubber will be inflated, then turned inside-out where they are inflated and inspected once again. Blankets are carefully rolled and scanned on both sides, and line hose are opened up and then rolled also. Inflation and rolling will allow for a better scan of the rubber, and will expose physical imperfections. If there are any scratches, punctures, or cracking in the rubber, it will not pass visual inspection and will not move on to the next step- electrical testing. ASTM lists twenty-four types of visual failures that constitute a visual failure. Hi-Line rigorously trains to ensure every member of the visual team is familiar with these failures.

Electrical Testing - Electrical Testing of rubber consists of exposing the rubber to an electrical current, the amount of which is based on the rubber’s class (ASTM F496: Section 7). Rubber is electrically tested beyond its maximum field use in order to ensure that it can hold up to the current it will be subjected to while in use. An electrical failure will result in a hole burned through the rubber and is then stamped as a failure, because it is unfit for electrical use.

Certification, Date Stamping, Packing, and Shipping Prep - When rubber passes the visual and electrical testing, it is then certified with a date-stamp which includes either the date of the test or the expiration date, and will also include the voltage the PPE was tested up to and the name of the testing facility. Special ink is used for stamping that is safe for use on rubber, and won’t fade or wipe off during normal use. Once the stamps have dried, gloves and sleeves are dusted with 100% Talc Powder to absorb any remaining moisture (ASTM F478, F479 and F496). Gloves and Sleeves are then placed in new plastic bags and heat-sealed. Blankets and line hose are placed securely in plastic containers or totes. Proper care is taken to ensure that the goods are not crushed or folded when packaged. It is recommended that plastic totes be used for shipping, providing solid protection while in transit.

By testing your safety equipment regularly at a quality, NAIL for PET Accredited testing lab such as Hi-Line Utility Supply, while keeping up with daily inspections, safe storage, and cleaning, the risk of injury, and even death, from electric shock is drastically reduced.

While rubber goods may appear safe, inflation or rolling of rubber goods can yield hidden damage. For this reason, in addition to daily inspection, proper storage and care, rubber goods should be sent in to a top quality, NAIL for PET Accredited Rubber Testing facility, such as Hi-Line Utility Supply for testing and recertification to stay compliant with ASTM standards and ensure that rubber goods are safe for use.

Electrical Testing of rubber consists of exposing the rubber to an electrical current, the amount of which is based on the rubber’s class (ASTM F496: Section 7).

During visual inspection of gloves and sleeves, the rubber will be inflated, then turned inside-out and inspected once again. Inflation and rolling will allow for a better scan of the rubber, and will expose physical imperfections. ASTM lists twenty-four types of visual failures that constitute a visual failure. Any scratches, punctures, or cracking in the rubber result in a failed visual inspection and will not move on to the next step of electrical testing.

A NAIL for PET Accredited, quality test lab like Hi-Line Utility Supply will hand clean the outside & inside of all rubber goods, even on items like line hose, removing old stamps and dirt, then dry it completely before going on to a visual test performed by a trained inspector (See ASTM 1236-96). Properly cleaning rubber goods removes conductive and compromising dirt and oil, while allowing for the best visual inspection.

Chart A - Best Practices - These best practices reference federal OSHA regulations and ASTM standards. Please note that state OSHA regulations may have more stringent testing intervals than shown above.