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Employees in a variety of industries work with or around electrical hazards. OSHA requires employers to protect these employees through a variety of methods and means, including, in some cases, the use of protective equipment — both that can be worn and also some equipment that is not worn. Depending on the job task to be performed, PPE for the electric power industry generally includes safety glasses, face shields, hard hats, safety shoes, insulating (rubber) gloves with leather protectors, insulating sleeves, and flame-resistant (FR) clothing. In addition to PPE, electric power workers often use Insulating Protective Equipment (IPE), such as line hoses, rubber hoods, rubber blankets, and insulating live-line tools (for example, hotsticks, switchsticks, or shotgun sticks) for protection. However, since IPE is not worn, it is technically not considered to be PPE.
OSHA’s electrical protective equipment requirements apply to all general industry employers who have employees with such exposures. The type of work, type of electrical hazard, and other factors, determine which specific protections are needed and applicable. The primary electrical protective equipment requirement covers how this equipment must be designed, maintained, and tested. However, various other OSHA General Industry regulations specify where and when this protective equipment must be used to protect workers.
Employers are required to:
Marking rubber electrical protective equipment with the results of the tests and the dates of testing is an acceptable means of meeting the certification requirement. But you can also enter this information onto logs.