What is OSHA 1910.269?

OSHA 1910.269

What is OSHA 1910.269?  In very basic terms this federal regulation addresses the operation and maintenance of electrical power generation, control, transformation, transmission, and distribution lines and equipment.  Within the layers of this regulation lies a section addressing flame resistant clothing.  The code states that an employer shall ensure that each employee who is exposed to the hazards of flames or electric arcs does not wear clothing that, when exposed to flames or electric arcs, could increase the extent of injury that would be sustained by the employee. (OSHA 1910.269(l)(6)(iii))

OSHA recently revised part of 1910.269 to include the following:

Employees may not wear flammable clothing in conjunction with flame-resistant clothing if the flammable clothing poses an ignition hazard.  Although outer flame-resistant layers may not have openings that expose flammable inner layers, when an outer flame-resistant layer would be unable to resist break open the next (inner) layer must be flame-resistant if it could ignite.

OSHA also revised paragraph (g)(3) of §1926.960 and paragraph (l)(8)(iii) of §1910.269 to require an employer to ensure that each employee exposed to hazards from flames or electric arcs does not wear clothing that could melt onto his or her skin or that could ignite and continue to burn when exposed to flames or the heat energy estimated under §§1926.960(g)(2) and 1910.269(l)(8)(ii).

In basic terms OSHA is making it mandatory for certain employers to provide protective clothing that will not melt, drip, or ignite and that will not contribute to injury by July 10, 2014.  Employers will then be required to perform an Arc Flash Hazard Assessment by January 1, 2015.  By April 1, 2015 employers will be required to provide Arc Rated Clothing that matches the Arc Flash Hazard assessment to employees.

These revisions are sure to have employers and employees wondering what options they have to comply with the revised OSHA 1910.269.  To read the full OSHA revision click here. For information on flame resistant garment options, contact our customer service team by dialing 800.553.0672 or email us at CustomerService@thinkNSA.com   

Webinar Series Announcement

Innovating for You Webinar Series!

National Safety Apparel is pleased to announce that due to the success of its first two webinars, there will be more!  That is right, National Safety Apparel will be hosting one webinar per month throughout 2014. 

Topics are based on requests for technical data, standard clarification, fabric information, and industry knowledge. The goal is to provide insight, knowledge, and answers to some of the questions that are received each day. 

Don’t miss an opportunity to attend National Safety Apparel's Innovating for You Webinar Series. Send an email to webinar@thinknsa.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter for additional updates. 

NDSC Trade Show

We’re heading to North Dakota!

Join National Safety Apparel February 4th-5th as we attend the NDSC’s 41st Annual Safety & Health Conference at the Bismarck Civic Center in Bismarck, North Dakota.  Not only will NSA be at the show, but our newest brand, Spentex will be there as well.  Come visit us at booth # 419 (NSA) and booth # 602 (Spentex)

Stop by and see all our latest and greatest innovations in Flame Resistant Clothing!  You never know what we will have on display, so don’t miss your opportunity to see firsthand why we’ve been a market leader in FR apparel for over 75 years.

Make your reservation now and stop by our booth to say hi!

For more information visit the conference’s website at http://bit.ly/1dUwv6H.  

We look forward to seeing you there!

National Safety Apparel is Growing!

National Safety Apparel Acquires Spentex

A Merger of Two Innovative Safety Apparel Brands

National Safety Apparel (NSA), a leading manufacturer of safety apparel, has acquired Spentex®, a brand of technologically advanced safety apparel designed for use in a wide range of industries including petrochemical, electrical power and steel, from Tulsa-based Global Safety Labs (GSL).

The purchase of Spentex further solidifies National Safety Apparel’s portfolio of premium flame resistant (FR) clothing brands. It is anticipated that the Spentex® products will be promoted to National Safety Apparel’s distributor network alongside their existing ArcGuard® and thermal protective brands.

Chuck Grossman, President & CEO of National Safety Apparel is quoted as saying “This acquisition is a testament to National Safety Apparel’s strong desire to remain the industry leader in offering cutting edge, innovative products. We are very excited to add the Spentex® brand products to our lineup of premium safety apparel.”

Marty Rowland, CEO of Global Safety Labs states “This transaction is a great fit for both parties. NSA gets a great brand in Spentex® and this divestiture allows GSL to focus on our innovative Firebane® fire suppression technology going forward.”

National Safety Apparel: The Official FR Garment Supplier of a Guinness World Record!

(Saturday October 19, 2013) It was a cold, wet and windy fall night in Cleveland. But that didn’t stop over 1,500 people from gathering in the Flats district to watch an attempt at a Guinness World Record.

The record attempt? Set 21 people on fire simultaneously for 30 seconds.

Hotcards, a Cleveland based print & design company, created and promoted the entire event. Many of its employees, including CEO John Gadd, took part in the event as well. Along with a potential world record, the event also benefited the Cleveland Foodbank and nonprofit organization Brick by Brick.

In coordination with Hotcards, veteran stuntman Ted Batchelor was the man behind the stunt. Already having set the previous world record for 17 people burning at once back in 2009, Batchelor coordinated and oversaw the entire event. Over his long career, Ted has been set on fire over 200 times, giving him an unmatched expertise with these types of events.

National Safety Apparel was selected as the official Flame Retardant (FR) garment supplier for the entire event, further increasing the Cleveland pride theme throughout the night. The 21 individuals taking part in the burn, the “Burners”, were wearing a combination of FR fabrics consisting of 4 layers, carefully selected by Batchelor himself.

Each participant was wearing an outer layer soaked in lighter fluid on top of the FR garments. After a countdown in unison from the crowd, the igniters lit each of the burners, and the record was underway. For 30 seconds, the “burners” walked back in fourth across the closed off parking lot using special techniques taught from Batchelor to prevent flames from concentrating on the head and face. Once the goal of 30 seconds had been reached, a loud siren signaled each of the “burners” to drop to the ground, giving the “igniters” the opportunity to rush in and suppress the flames with fire extinguishers and wet blankets.

The record attempt was a success, confirmed by Phillip Robertson, an onsite judge from Guinness World Records. The clothing layer soaked in fuel, the non FR shirts and pants, were burnt and shredded, but the FR layers performed exceptional and were completely intact. All of the participants walked away completely safe and unharmed from the event.

 

Our look may be different but that’s all that’s changed

 

Today marks day one of our 2013 National Sales Conference. This year’s theme is “Shaping the Future.” And what better way to shape our future than to reveal the rebranding of National Safety Apparel. To start things off, we developed our new logo to be contemporary and simple, and designed for every type of application. From our website, to catalogs, exterior clothing labels and more.

This new logo is eye-catching and bold, which will stand out and grab people’s attention. But this is only the beginning of our rebranding. Keep your eyes peeled for all the new stuff we have in store over the next couple months.  Remember, National Safety Apparel is the only safety apparel manufacturer to release a new and innovative product every month so stay tuned!