Used to think PPE was just for the rookies, then an arc flash changed my mind

I been pouring iron for about 12 years now, mostly at a shop outside Youngstown. Always figured the heavy gloves and face shield were overkill, just slowed me down. Last July I had a ladle splash back real bad, caught me right on the forearm. Lucky I was wearing my leathers or I'd be looking at third degree burns for sure. That 30 seconds of putting on gear properly saved me a hospital trip and weeks of healing. Now I don't even step on the floor without my full rig on, no exceptions. Anyone else have a close call that turned them into a safety nut?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_abby5d ago

A guy I used to work with, Mike, he has a brother who does electrical work. Mike told me his brother was doing some live work, thought he knew what he was doing, skipped the arc flash suit because it was "just a quick fix." Something went wrong, caught a blast right in the chest. Third degree burns down his whole front, spent months in the burn unit. They still don't know if he'll get full motion back in his arms. Mike showed me pictures once, man... that stuff is no joke. That sticks with you.

barbara9674d ago

Did his brother ever do live work again after recovering?