Brian’s story may be nothing new to you.

But that doesn’t make his experience less harrowing or the message any less significant. His story needs to be told to as many electrical workers as we can reach.

e-Hazard, in collaboration with Brian, a recent e-Hazard Train the Trainer graduate, has produced a 4-minute video recounting Brian’s experience with arc flash. In it he explains the job he was performing and what articles of PPE he was both wearing and not wearing (or using). Of all people, Brian was the last person his friends and co-workers expected to go through an arc flash incident because he was the one at his workplace who trained others to be safe. He knew the rules, and he followed the rules.

Until that day.

Complacency

He admits that he thought the particular job he was performing was not dangerous enough to wear his gloves. An electrical worker’s attitude can become complacent to the electrical hazard present, and in this case, Brian felt he could complete the job without gloves. Fortunately, he was wearing a long-sleeve arc-rated shirt. Unfortunately, the sleeves were rolled up. When the arc flash occurred, his gloveless hand and his arm up to where the sleeve was rolled were burned; the rest of his arm, safely under the AR shirt, did not receive any injury.

Brian’s message and advice to other electrical workers is clear: Wear your PPE every single time you work around electricity. PPE works…if you use it.

Feel free to share the video with your co-workers and friends.

The video is also on e-Hazard’s YouTube channel.