Being Seen: Hi-Vis Tape in Arc Flash Clothing

By: Jason Bischoff

It’s said that in the Midwest, there are two seasons—“Winter” and “Road Construction”. With temperatures on the upswing and even the largest and dirtiest piles of plowed snow melted away, the plows are gone and the cones have come out. Orange cones, silver tape—everywhere. Scientifically designed to catch the attention of a driver, these bring up an important concept in electrical safety as well: Why do Enespro PPE arc flash suits have reflective tape?

For electrical workers, arc flash personal protective equipment (PPE) is designed to mitigate injury in the event of an arc flash.. While many of the design considerations are built around this—additional potentials exist beyond arc flash injury mitigation. One of these is visibility.

When it comes to visibility, there are two sides to the coin: Seeing and being seen. While we have discussed the former in great detail in our article on why legacy green face shields fail to provide the color recognition your workers need, we would today like to focus on a seemingly mundane element of an arc flash suit that adds value and could even save a worker’s life: Hi-Vis Tape.

Why Hi-Vis Tape on Arc Flash PPE Could Save a Worker’s Life

The reason PPE exists is to protect workers if something goes wrong. Knowing this, if an arc flash does take place, first responders need to first find the startled and/or injured worker(s) quickly so that they can provide treatment. Hi-vis tape makes it easier to be seen which could reduce the time it takes to help the workers.

The human brain is wired to recognize motion, so the hi-vis tape on Enespro PPE suits are placed at “biomotion points,” or areas where motion is most likely to occur (arms, legs), allowing a worker to be found even in a smoke-filled room or if buried under some debris.

Hi-Vis Tape: One of the many Components in an Enespro PPE Arc Flash Suit

At Enespro PPE, we took every element, concern, and recommendation into consideration when developing our line of Arc Flash PPE, including the hi-vis reflective tape. Our products are made with 3M™ Scotchlite™ FR Reflective Tape, proven to be bright, durable and high quality—even in low visibility.

Strategically placed on arms and ankles in our arc flash kits, the hi-vis tape allows your workers to be seen when working in low light situations or following an arc flash incident. Just one of the many details our customers asked for, and we added.

Looking to learn more about how we’ve changed the game in arc flash PPE? Read our blogs on mobility, visibility, and comfort, browse our product selection, and contact us to request a quote.