It’s Time to Retire all “Legacy Green” Arc Flash Shields

By: Adam Meza

Picture this, you're driving down the highway on your way home from a job. You're looking through your clean and clear windshield. As you approach what is probably the most dangerous intersection on your commute, suddenly your windshield turns tinted green. You immediately wonder how on earth you missed this feature when you bought the car. You have trouble identifying the colors of the traffic lights and your vision just isn't the same. Now you might be saying to yourself, “Well that's absurd! That would never happen!”

If you are an electrical professional, this is probably happening every day on-site with your head protection. There are still many legacy green tinted face shields out in the field. Electrical professionals are donning these face shields and then engaging equipment capable of generating dangerous arc flashes. Most of this industrial material is equipped with multiple colored wires. These legacy green tinted face shields can protect a wearer from the thermal effects of an arc flash, but they distort color, making those multiple colored wires difficult to identify correctly. The blue wires can appear to be green and whites blend in with yellows. Since a mistake could potentially cause an arc flash, many electricians briefly lift up the shield to verify color which negates the protection the shield is supposed to offer in the first place. It can be a challenge to make the right choice when your senses are distorted. We shouldn't work on electrical equipment when our senses are distorted, right? Is it any different with distorted color recognition? When these face shields were first introduced to the market, they were the only real solution we had to protect workers from arc flash burns on the face. Well, no longer!

Thanks to Enespro’s clear grey tinted OptiShield™ technology, those green face shields can be a thing of the past. Workers should have the clearest view possible so they can stay safe and protected. At the end of the day, that’s what matters most. From our traditional hood style to our cutting-edge Vented Lift Front Hood systems, every Enespro hood, face shield, and shroud comes with our Optishield™ technology. The next time you pick up a green tinted legacy face shield, set it back down and contact Enespro for a no obligation 30-day trial so you can personally experience the clear choice!