OSHA 1910.137 - Electrical Protective Equipment

What OSHA 1910.137 covers

29 CFR 1910.137 applies to electrical protective equipment made of rubber insulating material that protects employees from electric shock: insulating blankets, matting, covers, line hose, gloves and sleeves. Paragraph (a) sets design and manufacturing requirements, and paragraph (c) sets in-service care and use requirements. OSHA 1910.335 requires employees working where there are electrical hazards to use protective equipment suited to the work.

Classes and voltage ratings

Rubber insulating equipment is marked by class, and by type: Type I is not ozone-resistant and Type II is ozone-resistant. The maximum AC use voltage for each class is:

• Class 00: 500 volts
• Class 0: 1,000 volts
• Class 1: 7,500 volts
• Class 2: 17,000 volts
• Class 3: 26,500 volts
• Class 4: 36,000 volts

Inspection and retesting

• Insulating equipment must be inspected for damage before each day’s use and immediately after any incident that could have damaged it, and insulating gloves must also be given an air test (1910.137(c)(2)(ii)).
• Equipment with holes, tears, punctures, cuts, ozone cutting, embedded objects, texture changes or other defects that could damage its insulating properties must not be used.
• Rubber insulating gloves must be electrically tested before first issue and every 6 months after; sleeves and blankets before first issue and every 12 months after. Gloves and sleeves that have been tested but not issued may not be placed in service unless tested within the previous 12 months.
• Protector gloves, usually leather protectors, must be worn over insulating gloves, with limited exceptions (1910.137(c)(2)(vii)).
• Equipment must be stored where it is protected from light, temperature extremes, excessive humidity, ozone and other damaging substances, and the employer must certify that it has been tested, with the equipment identified and the test date recorded.

Odiz carries rubber insulating gloves, glove kits, leather protectors, glove testing and storage bags in Arc Flash.