What does eh mean on work boots? Electricity can be a serious hazard in the workplace. Just three milliamps of current are enough to cause bodily harm. Many professionals such as engineers, electricians, and maintenance personnel work directly with electricity.
Employees and employees work indirectly with electricity and can be exposed to certain electrical risks.
You can be aware of the dangers and be careful. However, the energy cannot be seen and in some places, such as construction sites, electrical wires can be exposed.
Your safety as an employee starts at the beginning. Therefore, the safety of footwear is the most important in this regard.
In professions where you work directly or are in direct contact with electricity, protective boots are necessary. A mistake can cause injury or, in serious cases, death. That's why we have Electrical Hazard boots.
Quick Navigation
- What are electrical hazard boots
- Standard Requirements for Electrical Hazard Boots
- Debunking Myths
Other
- Types of Boots that Protect Against Electrical Hazards
- When is Electrical Hazard Protection Compromised?
- Important Note
WHAT ARE ELECTRICAL HAZARD BOOTS?
Electric Hazard (EH) boots are non-conductive boots that prevent your feet from completing an electrical circuit to the ground. These boots have an electrical hazard (EH) rating. This means they have been tested by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) for protection against electric shock.
They must be able to significantly prevent the flow of electricity through them and into the ground. They also prevent electrocution if you step on a live wire.
An important feature of these boots is their thick insulated soles. Rubber soles are very durable. They are also resistant to abrasion, water, and slip. These extra features help protect you from falling or slipping while working.
Electrical hazard boots, as mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), must withstand 18,000 volts of electricity at 60 hertz for a full minute without leaking more than one milliamp in dry conditions.
According to OSHA, electrical hazard boots should be worn in conjunction with other protective clothing.
STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTRIC HAZARD BOOTS
Electrical hazard boots must be able to meet certain criteria before they are certified.
There are currently two sections established by the American Society for Testing and Materials that are used to ensure electrical hazard boots meet the appropriate standards. These are:
- ASTM F2412-11, Standard Specification for Performance Requirements
- ASTM F 2413-11, Performance Requirements for Protective Toe Cap (Safety) Footwear
The F2413 standard was published on August 11, 2011. This section establishes the minimum requirements necessary for the performance, design, testing, and classification of footwear. If footwear is to be certified to meet ASTM F2413-11, it must initially meet:
- The section of impact-resistant footwear
- The section of compression-resistant footwear.
You can meet other additional requirements, namely:
- Metatarsal protection
- Protection against electrical risks
- Conductive protection:
- Protection against punctures.
Initially, the manufacturers did not indicate that the footwear met ASTM requirements. After ASTM published these standards, manufacturers can now demonstrate that their safety stone and non-safety stone meet the electrical hazard standard.
Previously, only guidelines for safety footwear standards and tests were available. The ASTM seal of approval on footwear must be in a rectangle and written within four lines. The fourth line is used when the standards that the footwear meets are more than three.
This rule also requires that the manufacturer's name, logo or trademark be stamped on any protective shoe cover.
DESTROY MYTHS
Electrical hazard boots may have steel or composite toes. Before composite toecaps were put on EH shoes, all safety toecaps were made of steel. A common misconception many people have about work shoes is that they should be free of metal when working in areas with electrical hazards.
To put this myth to rest, metal only conducts electricity when it comes into contact with another metal. In this case, the steel toe cap is surrounded by leather, rubber, and other forms of insulation and is therefore very safe.
OTHER TYPES OF BOOTS THAT PROTECT AGAINST ELECTRICAL HAZARDS
Perhaps, you may also have heard about static dissipation boots and conductive boots.
These two types conduct electricity through them to eliminate the risk of static shock. EH boots are recommended for use in dry areas while static dissipation boots and conductive boots are used mostly in areas where there is a risk of a fire or an explosion.
You should not wear Electrical Hazard boots in hazardous or explosive areas.
WHEN IS ELECTRICAL HAZARD PROTECTION COMPROMISED?
Unfortunately, these boots can be affected by certain factors, and their potential to keep the wearer safe is affected. The Excessive wear of the soles or exposure of these boots or wet or humid conditions or both can reduce the effectiveness of these shoes.
Another factor that can reduce their chances of protection is contamination with conductive materials. When the soles of these boots pick up tiny bits of metal or metal shavings they can be less efficient.
IMPORTANT NOTE
EH Boots are designed as secondary sources of electrical hazard protection against coming into contact with electrically charged conductors or parts and live electrical circuits. You should not use them as your primary source of protection against electrocution.
This is stated in the Occupational Health and Safety magazine. Therefore, if you are going to work in an area that is electrically hazardous, you should ensure all primary forms of electrical hazard protection should be employed.