Iowa OSHA Declaratory Order on not Allowing Short Sleeve FR Shirts to be Worn Under Rubber Sleeves

The Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives (IAEC) petitioned the Labor Commissioner for a Declaratory Order concerning the use of short-sleeved fire-resistant shirts to be worn under electric linemen's protective rubber sleeves.  The Petition states that the IAEC is currently made up of 34 distribution and 7 generation and transmission rural electric cooperatives (REC's) that serve more than 650,000 Iowans in more than 200,000 rural homes, farms, and businesses in all 99 counties.  Members of the association are subject ot the Iowa Occupational Ssafety and Health Act.

The question presented was: "Will Iowa's rural electric cooperatives be in compliance with 29 CFR 1910.269(l)(8)(v) and 29 CFR 1926.960(g)(5) if they adopt a heat stress program which includes a ruirement that linemen exposed to electric arcs wear properly arc-rated FR short-sleeved shirts and the class of rubber insulating gloves with protectors and rubber insulating sleeves (classes 0-4) appropriate for the voltages present and which cover the entirety of a linemen's arms?"

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