Pierre,
Not sure what you mean by having a Company provide you with PPE?.
But, other side of the coin, why did the EC's not have any with them either?.
I agree with Bob though, in the real world, panels do get removed without proper PPE and that's OK, as long as you have worked on the said panel before and know what is behind the Dead front.
But, Pierre, I back you up 100%, in getting the guys to wear the gear, you only have to have the one arc flash. [Linked Image]