"All that's needed" .....
That's where the waters get muddied.
"Competent" requires you to have training as to the safty risks, etc. "Sure," you think, "we all get that in our career." Well, the wonks aren't happy with that; they want you to be required to go to their seminars on a regular basis, having your 'certification' renewed.
Ditto for protective clothing. Apart from the US Navy asserting that all their Fatigues (denim and chambray) are 'flame/flash resistant,' and the existance of all manner of very protective clothing used for decades by welders, the wonks want a special lable on that heavy denim shirt saying "complies with NFPA ###."
Clothing makers are jumping in, with their 'proprietary' specially treated fabrics.
One ray of light is the vastly increased availability of rated clothing, due to our campaign in Iraq. Thank Al-Qaida for that, with their IED campaign. Though teseted to the NFPA standard, however, this gear may be identified to a different classification system.
Part of me is beginning to wonder if 'safety' is just an excuse used by others for their own reasons.
