The majority of insulation coatings used today are used to provide personnel protection to workers in
the oil and gas or chemicals industry. These coatings provide a reduction in surface temperature to
help prevent burn injuries from accidental contact with a hot surface. Human burn hazard is defined in
ASTM C1055-03 and this standard is used in conjunction with ASTM C1057-17 as a method of
determining skin contact temperature from a heated surface.

In many cases, operators measure surface temperature to determine if the surface is safe to touch. In
this paper, we will examine the historical evaluation of “safe touch” and define what “safe touch” really
means as it is a time-dependent function.

We will describe the theory behind “safe touch” and explain the properties that are important in
achieving the desired result. We will show a simulation model and how the various thermal properties
are important to the overall “safe touch” properties of the coating. We will also look at how the actual
measurement compares to the theoretical model and explain the key thermal properties that make a
good coating for personnel protection.