Arc flash hazard analysis is not explicitly required by OSHA. However, OSHA has a general duty clause that states employers must provide a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. Given that an arc flash is a recognized electrical hazard, it is in the employer’s best interest to conduct an arc flash hazard analysis to help identify and address these hazards.

While OSHA regulations do not specifically require an arc flash hazard analysis, employers must assess workplace hazards and take steps to protect workers from those hazards. Many employers conduct an arc flash hazard analysis as part of this assessment process.

NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, which is widely adopted in the US, recommends that an arc flash hazard analysis be performed. The results are used to develop a safe work practice to ensure the safety of employees working on or near electrical equipment. Employers that comply with the standard will be able to demonstrate that they have taken the necessary steps to protect workers from electrical hazards, which can help protect them from OSHA citations.

In practice, OSHA often references NFPA 70E as a means of compliance and uses it as an accepted method to identify and mitigate electrical hazards. If an employer has adequately followed the recommendations of an arc flash hazard analysis and implemented the appropriate controls as per NFPA 70E, it would comply with OSHA regulations.

It is important to note that OSHA may cite an employer for not complying with OSHA regulations even if no specific regulation was violated if it can be demonstrated that a recognized hazard exists in the workplace. The employer failed to take reasonable steps to protect workers from that hazard.