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People have told you that you need to do an arc flash study… What’s next? We answer questions like “What should you expect when the arc flash study is over?” and “Why might you need a study?”
To follow government rules and laws, you have to do an arc flash study.
These power studies are also needed to keep people from dying or getting hurt on the job. Some of our current clients have come to us after an arc flash at one of their facilities killed an employee. Most arc flashes happen because of mistakes made by people. Arc flashes can happen when maintenance workers are testing or fixing live equipment and cause a fault by accident.
Some of the things that can cause an arc flash are:
Improper tools & electrical equipment
Corrosion of equipment
Using the wrong way to do a job
Lack of training Doing an arc flash analysis is the best way to stop an arc flash from happening.
Simply put, you’ll need a study if you want to keep your facility safe.
From the idea to the finished product, our engineers will make sure that your building follows government rules and that your employees are safe.
What are Arc Flashes?
An electrical arc causes an arc flash, which is an explosion. Basically, it is a short circuit in the air. It can happen between two phases or between two phases. Arc flashes can be very powerful, with temperatures that can reach 35,000°F in 1/1000 of a second. This is about four times as hot as the surface of the sun. Radiant, convective, and conductive heat are all ways that thermal energy can be lost, putting both people and equipment in danger.
Why does an Arc Flash happen?
An arc flash happens when part of an electric current goes in the wrong direction and jumps from one conductor to another or to the ground through the air. An arc flash can turn electrical equipment into vapor, cause fatal burns, create a blast wave that can collapse workers’ lungs and break their eardrums, and in some cases even kill them.
Sadly, arc flash accidents happen a lot in the United States. Each year, there are 30,000 of them, which lead to 2,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths. An arc flash can happen in a split second and get worse in less than 1/1000 of a second.
Arc flash prevention and the right PPE
There are many things that can cause an arc flash, such as:
Human error:
Improper equipment installation / labelling
Faulty equipment operation
Working on live equipment or not making sure there is no voltage:
Not using tools with the right insulation
Accidental falls / sudden movements / dropped equipment
The wrong way to use test probes
Equipment failure
Switchgear/circuit breakers that aren’t well taken care of
Connections that are loose or worn out
Insulation gaps
Environmental contamination
Faulty test equipment
Environmental factors
Dust \sCorrosion
Condensation
Contamination (materials used in the process, bugs, rodents, etc.)
A voltage transient is a jump in the amount of electricity in a circuit.
What is a label for an arc flash?
Arc flash studies are complicated, but they end with two simple results: an arc flash label and a full report. Arc flash labels, which are sometimes called “stickers,” are meant to warn workers of dangers and tell them what Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need to wear in the area. A label will be put on each problem area in a building.
OSHA asked for NFPA-70E to be made, and it sets the rules for electrical safety in the workplace. The goal of this rule is to keep people safe by limiting their exposure to major electrical dangers. The rule helps companies and workers avoid injuries and deaths on the job.
In short, NFPA-70E says that an arc flash study must be done to find arc flash hazards, arc flash boundaries, and the PPE that must be worn.
ANSI-approved arc flash hazard warning labels are made to make it clear what the dangers of an electrical panel are and what PPE should be worn. The labels tell workers about possible arc flash dangers, voltage, the edge of the arc flash, and what safety gear they need to wear.
The information on an arc flash label comes straight from the study on arc flashes.
Example of an Arc Flash Label As required by NEC, Arc Flash Label
Is OSHA making you do an Arc Flash Study?
The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) says that every new building and every existing building must have an electrical risk assessment done. This assessment is done to make sure that employees have the right safety gear (PPE) for any hazards found at the site. Arc flash studies don’t get rid of risks, but they do find them and make sure that people and equipment are safe by coming up with the right safety measures.
In particular, the OSHA General Duty Clause (5)(a)(1) says that every employer must give their workers “employment and a place of employment that are free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to the employees.” More specifically, OSHA regulation 29CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(a) says that workers must wear protective gear when they are working near an electrical hazard, and regulation 29CFR 1910.132(d)(1) says that the employer must check the workplace for hazards and decide if workers need to wear protective gear.
As OSHA 29FCFR1910.332 says, once you’ve done an arc flash hazard analysis, your employees will be able to get the right training on arc flash safety. If your company doesn’t follow the rules, OSHA could fine and punish it.
Article 130.5 of the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace says that a study needs to be done when the electrical system changes significantly or “reviewed for accuracy at intervals not to exceed five years.”
“Flash hazard analysis shall be done before a person approaches any exposed electrical conductor or circuit part that has not been put in an electrically safe work condition,” says the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
IEEE 1584 and NEC give more information about OSHA’s arc flash regulations, including specifics about how to do arc flash hazard studies, analyses, and calculations. NEC says that equipment must be labeled to warn of possible arc flash dangers. Arc Flash Warning Labels that have been approved by the ANSI must be put on each panel.
