Following IEEE 1584 is a good option for most facilities by helping to identify common problems. This can be done by completing an electrical risk assessment, which can help identify where the biggest dangers are in a facility. The first step in arc flash protection is minimizing the risk of one occurring. IEEE 1584 - This is a set of guidelines for accurately calculating arc-flash hazards.It also offers recommendations on implementing workplace best practices to help keep employees who work around high voltage equipment safe. NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, details a variety of requirements for warning labels regarding arc flashes and arc blasts. NFPA - NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code (NEC) pertains to safe electrical installation and practices.OSHA - 29 CFR parts 19 cover requirements for electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution.The following are the most common standards that cover arc flash safety in the United States: Determining which standards to follow can help ensure a facility is in compliance with area rules and regulations, in addition to minimizing incidents. There are a variety of measures that can reduce the chances of an arc flash occurring and keep people as safe as possible if one does happen.Īll facilities must consider the various arc flash safety standards that have been put in place by government and private institutions. Arc Flash Safety RequirementsĬompanies with electrical equipment need to take arc flash safety seriously. This free Quick Guide to an Organized Workplace covers simple tools and strategies you and your team can use to keep workbenches, storage areas, work cells, and other locations organized and looking professional. When your workplace is cluttered, methods aren’t as efficient as they could be. Workplace Organization Guide: Learn simple strategies for long-term success The following are some examples that can create a path with lower resistance, and therefore cause an arc flash: Instead, the electricity will continue down the intended path until another option that has less resistance becomes available. This is why an arc flash will not necessarily happen as soon as something is damaged, or an alternate path is made available.

It could also be a result of someone working on equipment, which makes it possible for the electricity to escape from the path it is normally confined to.Įlectricity is always going to follow the path of least resistance. In most cases, the root cause of an arc flash will be a damaged piece of equipment such as a wire. This may occur when a worker physically cuts the power to the area or when the damage caused by the arc flash becomes severe enough to somehow stop the flow of electricity. If a system does not have any type of safety protection, however, the arc flash will continue until the flow of electricity is physically stopped. The most advanced systems today use devices known as arc eliminators, which detect and extinguish the arc within just a few milliseconds. Most arc flashes don't last very long because the source of the electricity is cut off quickly by circuit breakers or other safety equipment. The traumatic force of an arc blast can severely injure or be deadly to those in the near vicinity as well as damage just about everything nearby.Īn arc flash can last anywhere from a fraction of a second to several seconds, depending on a number of factors. This supersonic shockwave is the result of the arc flash and the newly ionized air vaporizing any metal conductors within the unit. If the conditions are right, an arc flash can reach the final stage and result in an enormous electrical explosion known as an arc blast. Think of an arc flash as the extreme heat and blinding light produced by the arc fault. The next event in this progression is referred to as the arc flash. The progression of an arc flash event starts with an arc fault, which is essentially a short circuit conducted between two live parts, or by one live part and one ground, creating ionized air. Arc Flash Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)Īrc flashes are nothing to joke about as the effect of incident energy can be life -threatening.De-Energizing Equipment when Performing Maintenance.Workplace Organization Guide: Learn simple strategies for long-term success.

Arc flash boundary sign