![]() ![]() SSR can be a valued partner to ensure that you have the proper safety plans in place when your facility staff are performing maintenance that could result in an arc flash.Implementing an effective arc flash safety program that includes accurate arc flash boundary calculations, appropriate PPE, and specialized training for workers is critical to protect workers from the hazards of arc flash incidents.Īn arc flash boundary is a designated area around energized electrical equipment where an arc flash could cause serious injury or death to a worker not wearing the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Working on hot equipment can be extremely dangerous and should only be done by qualified personnel when necessary. SSR produces hot work permits and warning labels that go on the equipment with information about the equipment name, boundaries, shock risk, PPE requirements, and when the assessment was completed. Based on this assessment, a safety plan for each piece of equipment is created that includes required personal protective equipment (PPE) details to mitigate risks and protect workers. ![]() Our team then calculates the arc flash incident energy, determining the energy to which a worker may be exposed (cal/cm 2 ). The assessment involves building a model of the electrical system and relevant electrical equipment. Qualified personnel are defined by both OSHA and NFPA 70E as someone that has received specific training on arc flash.Īt SSR, we have electrical engineers on staff that are experienced in performing arc flash assessments for use in an electrical safety program.Restricted Approach Boundary: Qualified personnel should use extreme caution they should stay out of this area unless necessary to work on equipment injury within this area is likely in the event of an arc flash.Limited Approach Boundary: Only qualified personnel are permitted to enter this boundary.Qualified and unqualified personnel can enter the boundary but MUST be wearing appropriate level of PPE Arc Flash Boundary: The farthest established boundary from the energy source.Looking at every piece of energized equipment, the assessment identifies specific approach boundaries to protect workers while working on hot equipment. Updates are made based on the results of an arc flash assessment. NFPA 70E requires that a facility update their arc flash safety program every five years. Personal protective equipment (PPE): When you absolutely must work on hot equipment, have the right PPE make sure workers are trained and ready for potential hazards.Administrative controls: Proper procedure in place – such as lockout/tagout and enforcing hot work permit procedures.Awareness: Inform people of the potential hazards.Engineering controls: Isolate people from the hazard – such as remote racking out of a circuit breaker.Substitution: Replace the hazard with a safer alternative – such as engaging a maintenance mode on a circuit breaker.Elimination: Physical removal of the hazard – such as turning off the electricity.This six-level hierarchy is a method of identifying and ranking safeguards to protect workers from hazards like arc flash: The 2018 edition highlighted the Hierarchy of Controls. National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) 70E is a guide for safe operating practices in the electrical world. Numerous industry codes, standards, and organizations have policies and procedures relating to arc flash safety. A flash can be caused by dust, dropping tools, condensation, material failure, corrosion, faulty installation, or human error. The results are often violent and can cause severe injury or death. ![]() The arc flash continues until something clears the fault. What is an Arc Flash?Īs defined by OSHA, an arc flash is an electrical explosion that occurs when an electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another, or to the ground. The purpose of this blog post is to provide basic education about what an arc flash is, explain the risk involved and how to mitigate, and highlight the value of an arc flash assessment and safety program. There are precautions to take that limit the frequency of working on hot equipment, but sometimes it is unavoidable. Working on a hot electrical panel, or one that still has power, is a serious situation and can be extremely dangerous. ![]()
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