Electrical Safety

ARC FLASH ANALYSIS

Electrical ARC Safety

FLASH ANALYSIS

ARC-FLASH
Electrical Safety
As much as 80% of all electrical injuries are burns resulting from an arc-flash and ignition of flammable clothing. Arc temperature can reach 35,000F - this is four times hotter than the surface of the sun Fatal burns can occur at distances over 10 ft.

ARC EXPOSURE ENERGY BASICS

Electrical Safety
Exposure Energy is Expressed in cal/cm2 1 cal/cm2 Equals the Exposure on the tip of a finger by a Cigarette Lighter in One Second An Exposure Energy of Only One or Two cal/cm2 Will Cause a 2nd Degree Burn on Human Skin

Industry Standards and Regulations

Electrical Safety
OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S OSHA Enforces NEC2002 110.16 & NFPA70E NFPA 70E-2000 Requirements for shock and arc flash boundaries Requirements for personal protective equipment NEC 110.16-2002

NEC 2002
110.16 Flash Protection. Electrical Safety Switchboards, panel boards, industrial control panels, and motor control centers in other than dwelling occupancies, that are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized, shall be field marked to warn qualified persons of potential electric arc flash hazards. The marking shall be located so as to be clearly visible to qualified persons before examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance of the equipment.

FPN No. 1: NFPA 70E-2000, Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces, provides assistance in determining severity of potential exposure, planning safe work practices, and selecting personal protective equipment. FPN No. 2: ANSI Z535.4-1998, Product Safety Signs and Labels, provides guidelines for the design of safety signs and labels for application to products.

Sample NEC Warning Article 110.16

Electrical Safety

WARNING

!
Arc Flash and Shock Hazard Appropriate PPE Required

Electrical Safety

ARC Flash Analysis

OSHA 1910.132(d) Where work will be performed within the flash protection boundary, the flash hazard analysis shall determine, and the employer shall document, the incident energy exposure to the worker (in cal/cm2)

OSHA 1910.269(I)(6) Flame resistant (FR) clothing and PPE shall be used by the employee based upon the incident energy exposure associated with the specific task. As an alternative, PPE requirements of NFPA 70E Part II 3-3.9 may be used in lieu of a detailed flash hazard analysis.

Sample NEC Warning Article 110.16

Electrical Safety

Electrical Safety

Approach Boundaries
Electrical Safety
Nominal System Voltage Range Phase-to-Phase Limited Approach Boundary Restricted Approach Boundary Includes Inadvertent Movement Adder Prohibited Approach Boundary Exposed Moveable Conductor Exposed Fixed Circuit Part

0 - 50 51 - 300 301 - 750 751V - 15 kV 15.1 36 kV 36.1 46 kV 46.1 72.5 kV 72.6 121 kV 138 145 kV

Not specified 10 ft. 0 in. 10 ft. 0 in. 10 ft. 0 in. 10 ft. 0 in. 10 ft. 0 in. 10 ft. 0 in. 10 ft. 8 in. 11 ft. 0 in.

Not specified 3 ft.6 in. 3 ft.6 in. 5 ft.0 in. 6 ft.0 in. 8 ft.0 in. 8 ft.0 in. 8 ft.0 in. 10 ft.0 in.

Not specified Avoid contact 1 ft. 0 in. 2 ft. 2 in. 2 ft. 7 in. 2 ft. 10 in. 3 ft. 3 in. 3 ft. 3 in. 3 ft. 7 in.

Not specified Avoid contact 0 ft. 1 in. 0 ft. 7 in. 0 ft. 10 in. 1 ft. 5 in. 2 ft. 1 in. 2 ft. 8 in. 3 ft. 1 in.

NFPA 70E provides two choices for PPE selection:

Electrical Safety Do an arc flash hazard analysis, and document the incident energy exposure IEEE 1584 SKM (Arc Flash Evaluation Module) ArcPro Software Duke Power Cal/Flux Software As an alternate, use the Hazard Risk Category Classifications table to choose the PPE level required for the task

Hazard Risk Category Tables

Electrical Safety

Hazard Risk Category Classification

Electrical Safety
NFPA 70E Hazard Risk 0
This hazard risk category poses minimal risk.

NFPA 70E Hazard Risk 1

This hazard risk category poses some risk.

NFPA 70E Hazard Risk 2

This hazard risk category involves tasks that pose a moderate risk.

NFPA 70E Hazard Risk 3

This hazard risk category involves tasks that pose a high risk.

NFPA 70E Hazard Risk 4

This hazard risk category represents tasks that pose the greatest risk.

Methods of Reducing Hazard Risk

Electrical Safety
Specifying Current Limiting Fuses on Low Voltage Switchgear Breakers Specifying ARC Resistance Medium Voltage Switchgear Remote Control of Switchgear Breakers High Resistance Grounding on Low Voltage and Medium Voltage (15kV and below) Systems

What We Offer Our Clients

Electrical Safety
Design of safer power systems while insuring compliance with OSHA NFPA 70E standards and IEEE 1584 Save time with the fully integrated Short Circuit, Time Current Coordination, Equipment Evaluation and Arc Flash Evaluation Offer alternatives to reduce exposure to ARC Flash Energy.