Arc Flash Hazard Analysis
Arc flash incidents are electrical hazards typically caused by a malfunction of equipment where electrical current is transferred through the air instead of electrical conductors. Air is quickly converted to plasma during the arcing process, which can cause a catastrophic release of energy.
Personnel operating near an arcing incident can be directly exposed to the explosive release of thermal energy, as well as shrapnel in the form of molten metals and sharp fragments discharged from the blast.
An effective electrical safety program is valuable for every workplace. Liability can ultimately rest on facility management should an electrical incident occur on their premises, regardless of the actions of the public, employees, or contractors. It can become a question of: “did management take reasonable action to ensure safety on-site?” One step is to ensure a company hires contractors to act competently and safely. Another critical step is to develop and enforce safety policies and procedures for both employees and contractors.
Arc flash studies are a method to promote the safety and compliance of employees and contractors to the facility safety program. Arc flash hazard analysis is an engineering study to determine the severity and locations of electrical hazards and provide actionable information to labels on-site such as personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and approach boundaries for live electrical work.
As per CSA Z462-18 Workplace Electrical Safety, an arc flash risk assessment must be performed before any electrical work. Having this information calculated ahead of time by qualified engineers ensures the information is comprehensive and accurate. It helps facility owners to show that due diligence was taken should an electrical incident occur. Furthermore, CSA Z462 (in Section 4.3.5.6.2) outlines that; “The incident energy analysis shall be updated when changes occur in the electrical distribution system that could affect the results of the analysis. The incident energy analysis shall also be reviewed for accuracy at intervals not to exceed 5 years”.
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Even if no alterations to your power system occurred it can be assumed that the utility fault parameters have changed if it has been several years which could impact your current calculations.
Commercial electrical systems are not exempt from the precautions mentioned above. As per IEEE 1584-18 - IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations, significant arc flash incidents can be expected in certain 240 V nominal (or less) power systems. An arc flash study can identify and often recommend solutions to reduce arc flash hazards, sometimes as simple as adjusting breaker settings.
In addition to calculating arc flash hazards, these studies can incorporate short circuit analysis and protective device coordination. As part of an arc flash study, these considerations identify dangerous instances of improperly applied equipment and make recommendations to improve the operational efficiencies of commercial electrical systems.
