The following is a list of the arc flash code within the building industry:
OSHA Title 29CFR part 1910.333 states: “Live parts to which an employee may be exposed shall be de-energized before the employee works on or near them, unless the employer can demonstrate that de-energizing introduces additional or increased hazards or is infeasible due to equipment design or operational limitations.” If energized work cannot be avoided, OSHA’s 1910.335 states: “Employees working in areas where there are potential electrical hazards shall be provided with, and shall use, electrical protective equipment that is appropriate for the specific parts of the body to be protected and for the work to be performed.”
Article 130.1 of the NFPA 70E 2012 (Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace) has similar wording: “When working within the limited approach boundary or the arc flash boundary of exposed energized electrical conductors or circuit parts …. work to be performed shall be considered energized electrical work and shall be performed by written permit only.”
The 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC) states in Section 110-16: “Electrical equipment such as switchboards, panelboards, industrial control panels, meter socket enclosures, and motor control centers that are in other than dwelling units and are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized shall be field marked to warn qualified persons of the 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.”
NFPA 70E Section 130.5 states: “An arc flash hazard analysis shall determine the arc flash boundary, the incident energy at the working distance and the personal protective equipment that people within the arc flash boundary shall use.” Equipment shall be field marked with a label containing all the following information:
At least one of the following:
- Available incident energy and the corresponding working distance
- Minimum arc rating of clothing
- Required level of PPE
- Highest Hazard/Risk Category (HRC) for the equipment
- Nominal system voltage
- Arc flash boundary