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.” [Read more…]

There are a number of codes that all address arc flash study evaluations and why they are required.  I’ll list them in the next blog post but first a brief explanation of what an arc flash hazard is and why it’s so dangerous.

Arcing from electrical equipment can produce extremely high temperatures.  They can exceed 30,000 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hotter than the surface of the sun.  An arc flash occurs when a rapid release of energy due to an arcing fault between a phase bus bar and another phase bus bar, neutral or a ground bar occurs.  During this type of fault, air becomes the conductor and it expands dramatically.  This causes metal conductors to vaporize and can cause an intensely hot blast.  The danger lies when employees are working on electrical equipment and are not wearing adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).  Workers can be seriously injured or killed when an arc occurs. [Read more…]