Arc Flash Accident - Causes and Preventions

By R.W. Hurst, Editor

An arc flash explosion is a hazardous event that can lead to severe injuries or fatalities. Understanding the causes, consequences, prevention measures, and legal requirements is essential for ensuring safety in workplaces where electrical equipment is used. This article addresses these critical aspects and provides guidance on what should be included in an effective arc flash safety program.

Visit our NFPA 70E Arc Flash Training Page

Visit Our CSA Z462 Arc Flash Training Course Page

What Causes an Arc Flash Accident?

An arc flash accident occurs due to various factors, often related to the handling and condition of electrical equipment. Key causes include:

Electrical Faults: Short circuits, ground faults, or equipment malfunctions can trigger an arc flash incident.
Accidental Contact: Contact with live wires or components, often due to using inappropriate tools or not following safety protocols.
Inadequate Maintenance: Poor maintenance practices can lead to the deterioration of electrical equipment, increasing the risk of arc flash occurrences.
Improper Work Practices: Ignoring safety procedures, such as failing to use personal protective equipment (PPE) or bypassing lockout/tagout procedures.

Potential Consequences of an Electrical Arc Incident

The consequences of an electrical arc incident can be devastating.

Injury and Death: Flash burns are the most common injury, resulting from the intense heat generated by the electrical arc. These burns can be deep and extensive, affecting not only the surface of the skin but also underlying tissues and organs.
Electrical Shock: The high voltage associated with an arc flash can cause severe electrical shock, disrupting the body's electrical system and potentially leading to cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.
Secondary Injuries: The intense pressure wave and blast force generated by the arc flash can cause falls, blunt force trauma, and hearing loss.
Psychological Trauma: The experience of an electrical arc incident can be very traumatic, leading to anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other mental health issues.

These electrical arc incidents can have a significant human cost, causing life-altering injuries, disabilities, and even fatalities. Additionally, they can lead to substantial financial losses for employers due to worker compensation claims, downtime, and potential legal repercussions.

How Can Electrical Arc Incidents Be Prevented?

The good news is that electrical arc incidents are largely preventable through a comprehensive safety program. Here are some key strategies employers can implement:

Hazard Assessment: Conduct a thorough electrical hazard assessment to identify potential risks within the workplace. This assessment should identify electrical equipment, work practices, and potential electrical hazards, including the risk of electrical arc incidents.
Safe Work Practices: Establish clear and well-defined safe work practices for all personnel working on or near electrical equipment. These practices should address topics such as de-energizing procedures, lockout/tagout procedures, and the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
Training and Education: Provide comprehensive electrical safety training for all workers, including those who may not directly work on electrical equipment but could still face electrical hazards in their daily work. This training should educate workers on electrical hazards, electrical arc incidents, and safe work practices.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): PPE plays a crucial role in mitigating the risks associated with electrical arc incidents. Employers must provide appropriate arc-rated clothing, face shields, and other PPE based on the electrical hazard level identified in the hazard assessment. PPE must be properly selected, inspected, and maintained to ensure its effectiveness.

What Are the Legal and Regulatory Requirements for Arc Flash Safety?

Several regulations and standards govern arc flash safety:

OSHA Standards: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to protect employees from electrical hazards under regulations such as 29 CFR 1910 and 29 CFR 1926. These standards mandate proper training, use of PPE, and adherence to safety protocols.
NFPA 70E: The National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 70E standard provides detailed guidelines on electrical safety in the workplace, including safe work practices and PPE requirements.
Employer Responsibility and Legal Liability: Employers are legally responsible for ensuring the safety of their employees. Failure to comply with these regulations can result in legal liability, fines, and penalties.

What Should Be Included in an Arc Flash Safety Program?

An effective arc flash safety program should encompass the following elements:

Risk Assessments: Regularly conducted to identify and evaluate potential hazards associated with electrical equipment.
Safety Training: Comprehensive training programs for employees on electrical safety, proper use of PPE, and safe work practices.
Preventive Maintenance: A systematic maintenance schedule for inspecting and servicing electrical equipment to prevent failures.
Use of PPE: Guidelines for selecting, using, and maintaining personal protective equipment to protect employees from electrical hazards.
Emergency Response Plan: Procedures for responding to arc flash incidents, including first aid measures and medical care for victims.
Documentation and Compliance: Keeping detailed records of risk assessments, training sessions, maintenance activities, and compliance with regulatory standards.

An arc flash accident can have devastating consequences, including severe injuries and fatalities. Understanding the causes, implementing preventive measures, and adhering to legal and regulatory requirements are essential for maintaining a safe working environment. Employers must take responsibility for ensuring safety through comprehensive training, regular maintenance, and strict adherence to safety protocols. By incorporating these elements into an arc flash safety program, organizations can protect their employees and minimize the risks associated with electrical work.

EF Partner Media

AreaMax: Utility-Grade LED Area Lighting

Build-Your-Own Acorn

Causes and Detection of Mechanical Failures in Power Transformers

Transformer Failures Relevant to Protective Relaying and Transformer Diagnostic Testing

OmniMax Ross Bridge Retrofit Case Study

Life Extension of Power Transformers Through Proper Moisture Management

The Importance of Through Fault Monitoring for Power Transformers

Photocontrol Failsafe Technology for Outdoor LED Lighting

Coming soon

E3 Series Engineered-to-Order Solution
B100 Electronic Temperature Monitor
Asset Management Solutions: Service and Support
DynamicMetrix(R) Data and Asset Management Software

Coming soon..

Cost Justifying Transformer Monitoring
How to Obtain the Secrets Your Transformer is Keeping
Review of Online Partial Discharge Measurements
Synthesis of a Decade of Experience in Proactive Maintenance of Generation Assets

Coming soon..

1

Improved Transformer Temperature Monitoring - Transformer Magazine
2

Bushing Sensors and Their Role in Online Bushing Monitoring - Transformer Magazine
3

Lineman Safety
4

A New Age for Toughened Glass Insulators

03/12/20

Evluma Launches Line of Post Top Globes to Complement LED OmniMax

March 12, 2020, Renton, WA…Street and area lighting manufacturer Evluma, announces the release of a new globe accessory line, OmniMax Lighting Solutions (OLS) to complement their OmniMax family of LED replacement lamps. OLS is a custom, curated selection of spherical and acorn style globes for decorative streetlights. The OmniMax is a Bluetooth-connected, screw-in replacement lamp for use in decorative post top globe and acorn lights. The release of a globe line to complement the OmniMax is designed to make the HID to LED conversion and maintenance process easier for Evluma customers.

Customers executing a retrofit project can conveniently purchase a replacement globe at the same time they purchase the OmniMax. “The wide variety of styles and materials offered means that we can typically provide a customer with a globe that matches an older style,” said Marketing Director, Cathleen Shattuck. “Customers can refresh globes simultaneously with OmniMax installation to save on labor, or if they suddenly discover damage to individual light fixtures, we can quickly provide them with a solution. Our high level of customer service means we are well-adapted to quick turnaround on orders of any size, keeping the process convenient and low cost.”

Using OmniMax, municipalities, utilities and electric departments converting post top fixtures from HID to LED can do so in under 5 minutes a fixture. The OmniMax is available in both Premium and Standard models. Premium models are Bluetooth-enabled and are compatible with Evluma’s wireless control application, ConnectLED. Both models carry a ten-year warranty and offer Evluma’s signature low-glare illumination.

About Evluma

Formed in 2008, Evluma is committed to developing affordable, long-lasting and environmentally low-impact LED lighting solutions that fundamentally change the landscape of the outdoor utility lighting market. Evluma’s high standard of customer service and background in innovative lighting technologies, automation and software design creatively ideate and inform its utility-grade products. Evluma is located in Renton, WA, USA.

09/24/20

Evluma's Build-Your-Own Acorn is an Affordable Answer to Decorative Streetlight LED Upgrades

Street and area light manufacturer Evluma announces the release of Build-Your-Own Acorn; a full-fixture, decorative streetlight replacement solution that includes the customer’s choice of acorn globe, finial and capital fitter. This solution is designed for utilities, municipalities, facilities and property managers looking to upgrade their existing decorative lighting from HID to LED and features the OmniMax™ LED lamp as its light source.

“Build-Your-Own-Acorn is a tailored solution that puts control in the hands of the customer,” said Evluma Product Manager Jason Dobbs. “With the value-driven OmniMax at the center of quality, cost-effective options, this is an affordable approach to complete head replacements. Build-Your-Own-Acorn offers the freedom to replace and repair fixtures without being locked into a proprietary OEM solution that may be hard to change later and typically costs more. It’s everything but the pole.”

Build-Your-Own Acorn includes multiple styles of acrylic and polycarbonate globes, in addition to a cast aluminum capital fitter. The capital fits 3 inch and 4 inch poles and is offered in black or green. The 70W OmniMax LED lamp is offered in six different color temperatures ranging from 2000K-5000K in either the Premium or Standard. OmniMax Premium includes Evluma’s patented, maintenance-saving Photocontrol Failsafe™ and compatibility with Evluma’s Bluetooth lighting app ConnectLED™. OmniMax Standard ships without connectivity features or Photocontrol Failsafe built-in.

“Photocontrol Failsafe means never having to replace a failed photocontrol ever again,” said Janine Soper, Evluma’s Regional Sales Manager. “With ConnectLED, the OmniMax Premium can be quickly dimmed or programmed with a dimming schedule, offering additional aesthetic and energy saving opportunities,” said Janine.

Both OmniMax models are supported by robust 20kV/10kA surge protection and the OmniMax’s four layers of thermal management for extended operation in enclosed environments. The capital has a 5 year warranty on the finish. Acrylic globes are warrantied for 5 years against yellowing. The OmniMax and all electronics, including the capital’s optional photocontrol are warrantied for 10 years.

About Evluma

02/22/21

Parallel Resonant AC Test Sets

High Voltage, Inc. is an American test equipment manufacturing company located in rural Copake, NY. We are known for high quality, easy to use equipment and for our commitment to providing the best customer and product support in the industry.

As we matured we expanded into larger products. Cable fault locators (thumpers) as well as higher power ac (HPA) dielectric testers as might be used in a factory environment. Our HPA line of ac testers are available with outputs up to 300 kV ac and power levels up to 40 kVA and can be customized with various levels of control sophistication.

Our new PAR line of ac dielectric testers are designed to meet the needs of those who need power levels up to 250 kVA, to be able to test their highly capacitive test loads. Using ac resonant technology outputs of 50 kV at 5A (for example) are possible with an input of only 230 v, 90 A. That is an input of 20 kVA for an output of 250 kVA. (Model PAR-50250FC5)

The PAR models consist of a control section and a high voltage section. While large, they are transportable by van or trailer for field work. The control section includes the input breaker, variable (motorized) input control, a PLC controller, and connections for controlling the hv section. The high voltage section is a steel tank with a phenolic output bushing. Inside this tank is a variable-core reactor in an insulating oil bath with an air space at the top to allow for thermal expansion.

The variable reactor looks similar to a transformer but has a moveable core that allows the inductance value to vary to match the capacitance of the load, thereby achieving resonance. This effectively cancels the load capacitance, as far as input power requirements are concerned. Once in resonance, the input voltage is increased until the desired output voltage level is achieved. For a capacitive load that must be tested at power frequency the PAR reduces power requirements, as well as test equipment size by one tenth to one thirtieth, compared to a test transformer.

The HVI PAR family of resonant as dielectric testers are perfect for power frequency testing of power cables, rotating machinery, bushings, instrument transformers, transformers, shunt reactors, and many other products.

For more info please contact sales@hvinc.com to discuss your application.
For more information on these and other high voltage test products, contact High Voltage, Inc. at www.hvinc.com, sales@hvinc.com, or call 518-329-3275.

03/07/22

Evluma Launches Low-Glare LED Roadway Luminaire

LED lighting manufacturer Evluma announces the launch of a new roadway lighting product RoadMaxTM. The RoadMax series will include three sizes: small, medium and large and a range of wattages designed to replace legacy HID 100w, 250w and 400w cobraheads. The first model in the series, the RoadMax RX1, with wattages ranging from 30W-70W and an estimated output range of 3,000 to 9,000 lumens, is estimated to start shipping at the end of April 2022.

This sleek and stylish luminaire was designed with RP-8-18 roadway requirements in mind. The unique optical design offers a combination of roadway performance and glare control unprecedented in the industry. “RoadMax is an advancement of Evluma’s reputation for low-glare, visually-pleasing outdoor lighting,” says Taisha Bezzo, National Sales Director. “RoadMax addresses contemporary concerns regarding disability glare and light trespass from roadway lighting while maintaining exceptional pole spacing.”

Multiple luminaire configurations for Type II, Type III and Type V, all with zero-uplight (U0), are offered. Additional features such as a field adjustable wattage selector (FAO), light trespass shields and a choice of photocontrol sockets are available. RoadMax can be customized to include Evluma’s Photocontrol FailsafeTM, a patented technology that solves photocontrol failures on street and area lights. Compatibility with ConnectLEDTM, Evluma’s Bluetooth app for wireless lighting controls, enables dimming and dimming schedules without the need for a network. Evluma’s comprehensive 10-year warranty and signature 20kV/10kA surge protection comes standard with every model.