Who is at risk of an arc flash?

By R.W. Hurst, Editor

Who is at risk of an arc flash?

Arc flashes are among the most dangerous events that can occur in the workplace. Both safety managers and employees working with electrical systems understand the life-threatening injuries arc flashes can cause. However, the risk extends beyond those working directly with electrical systems. Understanding who is at risk from an arc flash can help develop a comprehensive safety strategy to protect everyone in the facility.

Immediate Threats

The most immediate and severe threat is to those working within the reach of the arc flash. The distance that an arc flash can affect depends on various factors, including the system's voltage and environmental conditions. Conducting an arc flash hazard analysis helps identify these high-risk areas, where stringent precautions, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), are necessary. Facilities often mark these zones using floor marking tape or other visual indicators to alert workers of the danger.

Secondary Threats

In addition to the risk of electrocution, arc flashes pose several secondary threats to those nearby. These threats include:

Fires: The intense heat from an arc flash can ignite surrounding materials, leading to potentially large fires.
Flying Debris: The force of an arc flash or resulting explosion can send debris flying, which can cause serious injuries.
Explosions: Arc flashes can trigger explosions, posing further risks to anyone in the vicinity.

These secondary threats can cause immediate harm and set the stage for additional hazards.

Tertiary Threats

After addressing the immediate and secondary threats, it's essential to consider the tertiary threats posed by an arc flash. These threats can affect everyone in the facility and even those in the surrounding area. Potential tertiary threats include:

Spreading Fires: Fires ignited by an arc flash can spread rapidly, endangering more people and causing extensive damage.
Hazardous Chemicals: In facilities that store hazardous chemicals, an arc flash can cause spills or release toxic substances into the air.
Structural Damage: The explosion and heat from an arc flash can weaken structural components, posing additional risks.

Responding to an Arc Flash

Recognizing the broad range of risks associated with an arc flash underscores the importance of prevention and preparedness. To mitigate these risks, facilities should:

Implement Preventive Measures: Regular maintenance, proper insulation, and adherence to safety protocols can reduce the likelihood of an arc flash.
Conduct Hazard Analyses: Regularly assessing the facility for arc flash risks helps identify and mitigate potential hazards.
Develop Response Plans: Having effective response strategies in place ensures that, if an arc flash occurs, the facility can minimize damage and protect its workers.

Arc flashes pose significant risks not only to those working directly with electrical systems but also to others in the vicinity and potentially the entire facility. By understanding these risks and implementing comprehensive safety measures, facilities can better protect their workers and minimize the dangers associated with arc flashes.

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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.

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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.

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Evluma Launches Low-Glare LED Roadway Luminaire

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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.