Arc Flash & Electrical Safety News

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Free Web Seminar on Arc Flash Avoidance and NFPA 70E Compliance

The following is a press release from LumaSense Technologies. They are a provider of sensor instrumentation for "monitoring, detecting, analyzing and measuring."

Broadcast date: Tuesday, June 3rd 2008
Broadcast Time: 11:00 AM PDT (2:00 PM EDT)
Speakers: Lowry Eads, Lowry Eads & Associates (Lanny Floyd, Dupont)
Hosted by: Brett Sargent, LumaSense Technologies ( John Snell, The Snell Group)

Most of us know that the words "Arc Flash" mean something serious. But, most of us do not know how dangerous an Arc Flash can be. Some things to consider are:

• There are approximately 2,000 Arc Flash events that occur in the United States every year
• Temperatures can reach 35,000°F in less than 1 second
• When copper vaporizes, a dynamite like explosion will occur

So, now that we have your attention, Arc Flash events can be minimized and avoided if you understand safety standards and adhere to published requirements. Documents such as NFPA 70E can help save lives and avoid catastrophic incidents.

Safe maintenance practices, knowing what to look for, thermal imaging of electrical switchgear using safe equipment and protective gear can all help.

Join us on Tuesday, June 3rd 2008 in this informative web seminar "Arc Flash Avoidance and NFPA 70E Compliance" to understand what an Arc Flash is and safety standards you should follow to save lives.

To register for the Web Seminar, Please go to: www.lumasenseinc.com/news_events/web_seminars.html

Labels: Arc Flash Products, Arc Flash Training

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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

An Arc Flash Primer

An article in today's online edition of Consulting-Specifying Engineer by Nicholas Chalhoub, Senior Electrical Engineer with CH2M HILL, is called "An Arc Flash Primer".

As most other articles about arc flash do, Mr. Chalhoub begins this article with an explanation of what arc flash is. I found it refreshing that he began his description of arc flash with the statement "The primary cause of arc fault is human error." He then describes how human error leads to arc flash and how arc flash hazards can be reduced.

The next topics are proper design, preventative maintenance and arc flash calculations. He discusses the goals and objectives of arc flash calculations and provides an example calculation. He then points out:

"After these calculations are generated, the arc flash and shock hazard tags must be printed and placed on the specified equipment. The flash hazard boundary, flash hazard, and the category type should be listed on the tag. Many maintenance and safety personnel have been requesting that the limited, restricted and prohibited approach be listed also."

You can read the entire article at: CSE Magazine

You can learn about arc flash labels and tags on our web site.

Labels: Arc Flash, Arc Flash Calculations, Arc Flash Labeling

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Friday, May 16, 2008

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

In today's issue of Plant Engineering Live Michael Stuart of Fluke Thermal Imaging talks about using themal imaging to both detect hazards and pinpoint problems. The article is called Teaching An Old Dog New (Electrical) Tricks - Too many people have been injured by attempting to measure voltage on a circuit they thought was dead. Using thermal imaging avoids this deadly contact.

The article points out the capabilities of thermal imaging and suggests appropriate applications:

"When choosing between an infrared thermometer and a thermal imager, the choice is situational. Most technicians now carry a small infrared thermometer in their pocket for on-the-go checks. However, the infrared thermometer gives you only a 'spot' temperature reading. If you know what you’re looking for, infrared may be enough. But if you’re hunting an elusive problem, a full thermal map of the entire unit is more effective."

He provides a list of common components that are typically inspected using thermal imagers and also gives a list of typical reasons for temperature hotspots or deviations. Both of these can serve as useful memory jogger checklists.

Labels: Safety Inspections

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Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Electric Power Conference

Joseph Deane is principal owner of KTR Associates, spoke about arc flash at the Electric Power Conference this morning. Mr. Deane has over 25 years of experience as an Electrical Engineer, Project Manager, and Executive, working in both the industrial and utility business sectors.

The following is an abstract of his presentation:

The NFPA 70E standard was created at the request of OSHA in 1979 to recognize the difference between design and workplace safety. The National Electric Code (NEC) provides the installation (design) standard while the NFPA 70E is the workplace safety standard.

NFPA 70E describes employer responsibilities and recommendations on topics such as employee training, safety-related work practices, tagout procedures, calculating flash protection boundaries and PPE requirements. The current standard recognizes arc flash as a serious hazard and establishes PPE requirements that apply when working around energized equipment.

Why is the NFPA-70E Standard Important? Because following the NFPA-70E standard may save a life. Hazardous arc flashes can occur in any electrical device in which energy is high enough to sustain an arc. The heat exposure due to an electrical arc can produce first-degree burns, permanent blindness, or even death.

In an effort to reduce the extent of potential injuries NFPA-70E specifies boundaries within which flash protection (PPE) is required.

The National Safety Council estimates that an average of more than one fatality a day occurs while working around electrical equipment. Of these fatalities, more than half occurred while working on energized equipment rated 600 volts or below. In addition, five to ten electrical “arc flashes” occur in the workplace everyday. The medical costs for an individually exposed to an electrical arc flash is around $12 to $20 million.

Employers need to include both shock and arc hazard identification in their safety programs.

When working on electrical apparatus (switchgear, panelboards, motor control centers, etc.) the incident energy or available fault current to produce an arc flash needs to be clearly identified on each respective enclosure or piece of electrical equipment. As a part of that label, when employees must work within the flash protection boundary, it is important to include the incident energy. Producing a Flash Hazard Analysis can do this.

Does OSHA recognize the NFPA 70E? Absolutely. OSHA has recently updated their electrical standards to reflect the latest in both the NEC and NFPA 70E standard. OSHA will cite companies for non-compliance with 29 CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(i) which requires the use of protective equipment when working where a potential hazard exists and 29 CFR 1910.132(d)(1) which requires the employer to provide an assessment of the workplace for hazards and the need for personal protective equipment.

OSHA also utilizes the “General Duty Clause” which states, "each employer shall furnish to each of its employees a place of employment that is free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm."

Labels: Arc Flash, Arc Flash Calculations, Arc Flash Labeling

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Monday, May 05, 2008

NIOSH Arc Flash Videos

NIOSH has produced an arc flash awareness video. You can review part of the video below. Below that there is a link to a second part of the video, which is available on YouTube. You can download the complete NIOSH arc flash awareness video from their video page at: http://cdc.gov/Niosh/mining/products/product152.htm