Arc Flash Hazard Assessments

Arc Flash Hazard Assessments Power Distribution Solutions, LLC

An Arc Flash Hazard Assessment is your facilities first item of importance in your Electrical Safety Program. Your facility Arc Hazard Study will be based upon information gathered from your specific equipment, these study’s are facility unique, equipment specific and powered by your utility service information. Once completed your employees and service contractors will have the electrical information mandated within the US national electrical safety standard NFPA 70E; or Canadian electrical standard CSA C22.1; and developing European electrical safety standard EN50110.

No matter your location, electrical services and the people engaged in these environments have been the focal point of higher education standards and facility assessment mandates on existing equipment and especially on new installation equipment. The combination of requirements and mandates accents the importance of a study in your facility to determine the incident energy available at specific electrical devices that employees would be exposed to while interacting with the electrical equipment at the facility. The output of the assessment is a determination and labeling of the personal protective equipment required of the electrical devices, suitability of the devices for service as installed and if there are any lack of coordination issues involved as the system is currently installed.

At home in the US, OSHA requires that employers identify and protect their workers from workplace hazards. Every commercial and industrial power system includes inherent risks such as electrical shock and arc flash hazards, anytime employees are interacting with electrical equipment while energized. Interacting with electrical equipment includes operation of fully enclosed switches and power circuit breakers as well as any exposure to energized equipment or circuit parts, including all energized testing,  troubleshooting or construction activities.

NFPA 70E – Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace requires you to implement and document an overall electrical safety program that directs activity appropriate to the risk of electrical hazards. The electrical safety program shall be implemented as part of your overall occupational health and safety management system, when one exists. It specifically includes identifying and quantifying the risks of both shock and arc flash hazards, before work begins.

Arc Flash Analysis

Requires an arc flash risk assessment shall be performed to determine the risk, safety related work practices required, 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. This assessment shall be reviewed at intervals not to exceed five years. These assessments require the edition of electrical maintenance records for equipment identified in the study too.

Labeling

Requires all equipment likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized shall be field marked with a label containing arc flash risk identification, severity of the risk, arc flash boundary and required personal protective equipment level among other things. This includes any energized testing or troubleshooting activity.

Host Employer Responsibilities

Requires that host employers of contractor or outside service personnel are responsible for notifying the contractor of the hazards they may encounter in the performance of their work. This holds you responsible for identifying the hazards a contractor may encounter on the site. Therefore, using contract maintenance and electrical workers does not reduce the need for arc flash analysis.

It is impossible to know what level of arc flash hazard risk is inherent in your power system without assessment by knowledgeable technical experts from Power Distribution Solutions, LLC. However, it is a true statement that every commercial and industrial electrical system has some level of inherent arc flash hazard. In order to protect the safety of your employees or contract employees working on or operating your electrical equipment an arc flash assessment must be completed and the equipment appropriately labeled. We here at PDS Heat-Seeker have been engaged in performing assessments and training personnel since 2002.

We are experienced with and available to assist in your electrical safety program arc flash hazard assessments, give us a call at 770-732-8824 or email us at leeubanks@pds-heatseeker.com.

If you are looking for a quality infrared electrical testing enterprise offering a diversified toolbox of solutions for systems dependability, systems operating programs, and systems safety standards…you found it. Give us a call today at 770-732-8824 and see what Power Distribution Solutions, LLC can do for you!