![]() The limited approach boundary should only be crossed by those who are trained and qualified, and only in situations where someone needs to perform a specific task within that area. Anyone who needs to go within an arc flash boundary needs to wear the level of personal protective equipment required based on the voltage of the machine being worked on. If an arc flash occurred while a worker was within a specific arc flash boundary, it’s possible for the electricity to pass through that person, resulting in extreme burns and even death depending on how much incident energy they were exposed to. Incident energy is calculated by looking at the voltage and the total fault exposure levels. This energy threshold and duration of time are enough to result in second degree burns if any skin is exposed at the time of the incident. Specifically, this boundary is defined as the distance where a person in the area may be exposed to 1.2 cal/cm2 of energy for 0.1 seconds. The arc flash boundary is the distance at which an arc flash is dangerous should one occur. It must be referenced to determine what type of PPE to wear and when to wear it while working around electrical equipment. It uses distance and the energy potential of the arc flash hazard to determine the category of arc rated clothing required.įollowing the National Fire Protection Association 70E standard is not optional. The NFPA has laid out specific arc flash boundaries in their 70E standard for this exact reason. Now, the most effective way to keep people safe from arc flashes is to make sure they don’t enter an area without taking the right precautions. Once that has been determined, then the employer can proceed with picking out the arc flash clothing that either meets the threshold limit or exceeds it. NFPA 70E specifically states, “Employees shall wear arc rated clothing wherever there is a possible exposure to an electrical arc flash above the threshold incident energy for a second-degree burn (1.2 cal/cm2).” This often requires an arc flash risk assessment for calculating the potential incident energy of a piece of electrical equipment. When Is Arc Flash Personal Protective Equipment Required? This means using flame retardant clothing, using rubber insulated tools, and having a number of other different types of specialty equipment on hand. One of the most effective options employers can do to protect employees from these dangerous situations is to ensure that all employees working near arc flash hazards wear the appropriate arc rated personal protective equipment. For that reason, it’s important to implement a safety program that focuses on minimizing the risk of arc flash events and reducing the risk of injuries. Every year, there can be as many as 30,000 arc flash incidents that result in 7,000 burn injuries, 2,000 hospitalizations due to serious injury, and 400 deaths.Īrc flashes happen so fast that employees have zero time to react. That bright flash was probably recorded at 1 million lux, enough to do permanent eye damage. ![]() That’s four times hotter than the sun! That deafening noise was 140dB and can result in permanent hearing loss. Imagine working near exposed energized electrical conductors or circuit parts and suddenly before you have time to try and catch the tool you dropped, you’re faced with a blinding flash, an incredible wave of heat, a deafening noise, and are thrown across the room.Īrc flashes have been known to reach temperatures of up to 35,000° F. When Is Arc Flash Personal Protective Equipment Required?.
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