![]() OSHA mandates that employers identify electrical hazards, warn employees about the hazards and provide the proper protection and training regarding the hazards. Understanding arc flash compliance is often complicated. Improper tools, improper electrical equipment, corrosion of equipment, improper work techniques, and lack of electrical safety training are just some of the events that can lead to a devastating arc flash or arc blast. Many arc flashes occur when maintenance workers are manipulating live equipment for testing or repair and accidentally cause a fault or short circuit. There are a variety of reasons why an Arc Flash can occur, but most of them are human error and preventable. Proper safety and protection measures must be taken to limit the damage from an arc flash which include conducting an arc flash study, short circuit study, and NFPA 70E electrical safety training. The result of this violent event is usually destruction of the equipment involved, fire, and severe injury or death to any nearby people. When an arc flash happens, it does so without warning and is lightning quick. The arc flash/blast produces fire, intense light, pressure waves and produces flying shrapnel. The arc flash/blast will likely vaporize all solid copper conductors which will expand up to 67,000 times its original volume when it is vaporized. These high temperatures cause rapid heating of surrounding air and extreme pressures, resulting in an arc blast. Temperatures may exceed 35,000° F (the surface of the sun is 9000° F). Arc flashes cause electrical equipment to explode, resulting in injury or death to workers and destruction of electrical equipment. An Arc Flash is an electrical explosion due to a fault condition or short circuit when either a phase to ground or phase to phase conductor is connected and current flows through the air.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |