An arc flash can release temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun in a fraction of a second. The good news is that the most common causes are well understood and entirely preventable. Here are five mistakes we see most often — and how to fix them.
1. Relying on an Outdated Arc Flash Study Your facility changes over time. New equipment, utility upgrades, and modified loads all affect incident energy. An arc flash study from a decade ago may be dangerously inaccurate.
Best practice is to review your study every five years, or whenever the electrical system changes. 2. Wearing the Wrong PPE Arc-rated PPE is only protective when it matches the calculated incident energy at that piece of equipment.
Workers sometimes grab whatever is in the closet rather than the gear specified on the label. Make sure PPE is rated, available, and matched to the task. 3.