Articles Tagged with ''Arc flash''

A letter to OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP) regarding the agency's requirements and the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) 70E-2004, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, posed the following question:

A video produced by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) provides a fascinating look at arc flash hazards and how they are tested and assessed.

Because most methods currently available for analyzing the arc flash incident thermal energy were developed for low and medium-voltage industrial and commercial settings -- and not applicable to practical transmission and substations situations – a study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) aimed to:

Electrical safety in the workplace is an important topic that is addressed by NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® (2015 edition). This document addresses arc flash and shock hazards, and there is a need for more factual incident data on the actual hazards that may be experienced when equipment faults or adverse electrical events occur.

It is estimated that 5 to 10 arc flash incidents occur in electrical equipment everyday in the United States. These events have the potential to cause serious injuries and even death due to burns and other trauma.

A moving video posted on YouTube by friends of Eddie Adams describes how the Elkin, North Carolina electrician lost his life in an arc flash incident – and how his loss impacted his family, friends and co-workers. Adams died from the explosion of a 2300 volt starter.