An Arc Flash is an explosion that results from an electrical short circuit where a high level of electrical current and corresponding energy pass through the air surrounding electrical equipment. It’s characterized by extreme temperatures exceeding 35,000 degrees F, shrapnel at speeds of over 700 mph and blast pressure equal to the force of several sticks of dynamite.
An Arc Flash can occur in an instant and without warning, and employees are unable to escape a direct blast in time. Getting a risk assessment for your company can mean life or death. A report by INHN estimated that 30,000 Arc Flash incidents occur per year, resulting in 7,000 burn injuries, 2,000 hospitalizations — and 400 fatalities.
Arc Flash risk assessments are required for code and labor compliance, with the NFPA 70, NFPA 70E and OSHA all requiring one. That’s why an Arc Flash Risk Assessment is a vital element of employee safety programs, and it can be life-saving. We offer complete arc flash analysis and coordination studies, per IEEE standards and NFPA 70E requirements.
If you haven’t had an Arc Flash Risk Assessment performed for your facility, then personnel must wear PPE when working around any and all electrical equipment within your facility — no exceptions. But some major equipment may have an Arc Flash level so extreme that PPE cannot protect your employees. The only way you can know if this may occur is with a professional Arc Flash Risk Assessment.
At the owner/facility request, we can also provide licensed and certified electricians for the field information collection. This is often beneficial, as our preferred electrical contractors are familiar and efficient at collecting the intense data needed for these studies.
EAE is based in California, but we are licensed throughout the western and southwestern United States. Whether your project scope is large or small, contact us today for a proposal.
