Introduction to Arc Flash

Worker Training of Electrical Hazards Including

Arc Flash SH-16614-07
This material was produced under grant number
SH-16614-07 from the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
It does not necessarily reflect the views or
policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor
does mention of trade names, commercial
products, or organizations imply endorsement by
the U.S. Government.

Overview

Introduction
Revisions to the NFPA 70E
Electrically Safe Work Conditions
Energized Electrical Work Permit
Flash Protection Boundary and Limits of
Approach
NFPA 70E Boundaries and Spaces
Flash Protection Calculations
Choosing Correct PPE
Reducing the Arc Flash Hazard

Introduction
What is Arc Flash?
Arc flash results from an arcing fault, where
the electric arcs and resulting radiation and
shrapnel cause severe skin burns, hearing
damage, and eye injuries.

Introduction
Why are we so interested in Arc Flash now?
Numerous workers are injured and/or killed
each year while working on energized
equipment. Many of these casualties are a
result of arc flash.
Working on energized equipment has become
commonplace in many industries.

Introduction
Injuries that can result from an arc flash:
Burns
Respiratory system damage
Hearing damage
Skin penetration from flying debris
Eye and face injuries

Introduction
Important Temperatures
Skin temperature for curable burn
Skin temperature causing cell death
Ignition of clothing
Burning clothing
Metal droplets from arcing
Surface of sun
Arc terminals
7

176F
205F
752-1472F
1472F
1832F
9000F
35,000F

Introduction
A First Degree Burn is red and sensitive to
touch. There is minimal skin damage and
only the skin surface is involved.
Example: Sunburn

Introduction
A Second Degree Burn involves the first
and second layers of skin. The skin
reddens intensely and blisters develop.
Severe pain and swelling occur and
chance for infection is present.

Introduction
A Third Degree Burn causes charring of
skin and coagulation of blood vessels just
below the skin surface. All three layers of
skin are affected. Extensive scarring
usually results.

10

Introduction
Skin damage will occur based on the intensity of
the heat generated by an electrical arc accident.
The heat reaching the skin of the worker is
dependant on the following three factors:
Power of the arc at the arc location
Distance of the worker to the arc
Time duration of the arc exposure

11

Introduction
The intent of NFPA 70E regarding arc
flash is to provide guidelines which will
limit injury to the onset of second degree
burns.

12

Introduction
Inhalation Injuries
In addition to burns, an arc flash can
cause inhalation injuries. More than a
hundred known toxic substances are
present in fire smoke. When inhalation
injuries are combined with external burns
the chance of death can increase
significantly.
13

Introduction
The pressure of an arc blast is caused by
the expansion of the metal as it vaporizes
and the heating of the air by the arc energy.
This accounts for the expulsion of molten
metal up to 10 feet away.
In addition, the sudden expansion of an arc
blast creates loud sounds that can cause
hearing damage.
14

Revisions To The NFPA 70E

As a result of the injuries
and deaths related to arc
flash, changes/additions
have been incorporated
into the National Fire
Protection Association
publication number 70E,
the most recent version
being NFPA 70E-2004.
15

Revisions To The NFPA 70E

1. Only qualified persons shall be permitted to work
on electrical conductors or circuit parts that have
not been put into an electrically safe work
condition. (reference: NFPA 70E-2004 Section
110.8(A)(2) NFPA).
2. A flash hazard analysis shall be done in order to
protect personnel from the possibility of being
injured by an arc flash. (reference: NFPA 70E2004 Section 130.3 NFPA).
16

Revisions To The NFPA 70E

3. Employees working in areas where
electrical hazards are present shall be
provided with, and shall use, protective
equipment that is designed and
constructed for the specific part of the
body to be protected and for the work to
be performed (reference: NFPA 70E2004 Section 130.7(A) NFPA).

17

Revisions To The NFPA 70E

4. Personal protective equipment shall conform to
the standard given in Table 130.7(C)(8)
(reference: NFPA 70E-2004 130.7(C)(8)
NFPA).
5. Arc Flash Protective Equipment:
The entire flash suit, including the hoods face
shield, shall have an arc rating that is suitable
for the arc flash exposure (reference: NFPA
70E-2004 Section 130.7(C)(13)(a)).
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Arc Flash Awareness

NIOSH DVD:
Arc Flash Awareness
Information and
discussion about arc
flash and comments
from workers injured
by an arc flash

19

Electrically Safe Work Conditions

The equipment is not and cannot be energized:
To ensure an electrically safe work condition:
Identify all power sources,
Interrupt the load and disconnect power,
Visually verify that a disconnect has opened the circuit,
Locking out and tagging the circuit,
Test for absence of voltage, and
Ground all power conductors, if necessary.

20

Electrically Safe Work Conditions

Lockout/Tagout
A single qualified person de-energizing one
set of conductors.
An unqualified person may never perform a
lockout/tagout, work on energized equipment,
or enter high risk areas.

21

Energized Electrical Work Permit

When live parts over 50 volts are not
placed in an electrically safe work
condition it is considered energized
electrical work and must be down under a
written permit.
Permit gives conditions and work practices
needed to protect employee from arc flash
or contact with live parts.
22

Energized Electrical Work Permit

An Energized Electrical Work Permit will include:

23

Circuit, equipment and location

Why working while energized.
Shock and arc flash hazard analysis
Safe work practices
Approach boundaries
Required PPE and tools
Access control
Proof of job briefing

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach
Definitions of Boundaries and Spaces
The closer you approach an exposed,
energized conductor or circuit part, the
greater the chance of an inadvertent
contact and the greater the injury that an
arc flash will cause. NFPA 70E-2004,
Annex C defines approach boundaries
and work spaces. The diagram on the next
slide illustrates these.
24

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach

25

Approach/Flash Protection Boundaries

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach
Flash Protection Boundary
When an energized conductor is exposed,
you may not approach closer than the
flash boundary without wearing
appropriate personal protective clothing
and personal protective equipment.

26

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach
Flash Protection Boundary
IEEE defines Flash Protection Boundary
as: An approach limit at a distance from
live parts operating at 50 V or more that
are un-insulated or exposed within which a
person could receive a second degree
burn.
27

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach
How Does Flash Protection Boundary Relate to
Working On Or Near Exposed Energized Parts?
The radiant energy and molten material that is
released by an electric arc is capable of seriously
injuring or killing a human being at distances of up
to twenty feet.
The flash protection boundary is the closest
approach allowed by qualified or unqualified
persons without the use of arc flash PPE.
28

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach

29

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach
Typical NEC Label

30

Flash Protection Boundary and

Limits of Approach
Typical Detailed Label

31

NFPA 70E Boundaries and Spaces

Good safety practices minimize risk:
Switch remotely if possible.
Standing aside and away as much as
possible during switching.
Avoid leaning on or touching switchgear
and metallic surfaces.
Use proper tools and PPE.
32

NFPA 70E Boundaries and Spaces

NFPA 70E, Section 130.3(B) states:
If work will be performed within the flash
protection boundary, the flash hazard
analysis shall determine, and the
employer shall document, the incident
energy exposure of the worker in
(cal/cm2).
33

NFPA 70E Boundaries and Spaces

NFPA 70E, Section 130.3 (B) states:
The incident energy exposure
level shall be based on the
working distance of the workers
face and chest areas from a
prospective arc source for the
specific task to be performed.

34

NFPA 70E Boundaries and Spaces

NFPA 70E, Section 130.3(B) states:
Flame Resistant (FR) Clothing and Personal
Protective Equipment (PPE) shall be used by
the employee based upon the incident energy
exposure associated with the specific task.

35

Flash Protection Calculations

The Incident Energy and Flash Protection
Boundary can be calculated in an Arc
Flash Hazard Analysis.
There are two methods:
NFPA 70E-2004, Annex D
IEEE Std 1584TM

36

Flash Protection Calculations

Step 1
Collect the System Installation Equipment
Data
Step 2
Determine the Power Systems Modes of
Operation
Normal operation, tie switched closed, dual
feeds
Perform analysis for worst case condition
37

Flash Protection Calculations

Step 3
Determine the Bolted Fault Currents
Find symmetrical RMS current and X/R ratio at each point of
concern.

38

Theoretically worst case fault magnitude

Determines equipment interrupting ratings
Impedance at fault location is considered
to be zero ohms

Flash Protection Calculations

Step 4
Determine the Arc Fault Currents
The arc fault current for each location where
an arc flash hazard exists and the portion of
the current that flows through the closest
upstream device that will clear this fault must
be determined

39

Flash Protection Calculations

Arcing Fault Current is fault current flowing through
an electrical arc plasma.

Faults which are not bolted

Poor electrical connection
between conductors can cause
arcing
Arcing results in tremendous
heat (35,000)

40

Flash Protection Calculations

Step 5
From the Protective Device Characteristics,
Find the Arcing Duration
The total clearing time of the fault will
determine the time factor in the incident
energy equation.

41

Flash Protection Calculations

CURRENT IN AMPERES

The fault clearing time is

determined from the
Coordination Studys
Time Current Curves.

1000

T4

T4

100

The total clearing time of

the primary fuse for a
secondary side fault is 1
second.

T4

1 sec

M2

T4 Main Phase
T4 - T5 Phase
TX Inrush

0.10

0.01

42

TIME IN SECONDS

HMCP 250 A
100 hp O/L

10

0.5 1

10

100

MCC Fdr Phase

1K

10K

T4 arc flash.tcc Ref. Voltage: 480 Current Scale x10^2 T4 arc flash.drw

Flash Protection Calculations

Step 6
Record the System Voltages and
Equipment Classes
For each bus or arc hazard location

Step 7
Determine Working Distances
Arc flash protection is always based on the
incident energy to a persons face and body at
the working distance
43

Flash Protection Calculations

Step 8
Determine Incident Energy
This is best done using a software package.

Calculating incident energy requires the

following parameters:
Max. bolted 3-ph fault current available at the
equipment
Total protective upstream device clearing time max
fault current
Distance of worker from the arc
44

Flash Protection Calculations

Step 9
Determine the Flash Protection Boundary
for All Equipment
The incident energy for the flash-protection
boundary must be set at the minimum energy
beyond which a second degree burn could
occur - 1.2 cal/cm2

45

Flash Protection Calculations

Lets take a quick look at the

NFPA 70E-2004 equations

46

Flash Protection Calculations

The estimated incident energy for an arc in
open air is:
EMA = 5271DA-1.9593 tA[0.0016F 2-0.0076F+0.8938]

EMA=maximum open arc incident energy (cal/cm 2)

DA=distance from arc electrodes (inches)
tA=arc duration (seconds)
F=bolted fault current in kA (16kA-50kA)
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Flash Protection Calculations

The estimated incident energy for an arc in
a box is:
EMB = 1038.7DB-1.4738 tA[0.0093F2-0.3453F+5.9675]

EMB=max 20 in. cubic box incident energy (cal/cm 2)

DB=distance from arc electrodes (inches) for 18 in.
and greater
tA=arc duration (seconds)
F=bolted fault current in kA (16kA-50kA)
48

Flash Protection Calculations

Test results have shown that the incident
energy for an open air arc is
approximately inversely proportional to the
distance squared.
Enclosing a 3-ph arc in a box can increase
the incident energy from 1.5 to 3 times
depending upon the arc parameters and
box dimensions when compared to an
open air arc with the same parameters.
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Flash Protection Calculations

There are resources on the
internet to assist in calculations:

http://
www.littelfuse.com/arccalc/calc.html

http://www.pnl.gov/contracts/esh-proced
ures/forms/sp00e230.xls

http://
www.bussmann.com/arcflash/index.aspx

50

Flash Protection Calculations

As well as software and spreadsheets:

51

Choosing Correct PPE

Section 130.7(A) states that employees
working in areas where there are electric
hazards shall be provided with, and shall
use, protective equipment that is designed
and constructed for the specific part of the
body to be protected and for the work to
be performed.

52

Choosing Correct PPE

Personal Protective Equipment, PPE, for
the arc flash is the last line of defense.
It is not intended to prevent all injuries, but
is intended to mitigate the impact of an arc
flash, should one occur.

53

Choosing Correct PPE

After the Arc-Flash Hazard Analysis has

been performed, PPE is selected as
follows:
Clothings ATPV or EBT (in cal/cm2)
>
Calculated Hazard Level (in cal/cm2)
*ATPV can be obtained from clothing manufacturer

54

Choosing Correct PPE

ATPV - Arc Thermal Performance
Exposure Value
EBT - Breakopen Threshold Energy
Rating
Calculated Hazard Level - Incident
Energy in cal/cm2
55

Choosing Correct PPE

Specialized Arc-Flash
Protection Equipment:
Flash Suit

Use: Hazard/Risk
Category 4

56

Choosing Correct PPE

Specialized Arc-Flash
Protection Equipment:
Switching Coat,
ATPV = 42 cal/cm2

Use: Hazard/Risk
Category 4

57

Choosing Correct PPE

Specialized Arc-Flash
Protection Equipment:
Hood,
ATPV = 42 cal/cm2

Use: Hazard/Risk
Category 4

58

Choosing Correct PPE

Specialized Arc-Flash
Protection Equipment:
Face Shield -- Attaches to
Hard Hat

Use: Hazard/Risk
Category 2

59

Choosing Correct PPE

Specialized Arc-Flash
Protection Equipment:
Gloves and Leather
Protectors,
(ATPV Values not
Established for Rubber)

Use: Hazard/Risk
Category 2, 3, and 4
for the Leather
Protectors
60

Choosing Correct PPE

NFPA 70E, Section 130.7(C)(9)(a) states:
When selected in lieu of the flash hazard
analysis of 130.3(A), Table 130.7(C)(9)(a)
shall be used to determine the hazard/risk
category for each task.

NFPA 70E, Section 130.7(C)(10) states:

Once the Hazard/Risk Category has been
identified, Table 130.7(C)(10) shall be used to
determine the required personal protective
equipment (PPE) for the task.
61

Choosing Correct PPE

The tables in NFPA 70E-2004 provide the
simplest methods for determining PPE
requirements. They provide instant
answers with almost no field data. The
tables provide limited application and are
conservative for most applications.
*These tables are not intended as a substitution for an arc hazard
analysis, but only as a guide.
62

Choosing Correct PPE

A simplified two-category approach is
found in NFPA 70E-2004, Table H-1 of
Annex H NFPA. This table assures
adequate PPE for electrical workers within
facilities with large and diverse electrical
systems.

63

Choosing Correct PPE

The clothing listed in Table H-1 fulfills the
minimum FR clothing requirements of
NFPA 70E-2004, Tables 130.7(C)(9)(a)
and 130.7(C)(10) NFPA and should be used
with the other PPE appropriate for the
Hazard/ Risk Category that is found in of
NFPA 70E-2004, Table 130.7(C)(10) NFPA.

64

Choosing Correct PPE

65

Choosing Correct PPE

66

Choosing Correct PPE

NFPA 70E-2004, Section 130.7(C), Table
130.7(C)(9)(a) lists common work tasks
with respective Hazard/Risk category of
each task.
After the Hazard Risk Category has been
determined from Table 130.7(C)(9)(a),
then Table 130.7(C)(10) is used to
determine the Protective Clothing and
Personal Protective Equipment required
for the task.
67

Choosing Correct PPE

Hazard/
Risk
Category

V-rated

V-rated

Gloves

Tools

CB or fused switch operation with enclosure doors closed

Reading a panel meter while operating a meter switch

CB or fused switch operation with enclosure doors open

Work on energized parts, including voltage testing

2*

Task (Assumes Equipment Is Energized, and Work Is Done

Within the Flash Protection Boundary)

68

Choosing Correct PPE

NFPA 70E, Table 130.7(C)(11) lists the
characteristics and degrees of protection
for various Flame Resistant (FR) clothing
systems.

69

Choosing Correct PPE

70

Choosing Correct PPE

The equations in NFPA 70E-2004 provide
more accurate methods than tables for
determining PPE requirements. System
data and studies are required. The
equations are based upon limited fuse and
circuit breaker data.

71

Choosing Correct PPE

Remember: PPE is the last line of
defense. PPE cannot prevent all
injuries and will only lessen the
impact of an arc flash. In many cases
the use of PPE has saved lives or
prevented serious injury.

72

Reducing The Arc Flash Hazard

OSHA 1910.333 severely limits the
situations in which work is performed
on or near equipment or circuits that
are or may be energized.

73

Reducing The Arc Flash Hazard

EQUIPMENT ALTERNATIVES
Metal-Clad Switchgear
Structural design reduces the
possibility of arcing faults within the
enclosure.
74

Reducing The Arc Flash Hazard

EQUIPMENT ALTERNATIVES
Arc Resistant Switchgear
EEMAC Standard G14-1 defines the
requirements for arc resistant
switchgear. Includes robust design
and pressure relief vents.
75

Reducing The Arc Flash Hazard

EQUIPMENT ALTERNATIVES
Current-Limiter Power Circuit Breakers
Reduces the clearing time which
reduces the incident energy.

76

Reducing The Arc Flash Hazard

EQUIPMENT ALTERNATIVES
Current-Limiting Reactors

Reduces the magnitude of fault

current which reduces the incident
energy.
77

Reducing The Arc Flash Hazard

EQUIPMENT ALTERNATIVES
Zone Selective Interlocking of Circuit
Breakers
Deactivates the preset delay on the
circuit breaker closest to the fault,
which then trips with no intentional
delay.
78

Reducing The Arc Flash Hazard

Whatever the analysis method or
proposed method of solution, each
work task must be analyzed assuming
worst case conditions.

79

Reference Materials

80

Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, NFPA 70E 2004 Edition
Controlling Electrical Hazards. OSHA Publication 3075, (2002). Also available as a 350 KB PDF,
71 pages. Provides a basic overview of electrical safety on the job, including information on how
electricity works, how to protect against electricity, and how OSHA can help.
Electrical Safety: Safety and Health for Electrical Trades Student Manual. US Department of
Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH), Publication No. 2002-123, (2002, January), 1.7 MB PDF, 88 pages. This student
manual is part of a safety and health curriculum for secondary and post-secondary electrical
trades courses. It is designed to engage the learner in recognizing, evaluating, and controlling
hazards associated with electrical work. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/02-123.pdf
Electrocutions Fatality Investigation Reports. National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health (NIOSH) Safety and Health Topic. Provides information regarding hundreds of fatal
incidents involving electrocutions investigated by NIOSH and state investigators
Working Safely with Electricity. OSHA Fact Sheet, 353 KB PDF, 2 pages. Provides safety
information on working with generators, power lines, extension cords, and electrical equipment.
http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_Hurricane_Facts/elect_safety.pdf
Lockout/Tagout. OSHA Fact Sheet, (2002), 212 KB PDF, 2 pages. A 92 KB PDF (Spanish
version) is also available.
http://www.cdc.gov/nasd/docs/d001501-d001600/d001514/d001514.html
Lockout-Tagout Interactive Training Program. OSHA. Includes selected references for training
and interactive case studies. http://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/lototraining/index.htm
NIOSH Arc Flash Awareness, NIOSH Publication No. 2007-116D

Questions?

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