There are few industrial hazards as scary as arc flash, the release of energy caused by an electrical arc. It results from electric current passing through air as the result of a failure or an accidental connection between voltage sources. It can cause severe injury or death. More and more businesses are becoming aware of the need to be in compliance with NFPA 70E which requires an arc flash hazard analysis to be performed on all electrical equipment. In a recent article in Pure Power, Preventing Arc Flash Incidents by Design, an excellent discussion of arc flash and the various elements that make up a hazard analysis is presented. The article is punctuated by the sharing of a personal experience with an arc flash incident, emphasizing how easy it is to encounter such a situation even when taking what were thought to be appropriate precautions. We have performed numerous arc flash studies, which include a hazard analysis. For more information on our services, plant automation, process automation, industrial IT, or other automation and control services, see our web site.
