Facility owners often argue about why they needn’t conduct an Arc Flash Study and Analysis every five years. The whys and wherefores include the fact that their electricians are certified, they know their work, no major mishaps have happened in their facility so far, and so on. This misconception that something needs to take place to clear the safety requirements drives many accidents. Lack of Awareness of Arc Flash Studies and compliant codes is what makes these facility owners think otherwise. Educating the workforce, employers, and other facility owners can bring about a major change in this perspective.

Every year the EFSI( Electrical Safety Foundation International) celebrates May month as the electrical safety month of the year. This initiative is undertaken to inform and educate people in general about electrical safety inside and outside of any facility. Arc Flash awareness is an integral part of this initiative.

The widespread adoption of electrical energy to power office spaces, residential buildings, and even cars has necessitated the use of safe practices and awareness of potential dangers. Regular maintenance and analysis can minimize the dangers. Being a sustainable source of power, we need to address these issues in hand at the right time.

“ If it weren’t for Electricity, we would all be watching Television by candlelight”, this quote by the famous humorist, George Gobel, makes us all recall how pivotal this discovery is for humankind.

Our electricity may be green or gray, although we often rely heavily on this form of energy. On the flip side, there are disguised threats looming around Electricity. One potential risk of using Electricity is Arc Flashes, which must be addressed promptly. We must also understand that electrical equipment and wires also age and wear down like people do. Unexpected intruders, unidentified faults, or even human intervention in an electrical system can have a huge blowback to the system and can result in hazards. To Make allowances for a smooth and hazard-free workplace, top companies conduct Arc Flash Studies to rate their electrical system. Residential setups are also not exempted from the dangers of electrical system hazards and need Arc Flash studies time and again.

What exactly is an Arc Flash?

Arc Flashes are the most underrated kind of electrical hazard that can have many ill effects. They happen when high electric discharges take place between the loose ends of a conductor, as the air in between offers the least resistance to the flow of current. This is accompanied by a huge amount of heat, often described as much above the temperature on the surface of the sun, to cause an Arc and subsequent blasting. The most common practice to avoid these is to conduct an Arc Flash Study to identify the faults and rectify them.

Let us understand the danger lurking around Arc Flashes in detail through a simulated industry case study. Consider a company that hires an electrician to check the fault in the system. He is equipped with the tools and expertise to rectify it. For some reason, one of the tools slipped from his hand and landed on the circuit. This may create a short circuit in the system. An Arc flash incident is thus created and most likely, a fire breaks out. However, the electrician is not wearing his prescribed safety equipment. What happens in such cases is disturbing to think in the first place. There is a fairly good chance that the person loses his life. Alternatively, if the company had already done an Arc Flash Study and Analysis, it could prescribe safety wear for the electrician, thus curbing the danger of losing a life.