Arc Flash & Electrical Safety: The Dangers of Arc Flash Incidents

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

The Dangers of Arc Flash Incidents

"Between five and 10 times a day, an arc flash explosion occurs in electric equipment somewhere in the United States that sends a burn victim to a special burn center, according to statistics compiled by CapSchell, Inc., a Chicago-based research and consulting firm that specializes in preventing workplace injuries and deaths.

That number does not include cases sent to regular hospitals and clinics, or unreported cases and “near misses,” estimated to be many times that number. There are one or two deaths a day from these multi-trauma events, noted Dr. Mary Capelli-Schellpfeffer, principal investigator.

The above quote is from an article in Maintenance Technology magazine titled "The Dangers of Arc Flash Incidents".

The article starts by discussing what an arc flash is and what the causes are. It points out that one utility had 2.2 arc flash incidents a year at an average cost of over 15 million dollars per incident. The article then goes on to point out that Safety Programs are a key to eliminating injuries from arc flash. A hazard analysis provides the facts that are needed, then standards such as NFPA 70E are applied to determine safety boundaries, required PPE, work practices, and proper labeling and signage.

Labels: Arc Flash Accidents, Preventing Arc Flash Accidents