Arc Flash: Home

An interview with Brent Henry, director of marketing at Eaton Corp. PLC, is presented. He mentions that arc flash events do not happen spontaneously in electrical equipment and result from factors which can be controlled. He says that electrical equipment manufacturers have looked to lessen incident energy to deal arc flash safety. He states that Eaton's Arc Quenching Switchgear reduces the tradeoffs between offering enhanced safety and protecting equipment.

The article discusses the release of arc flash mitigation controls from Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and emphasizes the effectivity of arch flash sytem if incorporated with safety by design where mitigating techniques, including engineering controls, are used to reduce the risk to the worker. These include reducing the available arc flash energy level or reducing the exposure of the worker, so that he or she is not subject to harm.

The article explores the need and requirement of arc flash labels in electrical industry in the U.S. It mentions need of performing an incident energy analysis for identifying what type of personal protective equipment (PPE) is needed to protect employees from arc flash hazards. It also mentions that the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E requires that the arc flash analysis need to be reviewed at a frequency not to exceed five years.