DefinitionsĪrc Flash Boundary (ARC) - is the distance at which an electrical arc can flash outward, which may endanger employees working on electrical equipment.įlash Protection Boundary (FPB) - the calculated safe working distance from electrical equipment which would not expose the employee to the hazards associated with an electrical arc flash.Įlectrical Assessment- an analytical evaluation which would calculate the arc flash potential of an electrical component 1 hazard, used to establish the flash protection boundary and the correct level of required PPE, determined by an electrical engineer or the equivalent. Extended medical care is often required, sometimes costing in excess of $1,000,000.

It’s not uncommon for an injured employee to never regain their past quality of life. Three factors determine the severity of an arc flash injury:īecause of the violent nature of an arc flash exposure when an employee is injured, the injury is serious – even resulting in death. Equipment failure due to use of substandard parts, improper installation, or even normal wear and tear.Dropping a tool or otherwise creating a spark can ignite an arc flash.Coming close to a high-amp source with a conductive object can cause the electricity to flash over.

The results are often violent and when a human is in close proximity to the arc flash, serious injury and even death can occur.Īrc flash can be caused by many things including: Simply put, an arc flash is a phenomenon where a flash over of electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another, or to ground. An arc flash is a short circuit through air that flashes over from one exposed live conductor to another conductor or to ground.

Arc flash boundary 2015