Around 2,700 arc flashes occur in electrical equipment in the USA every year. These incidents are often dangerous, resulting in severe injuries, equipment damage and significant downtime. Carrying out an arc flash study is one of the things your company can do to manage this risk. The goal is to carry out an arc flash risk assessment and analyze your electrical power system to determine the potential for arc flash incidents. Given the importance of this study, it’s crucial to know the right way to proceed. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to prepare for an arc flash study.
Assemble an Arc Flash Study Team
Preparing for an arc flash study requires determining the specific people who will participate. These might include electrical engineers, safety managers, maintenance personnel and employees who operate electrical equipment. These individuals are likely to be injured if an arc flash happens. You can also include people who’re in charge of analyzing hazards at your workplace and mitigating them.
Your aim is to engage these people in the arc flash risk assessment, leveraging their inputs to enhance safety.
Set Clear Objectives
Before you can undertake an arc flash study, you might need to determine your objectives. The idea is to establish guidelines for the data collection process, ensuring you focus on the key aspects. The objectives can include identifying potential arc flash hazards, determining appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and improving safety procedures.
Essentially, you need to decide beforehand what you wish to achieve from the study. The guidelines can help you avoid distractions, ensuring you carry out a successful exercise.
Gather Electrical System Data
An effective arc flash study is based on accurate and complete data collection. The plan is to acquire data that indicates how the electrical system is set up in terms of transformers, circuit breakers, and protective devices. You’ll also need data on electrical equipment information that contains equipment ratings, settings, and manufacturer specifications.
If you encounter challenges collecting this data, consider seeking professional help.
Conduct a Site Survey
Verification of the collected data, as well as identification of any discrepancies, cannot be done without a site survey. During the site survey, the team should examine electrical equipment to validate whether the information obtained is correct or not. They should examine the labels present on equipment so they match what’s indicated by documentation. They should consider aspects like access to electrical equipment, warning labels or the manner in which the electrical panels were installed. Check out for evidence of potential hazards like poor installation or missing warning labels.
Conclusion
Carrying out an arc flash study can help identify potential risks and come up with strategies to mitigate them. So, rely on the above guidelines to prepare for this study. You can also seek the help of a professional body to learn the right way to conduct the exercise. The experts can assist you in establishing objectives and collecting relevant data.
