Arc flash dangers such as shock, electrocution, and arc blast will always be present on the job, but proper awareness, training and the development of arc flash safety personal protection strategies can minimize the likelihood of injury and fatality.
The leading arc flash standard governing the calculation and determination of explosive hazard is the NFPA 70E - Electrical Safety in the Workplace in the United States and CSA Z462 "Workplace Electrical Safety" in Canada. These arc flash electrical safety standards cover the full range of electrical safety issues from work practices to maintenance, special equipment requirements, and installation. In fact, OSHA in the United States already bases its electrical safety mandates on the comprehensive information in this important Standard.
Arc Flash Electrical safety is the leadnig subject in the North American power industry. Electrical accidents, when they occur (and they occur every day) are extremely debilitating and often fatal, depending on the voltage and amperage involved, as well as the conditions of electrocution. As little as 80 milliamps of electricity is enough energy to put the human heart into defibrillation and death. So, this subject should be addressed with commitment from electrical workers and their management.
This section of our web site is devoted to all matters relating to arc flash and electrical safety. There are many relevant pages at the left of this page that is intended to give you a general overview of major subjects such as nfpa 70e, CSA Z462, arc flash ppe, arc flash videos, arc flash training, electrical safety rules, electrical shock hazard, short circuit study, electrical safety program development and arc flash protective apparel.
If you would like more in-depth information, The Electricity Forum is scheduling a series of public enrolment conferences and we are also able to organize on-site arc flash training for your electrical professionals. Click here for a FREE on-site training quotation.
This year's Arc Flash Electrical Safety Awareness Program contains new content NOT covered in previous Forums. We will be detailing the basic elements of electrical safety, current and proposed Canadian standards, how to prepare for safe electrical work, and a detailed analysis of the NFPA 70E and CSA Z462 standards for determining arc flash hazard levels and then how to properly protect yourself from such incidents. There will be plenty of examples and exercises for delegates to follow and then take back and apply to their electrical safety work practices.
For the past 23 years, The Electricity Forum has been offering North American electrical professionals electricity information and electrical training engineering seminars to electrical engineering, maintenance, construction and technical services personnel. In that time, more than 25,000 electrical professionals have attended our electricity courses across North America.
Randolph W. Hurst
The Electricity Forum