ARC FLASH AND OTHER

ELECTRICAL SAFETY
HAZARDS

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 Electrical Safety Hazards
 Primary hazards:
– Electric shock
– Exposure to Arc-Flash
– Exposure to Arc-Blast
– Exposure to excessive light and sound energies

• Secondary hazards:
‒ burns, release of toxic gases, molten metal,
airborne debris and shrapnel.

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 Electric Shock
When personnel come in contact with
energized conductors with current flowing
through their skin, muscles and vital organ.
Severity of the shock depends on:
Path of current through the body
Amount of current flowing through the body
Length of time the body is in the circuit
LOW VOLTAGE DOES NOT MEAN LOW
HAZARD!
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 3 Basic Pathways Electric Current
Travels Through The Body
1. Touch Potential (hand/hand path)
2. Step Potential (foot/foot path)
3. Touch/Step Potential (hand/foot path)

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 What is an Arc Flash Hazard?
“. . . a dangerous condition associated with the
release of energy caused by an electric arc.”

35,000 degrees Fahrenheit (F), or 4 times the temperature of the sun’s

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 What is an Electric Arc?

 An electric arc is a short circuit through the air.

Arc Flash Hazards -- Construction Safety Association of Ontario PB/RH -- March 3, 2009
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 Characteristics of an Electric Arc

 An electric arc will oscillate and escalate if

not constrained.
 A single-phase electric arc can engulf a
second or third conductor in only two cycles.
 An electric arc’s current propels the arc away
from the power source.

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 What Causes Arc Flash?

 Dust, impurities, corrosion, condensation, animals

 Spark discharge from:

– Accidental touching

– Dropping tools

 Over-voltages across narrow gaps

 Failure of insulating materials

 Equipment failure

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 What is Arc Blast?

1. The flash causes an explosive expansion

of air and metal.
– For example: When copper vapourizes it
expands by a factor of 67,000.

2. The blast produces dangerous:

– Pressure waves
– Sound waves
– Molten steel and shrapnel.

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 Arc Flash Events

Electric arc Arc flash Arc blast

Compliments of Salisbury Electrical

Safety L.L.C.

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 Arc Flash Injuries

 Electric shock
 Severe burns
 Blindness
 Blast injuries
– Shrapnel wounds
– Lung blast injuries
– Ruptured eardrums
– Pressure wave injuries
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 Electric Shock Injury – Burn

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 Severe Burns from Arc Flash

Arc flash up to 35,000°F

Sun 9,900°F
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 Blindness

 Flash of light is so intense it can

damage vision.

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 Shrapnel Wounds

Material and molten metal

can hit the body at over
700 miles per hour.

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 Blast Lung Injury (BLI)

Arc blast can cause inhalation injuries.

For example:
– Inhaling high temperature
copper vapour.
– More than 100 toxic
substances can be found
in the fumes.

BLI + Burns = Greater chance of death

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 Arc-Flash Metrics
 In order to determine the potential effects of an Arc-
Flash, we need to understand some basic terms. An
Arc-Flash produces intense heat at the point of the
arc. Heat energy is measured in units such as
BTU’s, joules, and calories.

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 Severity Factors

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 Severity Factors
Current-limiting devices such as Littelfuse type
LLSRK_ID or JTD_ID fuses will open in . AC cycle (8.33
milliseconds) or less under short circuit conditions.
Studies have shown that many existing molded case
circuit breakers take up to 6 AC cycles (100
milliseconds) or longer to open under short circuit
conditions.

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 Hearing Damage

Arc blast at 2 feet 145 decibels

Jet engine at 200 feet 132 decibels

Pain threshold 130 decibels

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 Pressure Wave Injuries

Arc blast can throw a worker:

– Off a ladder
– Into nearby walls or equipment.
 2000 lbs/ft2 pressure on the body can cause:
– Concussion
– Collapsed lungs
– Other internal injuries

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 Common Causes
Faulty electrical equipment can also produce a hazard while
being operated. Electrical safety hazards such as exposure
to shock and Arc-Flash can be caused by:

1.Carelessness
2.Worn or broken conductor insulation
3.Exposed live parts
4.Loose wire connections
5.Improperly maintained switches and circuit breakers
6.Obstructed disconnect panels
7.Water or liquid near electrical equipment
8.High voltage cables
9.Static electricity
10.Damaged tools and equipment

The severity and causes of electrical hazards are varied, but the
best protection is to deenergize equipment before working
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on it.