They issued the standard in sections at first, but in 1993 it was released in its entirety. The publication of that standard was awarded to NFPA. In 1975, OSHA requested a new electrical safety standard. If the accident involved electricity, they would reference NFPA-70E. If there is a lost-time accident in your facility, it’s OSHA who shows up. They are a governmental regulatory body, the safety police. OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. They also publish numerous standards on fire code-related subject matter, including sprinkler systems or extinguishing agents. They publish the NEC under document number NFPA-70. They are a consensus-based organization that exists for the prevention of fires and fire-related injuries. The NFPA is the National Fire Protection Association. There is also some misunderstanding regarding the relationship between OSHA and the NFPA. It states that “Switchboards, panel-boards, industrial control panels, meter socket enclosures, and motor control centers that are in other than dwelling occupancies and are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing or maintenance while energized shall be field marked to warn qualified persons of potential electric arc flash hazards.” This edict leaves out “dwelling occupancies” or homes, therefore stating that your office building, hospital, or school building still requires labeling, even if the system size and type meet the non-analysis criteria. This requirement is found in the National Electric Code (NEC) in article 110.16. Even in systems that are of the size and type that don’t require analysis, they still are required to be labeled to warn of the risk of arc flash. There is a provision in this standard for not performing analysis on certain sizes and types of systems, but most of the equipment in most non-industrial facilities requires analysis to assign risk levels from which PPE levels are derived. The IEEE Standard 1584 is the manual for performing arc flash risk assessment and it provides formulae and guidelines for determining the level of hazard involved with different types of electrical equipment. This requirement in OSHA is what dictates the use of safety glasses in environments where there is a danger of eye injury, the use of safety shoes in places where heavy objects are lifted, and applies to arc flash PPE for “qualified persons” performing energized electrical work. If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer shall select, and have each affected employee use, the types of PPE that will protect the affected employee from the hazards identified in the hazard assessment.” The requirement is repeated in the 29CFR1910.132(d) (1) where it states “The employer shall assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). In Article 130.5 of the 70E, it reads “An arc flash assessment shall be performed: 1) To identify arc flash hazards 2) To estimate the likelihood of occurrence of injury or damage to health and the potential severity of injury or damage to health 3) To determine if additional protective measures are required, including the use of PPE.” This standard is on a three-year revision cycle, with the latest revision having an effective date of June 21st, 2020. The most notable being NFPA-70E, The Handbook for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. The requirement for the performance of an arc flash risk assessment is documented in several existing industry standards. Not only does the potential exist, but the danger is just as high in an office building as it is in a factory. Anywhere that electricians or other service technicians are performing energized work, the potential exists for an arc flash incident. Not only is it real, but it is a danger that extends beyond powerplants and industrial sites to office buildings, hospitals, schools, and retail spaces. The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety figures state that between 19 there were over 17,000 arc flash injuries in the United States.Īrc flash is a legitimate concern for anyone working with energized equipment at any voltage level. We have all either been exposed to the dangers ourselves or know someone who has. It is no secret that electricity can be dangerous, those of us who work with electricity with regularity know this to be true. The purpose of an arc flash risk assessment is to provide “qualified persons,” who will be performing work on or near energized electrical equipment, with the information they need to protect themselves against the possibility of being injured by the release of energy as a result of an arcing fault.
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