Arc flash study

An arc flash study (also known as an arc flash analysis or arc flash assessment) evaluates the risk of an arc flash incident, which is an explosive release of energy caused by an electrical current flowing through the air between conductors. TÜV SÜD provides comprehensive arc flash assessment services to mitigate against this risk.

The assessment determines the incident energy to which a worker may be exposed and how to protect the worker from an arc flash accident and other electrical hazards. Based on this assessment, appropriate safety measures and personal protective equipment (PPE) are determined to mitigate risks and protect workers.

The most effective assessments provide a short-circuit analysis, a protective device coordination study, and a one-line electrical diagram.

A short-circuit study determines the thermal energy and magnetic forces that are released into the electrical system which can cause insulation and conductor melting as well as explosions contributing to major equipment burn‐downs. Magnetic forces can bend bus bars and cause violent conductor whipping and distortion. These conditions have grim consequences on electrical systems and equipment. Each equipment within the electrical distribution is evaluated to determine the short-circuit withstanding rating.

A protective coordination study, sometimes called a selectivity study, is performed to improve the reliability of the electrical distribution system. A poorly coordinated system can cause power outages that can escalate into major blackouts. That results in dangers to onsite personnel and loss of production.

Arc flashes can cause serious issues such as property damage, injuries, downtime, and even death. Therefore, risk managers must mitigate this risk and maintain safe working conditions.

Regulations have kept pace with this need for risk management, which means an arc flash study is necessary to ensure full compliance with arc flash codes and regulations. Codes and standards such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, NFPA 70, IEEE 1584, and OSHA 29 CFR Part 1910 all require arc flash analysis.

NFPA 70E requires you to conduct an arc flash assessment every five years. You also need to conduct them if you have made major additions or modifications to your facility, if your equipment is greater than 50 volts, your state adopted the 2017 edition of NFPA 70, or you cannot de-energise equipment remotely.

An arc flash study is useful for determining over-dutied electrical devices within a site, identifying miscoordination of overcurrent protection devices, and to recommend the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) required for employee safety.

Global Risk Consultants (GRC) provides arc flash services to a magnitude of industries . Our highly trained engineers take a meticulous approach to analysing your electrical equipment and assessing your arc flash risks. We offer expert advisory and precision with our innovative data collection, thorough reports, and proper label application.

We will not just do a brief inspection to get you labels. We will conduct a thorough investigation of how your electric is wired and help you determine the best course of action.

Our experts are with you throughout the process, from initial data collection through to application of labels. We provide code-related insights and expert guidance where deficiencies are observed. You can rest assured of consistent results regardless of where you are located. We support your efforts to protect your workers, be it review of the arc flash report or electrical safety training, and every step in between.

Prior to starting a project, we educate our clients on the project stages and update the client contact once each phase is complete.

We ensure that arc flash assessments are uniform across all client locations and facilities.

When we conduct the analysis, we can provide short-circuit studies,  coordination studies, and a one-line electrical diagram.

We list all observations of code issues and make them available to the client. Our survey identifies immediate electrical hazards. Our staff explains arc flash labels and installs them at your locations.

We are always on hand to answer your questions and concerns, and also offer comprehensive electrical safety and arc flash training programs.