![]() ![]() To determine where the arc flash labels should be placed, we recommend that a risk assessment should be carried out beforehand to also determine what engineering controls can be put in place beforehand to reduce as much risk as possible. Clarion Safety's sample designs became the de facto state-of-the-art for the industry. The second was a more specific warning that would be developed as the result of an arc flash study performed after the equipment is installed. The first was a general warning meant to be placed on the equipment by the equipment’s manufacturer. In 2000, just as the NEC arc flash labeling requirements were being finalized, Clarion Safety was selected by the electrical industry to assist in the development of sample designs that demonstrated each of the two types of labels under discussion. The requirement for the new warnings was, and is, meant to help make sure such accidents are few and far between. Many workers die each year as a result of arc flash explosion accidents – and most are killed because they weren’t wearing the proper PPE. These types of events often occur when maintenance workers are testing or repairing live equipment, the use of improper tools, corrosion of equipment, condensation or dust, or lack of electrical safety training can result in an incident. The temperature can get up to 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit which causes rapid heating of surrounding air and extreme pressures which cause the event. Arc flash events are electrical explosions due to a fault condition or short circuit when either a phase to ground or phase to a phase conductor are connected and current flows through the air. The purpose of the NEC-mandated warning labels is to protect people from being killed by the incredible explosive energy released during an arc flash event- producing fire, pressure waves, intense light, and shrapnel. Examples include specialized gloves, clothing, and face shields. The National Electrical Code (NEC) broke new ground in 2000 when it began mandating the need to warn people performing maintenance on electrical panels about the hazards of arc flash and the subsequent need to wear very specific personal protective equipment (PPE).
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