FHM TRAINING TOOLS

This training presentation is part of FHMs

commitment to creating and keeping safe
workplaces.

Be sure to check out all the training programs
that are specific to your industry.
These materials have been developed based on applicable federal laws and regulations in place at the time the materials were created. The program
is being provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute and is not intended to provide OSHA compliance certification,
regulatory compliance, a substitute for any "hands on training required by applicable laws and regulations, or other legal or professional advice or
services. By accessing the materials, you assume all responsibility and risk arising from the use of the content contained therein.
2010 Grainger Safety Services, Inc.

Arc Flash Safety
Learning Objectives
After this course, you will:
Understand the Arc Flash Hazard
Recognize National Consensus
Standards on the topic
Be familiar with the
OSHA requirements
Course Agenda
Presentation Agenda:
Introduction to Arc Flash
National Consensus Standards
The OSHA Position
Section 1
Arch Flash
Arc flash or arc blast is:
The arc of high-amperage currents through the air.
A discharge of high voltages across a gap between
conductors
The current travels through the air
Temperatures as high as
35,000 Fahrenheit
What causes an arc flash?
Bridging electrical contacts with a conducting object
Dropped tools
Buildup of conductive dust or corrosion

Causes
Arc Flash Conditions
Arc flash conditions:
Working on an energized circuit
Electrical equipment failure

Three primary hazards:
1. Thermal radiation and intense heat
2. Pressure wave blast
3. Molten metal
Arc Flash Hazards
Thermal Radiation and Intense Heat
Factors affecting degree of injury:
Skin color
Area of skin exposed
Type of clothing worn

To reduce risk of burn:
Proper clothing
Work distances
Over-current protection
Pressure wave blast:
25,000-amp arc:
Feels like a force of about 480 pounds
May cause serious ear damage
May result in memory loss due to concussion

Pressure wave may throw victim:
May propel objects over
great distances
Pressure Wave Blast
Molten Metal
High-voltage arcs can melt electrical equipment:
Molten metal may be propelled great distances
Section 2
National Consensus Standard:
Promulgated by a nationally recognized standards-
producing organization
Offers opportunity to consider diverse views
Designated by the Secretary
National Consensus Standards
The OSH Act:
Only national consensus standards that have been
adopted as, or specifically incorporated by
reference into, an OSHA standard provide a means
of compliance with the OSH Act
While requiring employers to comply with OSHA
standards, the OSH Act also authorizes OSHA to
treat certain violations, which have no direct or
immediate relationship to safety and
health, as de minimis, requiring
no penalty or abatement

Compliance with National Consensus Standards
Standard for Workplace Electrical Safety:
Wide range of electrical safety issues
Assist employers comply with OSHA standards
NFPA 70E
Four Protective Strategies
Four protective strategies:
1. Creating an electrically
safe work condition
2. Training workers
3. Planning the task
4. Selecting and using personal
protective equipment
Understanding terminology is essential to implement
control measures
Terminology
Arc Flash Hazard Analysis:
Measures incident energy that may strike an
employee
Determines the arc flash protection boundary
Establishes the personal protective
equipment necessary
Helps create practices to accomplish
the desired work
Arc Flash Hazard Analysis
The working distance:
Distance from where worker stands to flash location
Common distance is 18 inches
Incident energy can be used to
select protective equipment

Working Distance
Incident Energy
Incident energy:
Measure of thermal energy at working distance from
an arc fault
Measured in Calories per square Centimeter,
or cal/cm
2

2nd degree burn of human
skin is at 1.2 cal/cm
2

The Arc Flash Protection Boundary is
the distance from which a person could
receive a second degree burn
Arc Flash Protection Boundary
How to Use NFPA 70E
NFPA 70E is valuable in complying with
the OSHA electrical standards
Section 3
OSHA standards as they relate to NFPA 70E:
OSHA does not enforce requirements of NFPA 70E
NFPA 70E can be used by OSHA and employers as
guides in making hazard analyses and selecting
control measures

OSHA Use of National Consensus Standards
Does OSHA issue General Duty Clause violations to
companies who do not follow the new NFPA 70E?
A violation of the General Duty Clause exists if an
employer fails to furnish a workplace that is free from
recognized hazards
The General Duty Clause is not used to enforce the
provisions of consensus standards
The General Duty Clause usually
is not used if there is a
standard that applies to the
particular condition, practice,
means, operation, or
process involved

The General Duty Cause
Marking of Electrical Equipment
OSHA has no specific requirement for marking of
electrical equipment to warn qualified persons of
potential arc flash hazards.
Paragraph (e) of 1910.303 requires employers to
mark electrical equipment with descriptive
markings, including the equipment's voltage,
current, wattage, or other ratings as necessary
Is flame-resistant clothing required for employees working on
electrical installations covered by Subpart S?
OSHA's present requirements in Subpart S, Safety-Related
Work Practices, are based on NFPA 70E-1983, which did not
at that time include specific provisions for
flame-resistant clothing
More recent versions of NFPA 70E
have included such body
protection provisions
OSHA's existing Subpart S does
not include a specific requirement
for fire-resistant clothing

Flame-Resistant Clothing
OSHA provisions for selection and use of
work practices contained in 1910.333(a)(1)
generally require de-energization of live parts
before an employee works on or near them.
Exposure is limited to when the equipment is
shut down and when the qualified employee
verifies, by use of a test instrument, a de-
energized state
When employees perform work on energized
circuits, as permitted by 1910.333(a)(1), tools
and handling equipment that might make
contact with exposed energized parts must be
insulated in accordance with 1910.335(a)(2)(i)
OSHA-Requires De-energization
Personal protective Equipment (PPE):
Must be worn for eyes and face when there is
danger of injury
Use equipment to protect employees from:
Electric shocks
Blast
Arc flash burn hazards
Additional OSHA Requirements
NFPA 70E-2004 standards:
Arc Flash Hazard analysis
Flash-protection boundary
Personal protective equipment
NFPA 70E, Article 130 provisions:
Energized electrical work
authorization permit
Brief employees before they
start each job

Supplemental Steps to Ensure Worker Safety
Additional Information
Additional Information:
29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, Electrical
National Fire Protection Agency:
NFPA 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety
in the Workplace

2009
OSHA 3075:
Controlling Electrical Hazards 2002