Many damaged employees never regain their pre-incident status following an electrical incident, whether it is fatal or not (arc flash, electrocution, or another type). Additionally, if an employer does not adopt preventative or risk-reduction measures, the costs are exponential and are estimated by the Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI) to be in the millions of dollars in direct and indirect expenses.
We’ll go through the fundamentals of these assessments today, including why it’s important to conduct an arc flash risk assessment, how to do it, and what to do next to reduce the risk afterwards.
In light of this, it is crucial to identify risks, take precautions to lower the likelihood of them happening, and take action to lessen damage should an accident occur. Arc Flash Risk Assessment is one of the most crucial processes to identify, quantify, and reduce.
Assessments offer:
Insight into the actions a firm must take to protect employees as part of a bigger safety program and culture. Employers can use the findings of these analyses to implement the hierarchy of controls recently highlighted as essential to the update of the 2018 Edition of NFPA 70E, which is to reduce or eliminate risk (de-energization), increase awareness (labelling), offer training, or choose the appropriate equipment for the job.
The institution should undergo these assessments every five years or whenever there are significant changes that could enhance the risk or severity of an incident. As part of a much bigger electrical safety program, we will examine the fundamentals of arc flash risk assessments today.
Three Steps to Complete a Risk Assessment According to NFPA 70E
While risk assessments can be carried out for any process or hazard, NFPA 70E and IEEE 1584 are used as a guide for arc flash studies. These studies in turn influence NEC Article 110 and OSHA 1910.132. (d). The objective of an arc flash risk assessment, according to NFPA 70E, is a three-step procedure:
- Determine a Hazard
- Calculate the Probability of Occurrence and the Potential Injury Severity
- Assess the Need for Additional Protective Measures
Arc Flash investigations must be finished before any person is exposed to electrical risks, and they typically take four to six weeks to complete depending on the size of the building.
Step 1: Determine Any Hazards:
Finding a danger is the first step in a risk assessment. Risks and hazards are different from one another; a risk is the possibility and severity of an accident, whereas a hazard is a source of possible harm to one’s health. Step 1 is concerned with identifying hazards (i.e. determining if something may pose a risk when a worker is completing a task).
Even though there is a risk, well-maintained equipment won’t be present during routine use or for specific jobs. Non-contact inspections, like infrared thermography, don’t carry a substantial danger, but they can’t be finished unless risks are found.
A Reference Guide for Hazard Identification is found in Table 130.5(C):
This governing body has included more and more tables to aid in decision-making as feedback from engineers, businesses, and workers has continued to refine and improve the NFPA 70E Standard. One such table is Table 130.5(C), which is intended to offer quick guidance regarding whether a certain task or piece of equipment poses a hazard, albeit it does not serve as a substitute for a thorough risk assessment.
The 2018 standard’s Section 130.5(C) reads, “Table 130.5(C) shall be permitted to be used to evaluate the chance of occurrence of an arc flash incident to decide whether extra protective measures are necessary.”
- As a further clarification, table 130.5(C) only applies to machinery that is in “normal operational condition,” which is defined as the following:
- According to the manufacturer’s instructions and any applicable industry norms and standards, the equipment is installed correctly.
- According to the manufacturer’s recommendations and any applicable industry norms and standards, the equipment is properly maintained.
- The equipment is utilized in accordance with the listing and labelling instructions as well as the manufacturer’s guidelines.
- The doors to the equipment are shut and secured.
- The equipment covers are positioned and fastened.
- No signs of impending failures, such as arcing, overheating, loose or bound components of the equipment. Obvious damage, or degeneration, are present.
Step 2: Calculating the Probability of Occurrence and Potential Injury Severity (Assessing Risks):
The second stage is to determine the likelihood that an adverse event will occur and the severity of injury if it does, while hazard identification is one component of the equation. Calculating the amount of energy that would be released in an arc flash and comprehending. The seriousness of injuries in such an incident are both steps in the process known as risk assessment.
NFPA 70E offers two methods for approaching this issue when conducting a risk analysis: Incident Energy Analysis and PPE Tables.
Analysis of Incident Energy and Labeling:
Conducting an incident energy study is one way for determining arc flash risk. In order to determine the anticipated incident energy at various distances, this study takes the technical specifications of the apparatus into account.
In many cases, incident energy analysis—a considerably more intricate method of determining the likelihood and seriousness of injury—is utilized to evaluate equipment labelling. There are several ways to do an incident energy analysis, and a recent article on OHS. Online looked at the procedures to do so, noting the following:
The Table-Based Reverse-Study Method:
At each location, verify a few details in the field (such as the kVA of the upstream transformer), then choose and attach a pre-printed label using a table.
Engineering Analysis:
when an engineering study is still necessary, an alternate approach is adopted. Someone who is knowledgeable about the electrical code will finish data collecting in this. Noting any potential violations or instances when the operation isn’t regarded as “normal.” In order to finish step three (printing and putting labels). The engineering study will then build a one-line from the engineering program.
PPE Table Method:
The PPE Tables, which provide recommendations for a number of common jobs based on the equipment and voltage, can be used as an alternative to incident energy analysis.
We recently blogged on how NFPA 70E (2018) lowered the number of PPE Categories from five to four. Here is further information on the four PPE Categories.
Step 3: Selecting Safety Program Development and Protective Measures:
With the knowledge at hand and the hazards evaluated. You can then take this information into account when creating a far more extensive safety program. The Hierarchy of Controls, a systematic approach to a workplace safety program that offers six layers of protection. In order of effectiveness, was highlighted by NFPA 70E (2018).
Structure of Controls:
The hierarchy of controls, which we covered in our blog. Begins at the source and progresses to measures that are frequently the most practical at any facility. It starts with protections that are thought to be resistant to human mistakes. These are the six steps:
Elimination: Complete removal of the risk.
replacing a dangerous situation with a less dangerous one.
Engineering controls: Changing the working environment or replacing equipment to keep employees away from hazards.
Awareness: Informing employees of the risks and giving them knowledge on how to make safe decisions.
Creating formal procedures and techniques for operating safely under expected situations is known as administrative controls.
Providing workers with clothing and equipment that is intended to lower risk and lessen. The severity of injuries is known as personal protective equipment (PPE).
PPE: Your last line of defence and an essential component of any safety program
The completion of an arc flash risk assessment is not only a crucial step in figuring out the best ways to protect workers. But is also vital for every electrical activity. The reverse-study method, PPE tables, and other innovations have all been made possible by the new NFPA 70E standard. Which has made incident energy calculation and equipment selection easier and cheaper than before.
Personal protective equipment is your last line of defence and is a necessary component of a larger safety program intended. To minimize damage to workers, as was covered in our blog post on the hierarchy of controls.
How does SAS Powertech assist industries?
SAS Powertech is the no.1 Arc flash Risk assessment service provider in India. We offer the safest assessment services to ensure that your industry can have the most secure work environment and reduce downtime. To enhance the efficiency of work.
