The understanding and awareness of arc flash and related hazards has increased greatly in industry. However, the application of product or design solutions intended to reduce the hazard levels or mitigate the risk of arc flash events has received relatively little attention. A simple graphic will provide information on five distinct methods that have been successfully applied in arc flash mitigation solutions.

1. Terry Schiazza
February 2014
SME Conference, Salt Lake City, USA

2. 2
● Background
● Industry Issues
● Arc Flash Characteristics
● Visualizing Arc Flash Mitigation Solutions
● Conclusion

3. Common contributing
factors across the
reported incidents
include:
• Working on live electrical
equipment without standard
operating procedures
• The use of faulty electrical
equipment, and
• Inadvertent contact with ’live’
electrical equipment near water or
in damp situations
http://www.worksafe.vic.gov.au

5. 5
5-10
2000

6. 500ms500ms100ms50ms 1s
Arc Blast & Arc Flash occur
together. The term Arc Flash
often refers to both
phenomena. From here on,
the term Arc Flash will be
used for both terms.
Damages
Thermal
Effects
Fault
Duration

8. 8
• Engineering Controls
• Future Developments
• Wise Investment

10. 10
Mitigating arc flash hazards – A simple graphic helps visualize five distinct safety
approaches
Coal, copper, silver and more; you would probably agree your most precious resource is
your people. The protection of personnel must be of utmost importance in procedure and
practice. In the area of electrical systems, it begins in the design phase and continues
through implementation, installation and execution.
Recently, the understanding and awareness of arc flash and related hazards has increased
greatly among electrical workers, engineers, and safety personnel. But while much
attention has focused on the need for system analysis and the selection of appropriate
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), the application of product or design solutions
intended to reduce the hazard levels or mitigate the risk of arc flash events has received
relatively little attention.
This paper, through a simple graphic, will provide information on five distinct methods that
have been successfully applied in arc flash mitigation solutions.