Friday, August 23, 2013

Things To Know About Arc Flash Analysis?

By Tara Daniels


Arc flash analysis is an important aspect of safety for people that work with electricity. It's an energy explosion that is usually caused by some sort of fault in an electrical voltage system. However, this is not always the case. Oftentimes the origin of the explosion can be traced to things like accidental dropping of tools or corrosion of wires or machinery. Other things that may cause the explosion are sabotage and bad working practices.

Some of the fiercest flash explosions can run as hot as thirty five thousand degrees. Therefore, it makes a great deal of sense to ensure the workplace is as safe as it can be for employees. Risks cannot be eliminated altogether, but things can be greatly improved, even in the United States. Every day five to ten people are seriously injured in flash explosions in America.

Firms and states have to show their citizens and employees that they value their safety. The states do this by passing laws and the companies do this by implementing policies that protect their staff. It starts with bringing in an engineer to analyze systems and collect data on equipment.

Part of the investigations into electrical problems centers on analyzing short circuits as well as looking at power systems. This means making sure that equipment is safe to use and that it's been verified as safe. The basic premise behind this is that by studying the various systems accidents will be reduced.

One of the best ways to increase the risk to employees is for firms to embark on cost cutting exercises. These can compromise staff safety and leave employers liable to prosecution. As an example, NFPA tables are supposed to be a short-term solution until an engineer has done a complete inspection and has made recommendations. However, some firms will ignore reports and just use estimated levels of risk.

Among the many mistakes made by companies one is the decision to do away with analysis completely. Sometimes the cost of bringing in an engineer is seen as an unnecessary expense. Whilst this approach does save some cash it does not address the fundamental issues involved. The best way of ensuring that employees working with electrical distributions systems are safe is to bring in engineers to collect data on the levels of power in those systems.

The way that an arc flash blast is calculated is in terms of the energy and time they use. Therefore, it is fairly clear that not allowing an engineer to investigate the power of electrical equipment is a false economy. Whilst it's possible to estimate the level of risk to employees, a firm risks exposing them to high levels of risk if they underestimate the power levels. If they overestimate the power levels then they risk spending too much money on safety equipment.

When thinking about whether to bring in an engineer to do arc flash analysis, it is worth remembering that the detailed reports that are produced may save a firm a lot of money and could spare any potential lawsuit from injured employees. The reports are usually fairly detailed and usually recommend certain courses of action.




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