Arc Flash Incident Explained

By R.W. Hurst, Editor

An arc flash incident is a catastrophic electrical explosion that poses significant risks to workers and equipment in various industries. These events occur when an electrical current passes through the air, creating an arc that releases intense heat, light, and pressure. The consequences of an arc flash (AF) event can be devastating, leading to severe injuries, fatalities, and extensive property damage.

What Are the Primary Causes?

An arc flash incident is a dangerous occurrence that can happen in any electrical system, often resulting in severe damage and injury. The primary causes include:

Equipment Failure: Defects in electrical equipment, such as aging components, insulation failure, or faulty circuit breakers, can lead to an AF event. Regular maintenance and timely replacement of worn parts are crucial.
Human Error: Mistakes made by personnel, such as incorrect installation, inadequate maintenance, or accidental contact with live parts, significantly increase the risk of arc flash incidents.
Environmental Factors: Dust, moisture, and corrosion can degrade the performance of electrical systems, making them more susceptible to short circuits and AF events.
Short Circuit: A short circuit can cause a massive release of energy, leading to an AF. This often occurs when there is a direct connection between conductors, bypassing the normal load.

Arc flash incidents pose significant risks in any workplace that involves electrical equipment. Understanding the causes, implementing preventive measures, and having a robust response plan are critical to ensuring the safety of all personnel. Regular maintenance, proper training, and the use of personal protective equipment are essential components of a comprehensive safety strategy that can prevent the devastating impacts of an AF event. By thoroughly investigating and documenting any incidents that do occur, organizations can continuously improve their safety protocols and minimize the risk of future incidents.

An example of the hierarchy of methods in order of effectiveness is shown in Figure 5.1:

What Immediate Actions Should Be Taken?

The immediate response to an AF event is critical to minimizing harm and ensuring safety:

Ensure Safety: Evacuate the area immediately and ensure that all personnel are accounted for. Isolate the affected area to prevent further exposure.
Medical Assistance: Provide first aid to any injured individuals and call for emergency medical services. Burns and other injuries should be treated as quickly as possible.
Secure the Area: Turn off the power supply to the affected electrical equipment if it is safe to do so. This helps prevent additional incidents.
Report the Incident: Notify the appropriate authorities and supervisors about the incident to initiate an official response and investigation.

How Can Arc Flash Incidents Be Prevented in the Workplace?

Preventing arc flash incidents requires a comprehensive safety strategy that includes:

Regular Maintenance: Schedule and perform routine maintenance on electrical equipment to ensure it is in good working condition. Replace faulty components, such as circuit breakers, before they cause problems.
Employee Training: Train all employees on the dangers of AF events and the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Ensure they understand the importance of following safety protocols.
Use of PPE: Provide and enforce the use of appropriate PPE, including flame-resistant clothing, face shields, gloves, and hearing protection. Proper PPE significantly reduces the risk of injury during an AF event.
Risk Assessment: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards within the electrical system. Implement measures to mitigate these risks, such as upgrading equipment and improving safety procedures.

What Are the Typical Injuries and Health Impacts?

Arc flash incidents can cause a range of severe injuries and health impacts, including:

Burns: The intense heat generated by an AF can cause second and third-degree burns, which can be life-threatening and require extensive medical treatment.
Electric Shocks: Direct contact with energized parts during an AF event can lead to electric shocks, which can cause cardiac arrest or severe internal injuries.
Hearing Damage: The loud noise from an AF explosion can result in temporary or permanent hearing loss.
Psychological Effects: Witnessing or being involved in an arc flash incident can lead to psychological trauma, including anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

How Should an Arc Flash Incident Be Investigated and Documented?

A thorough investigation and documentation process is essential to understand the causes of an AF event and prevent future occurrences:

Evidence Collection: Gather evidence from the scene, including damaged equipment, photographs, and witness statements. This helps in understanding the sequence of events leading up to the incident.
Interview Witnesses: Conduct interviews with all personnel present during the incident to gather detailed accounts of what happened. This can provide insights into potential procedural failures or human errors.
Analyze Causes: Analyze the collected evidence to identify the root cause of the incident. Determine whether it was due to equipment failure, human error, or environmental factors.
Document Findings: Prepare a detailed report documenting the findings of the investigation. Include recommendations for corrective actions to address the identified causes and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Implement Changes: Based on the investigation's findings, implement necessary changes to safety procedures, employee training, and equipment maintenance protocols.

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March 12, 2020, Renton, WA…Street and area lighting manufacturer Evluma, announces the release of a new globe accessory line, OmniMax Lighting Solutions (OLS) to complement their OmniMax family of LED replacement lamps. OLS is a custom, curated selection of spherical and acorn style globes for decorative streetlights. The OmniMax is a Bluetooth-connected, screw-in replacement lamp for use in decorative post top globe and acorn lights. The release of a globe line to complement the OmniMax is designed to make the HID to LED conversion and maintenance process easier for Evluma customers.

Customers executing a retrofit project can conveniently purchase a replacement globe at the same time they purchase the OmniMax. “The wide variety of styles and materials offered means that we can typically provide a customer with a globe that matches an older style,” said Marketing Director, Cathleen Shattuck. “Customers can refresh globes simultaneously with OmniMax installation to save on labor, or if they suddenly discover damage to individual light fixtures, we can quickly provide them with a solution. Our high level of customer service means we are well-adapted to quick turnaround on orders of any size, keeping the process convenient and low cost.”

Using OmniMax, municipalities, utilities and electric departments converting post top fixtures from HID to LED can do so in under 5 minutes a fixture. The OmniMax is available in both Premium and Standard models. Premium models are Bluetooth-enabled and are compatible with Evluma’s wireless control application, ConnectLED. Both models carry a ten-year warranty and offer Evluma’s signature low-glare illumination.

About Evluma

Formed in 2008, Evluma is committed to developing affordable, long-lasting and environmentally low-impact LED lighting solutions that fundamentally change the landscape of the outdoor utility lighting market. Evluma’s high standard of customer service and background in innovative lighting technologies, automation and software design creatively ideate and inform its utility-grade products. Evluma is located in Renton, WA, USA.

09/24/20

Evluma's Build-Your-Own Acorn is an Affordable Answer to Decorative Streetlight LED Upgrades

Street and area light manufacturer Evluma announces the release of Build-Your-Own Acorn; a full-fixture, decorative streetlight replacement solution that includes the customer’s choice of acorn globe, finial and capital fitter. This solution is designed for utilities, municipalities, facilities and property managers looking to upgrade their existing decorative lighting from HID to LED and features the OmniMax™ LED lamp as its light source.

“Build-Your-Own-Acorn is a tailored solution that puts control in the hands of the customer,” said Evluma Product Manager Jason Dobbs. “With the value-driven OmniMax at the center of quality, cost-effective options, this is an affordable approach to complete head replacements. Build-Your-Own-Acorn offers the freedom to replace and repair fixtures without being locked into a proprietary OEM solution that may be hard to change later and typically costs more. It’s everything but the pole.”

Build-Your-Own Acorn includes multiple styles of acrylic and polycarbonate globes, in addition to a cast aluminum capital fitter. The capital fits 3 inch and 4 inch poles and is offered in black or green. The 70W OmniMax LED lamp is offered in six different color temperatures ranging from 2000K-5000K in either the Premium or Standard. OmniMax Premium includes Evluma’s patented, maintenance-saving Photocontrol Failsafe™ and compatibility with Evluma’s Bluetooth lighting app ConnectLED™. OmniMax Standard ships without connectivity features or Photocontrol Failsafe built-in.

“Photocontrol Failsafe means never having to replace a failed photocontrol ever again,” said Janine Soper, Evluma’s Regional Sales Manager. “With ConnectLED, the OmniMax Premium can be quickly dimmed or programmed with a dimming schedule, offering additional aesthetic and energy saving opportunities,” said Janine.

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High Voltage, Inc. is an American test equipment manufacturing company located in rural Copake, NY. We are known for high quality, easy to use equipment and for our commitment to providing the best customer and product support in the industry.

As we matured we expanded into larger products. Cable fault locators (thumpers) as well as higher power ac (HPA) dielectric testers as might be used in a factory environment. Our HPA line of ac testers are available with outputs up to 300 kV ac and power levels up to 40 kVA and can be customized with various levels of control sophistication.

Our new PAR line of ac dielectric testers are designed to meet the needs of those who need power levels up to 250 kVA, to be able to test their highly capacitive test loads. Using ac resonant technology outputs of 50 kV at 5A (for example) are possible with an input of only 230 v, 90 A. That is an input of 20 kVA for an output of 250 kVA. (Model PAR-50250FC5)

The PAR models consist of a control section and a high voltage section. While large, they are transportable by van or trailer for field work. The control section includes the input breaker, variable (motorized) input control, a PLC controller, and connections for controlling the hv section. The high voltage section is a steel tank with a phenolic output bushing. Inside this tank is a variable-core reactor in an insulating oil bath with an air space at the top to allow for thermal expansion.

The variable reactor looks similar to a transformer but has a moveable core that allows the inductance value to vary to match the capacitance of the load, thereby achieving resonance. This effectively cancels the load capacitance, as far as input power requirements are concerned. Once in resonance, the input voltage is increased until the desired output voltage level is achieved. For a capacitive load that must be tested at power frequency the PAR reduces power requirements, as well as test equipment size by one tenth to one thirtieth, compared to a test transformer.

The HVI PAR family of resonant as dielectric testers are perfect for power frequency testing of power cables, rotating machinery, bushings, instrument transformers, transformers, shunt reactors, and many other products.

For more info please contact sales@hvinc.com to discuss your application.
For more information on these and other high voltage test products, contact High Voltage, Inc. at www.hvinc.com, sales@hvinc.com, or call 518-329-3275.

03/07/22

Evluma Launches Low-Glare LED Roadway Luminaire

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This sleek and stylish luminaire was designed with RP-8-18 roadway requirements in mind. The unique optical design offers a combination of roadway performance and glare control unprecedented in the industry. “RoadMax is an advancement of Evluma’s reputation for low-glare, visually-pleasing outdoor lighting,” says Taisha Bezzo, National Sales Director. “RoadMax addresses contemporary concerns regarding disability glare and light trespass from roadway lighting while maintaining exceptional pole spacing.”

Multiple luminaire configurations for Type II, Type III and Type V, all with zero-uplight (U0), are offered. Additional features such as a field adjustable wattage selector (FAO), light trespass shields and a choice of photocontrol sockets are available. RoadMax can be customized to include Evluma’s Photocontrol FailsafeTM, a patented technology that solves photocontrol failures on street and area lights. Compatibility with ConnectLEDTM, Evluma’s Bluetooth app for wireless lighting controls, enables dimming and dimming schedules without the need for a network. Evluma’s comprehensive 10-year warranty and signature 20kV/10kA surge protection comes standard with every model.