Table of Contents
- What is an Arc Flash?
- What is Electric Arcing?
- What are the Causes of an Arc Flash?
- How do you Prevent an Arc Flash?
- How do I Know if I Need Arc Flash PPE?
- What does an Arc Flash Study Involve?
- Who Needs to Carry Out an Arc Flash Study?
- Are All Arc Flash Garments the Same?
All about the blinding, deafeningly loud explosion that threatens electricians daily.
An Arc Flash occurs when an electrical discharge travels through the air and releases an intense burst of energy. This flash is capable of causing serious harm to anyone caught by it, so adequate Arc Flash protection is of the utmost importance.
The energy expelled by an Arc Flash event can be deadly, with temperatures reaching up to 35,000ºF or more than 19,000ºC. It goes without saying; this can burn clothing and human skin within fractions of a second, even if the operative is situated five or six metres away from the Arc Flash event.
The cause of an arc flash typically stems from contact between an energized conductor, such as a bus bar or wire, and another conductor or grounded surface. This can occur due to equipment failure, uninsulated tools, or damaged cables. While it is often assumed that high voltage systems are more prone to arc flash incidents, studies have shown that low voltage systems can be equally, if not more, hazardous. Variables such as the current flow, gap size between conductors, electrode composition, and surrounding environmental factors all influence the severity of the arc flash.
What industries are at risk of an Arc Flash?
The main industries at risk of an Arc Flash are those working in:
Risks also exist for electricians working in homes and Arc Flashes are becoming more known with the emergence of Electrical Vehicle Manufacturing.
What is Electric Arcing?
Electric arcing is the process where an electrical current jumps across a gap between two conductive points through the air. Instead of flowing through a wire or intended path, the electricity travels through ionised air, creating a visible arc of light and heat.
This typically happens when there is a break, loose connection, or fault in an electrical system. When the voltage is high enough, it can overcome the resistance of the air and allow the current to bridge the gap between conductors or between a conductor and earth.
Electric arcing can occur for several reasons, including worn insulation, damaged cables, corrosion, dust build-up, or poorly maintained equipment. Even a small gap between conductive surfaces can allow an arc to form if the electrical conditions are right.
While electric arcing is sometimes controlled and used in applications such as welding or arc furnaces, unintended arcing in electrical systems is dangerous. It can damage equipment, start fires, and in severe cases develop into an Arc Flash, where the arc releases a powerful burst of heat, light, and pressure.
What Are the Causes of an Arc Flash?
Equipment Failure
It stands to reason that if equipment fails or is improperly designed or installed, an Arc Flash incident could be caused. Faulty system design can also contribute to an increased likelihood of Arc Flash incidents, also known as electrical flashovers. Damage to insulation, gaps, or wear and tear can also create the pathways needed for an unwanted electric discharge through the air. Exposed live parts or loose connections could also be the culprits. Regular inspections of your electrical systems and equipment will help to predict and prevent Arc Flash incidents.
Spontaneous
There are other factors which can increase the likelihood of an Arc Flash incident. These causes include:
- Corrosion of electrical equipment
- A build up of dust, which can conduct an electrical charge
- Moisture or vapor, which can also conduct an electrical charge
- Animal contact – mice, for example, can create the route needed for an Arc Flash to occur
Human Error
Human error is the most common cause of Arc Flash incidents. It could be a gang breaking ground and hitting a cable not marked on the services plan, a test probe touched to the wrong surface, or a tool dropped accidentally which hits a live switchgear.
Other ways that human error can cause an Arc Flash are through the improper installation of equipment, preventative maintenance that isn’t carried out properly (or at all) and failing to de-energise equipment where it’s possible. A lack of appropriate training can increase the chances of human error causing an incident. But distractions, weariness, the pressure to get the job done quickly and restore power, or just an overly-relaxed attitude can make electrical engineers bypass safety procedures, which can all too easily result in a dropped tool or making contact between energised conductors.
How do you Prevent an Arc Flash?
Many people ask, how do you prevent an Arc Flash? While PPE is essential for protecting workers from the effects of an Arc Flash, prevention should always be part of a wider safety strategy. Reducing the likelihood of an incident in the first place helps create a safer working environment for everyone involved.
Some key ways to help prevent an Arc Flash include:
- Conducting regular Arc Flash risk assessments – Identify potential hazards and high-risk areas within electrical systems.
- Maintaining electrical equipment – Ensure switchgear, circuit breakers, and protective devices are serviced and functioning correctly.
- Implementing safe working practices – Use lockout/tagout procedures and limit live work wherever possible.
- Training staff – Make sure all personnel are aware of Arc Flash risks and understand how to work safely around electrical systems.
- Using appropriate signage and labelling – Clearly mark Arc Flash boundaries and hazard zones to raise awareness.
Combined with the correct PPE and arcflash safety protocols, these preventative measures help reduce both the risk and severity of Arc Flash incidents. Seeking a specialist is important to try to prevent an Arc Flash from happening, however Arc Flash PPE should always be worn where there is even the smallest chance of an Arc Flash happening.
The 4P Methodology For Arc Flash Hazard Management
To effectively manage Arc Flash risks in the workplace, a structured, practical approach is essential. That’s where the 4P Methodology comes in. Developed to simplify and standardise Arc Flash hazard management, this four-step process helps organisations move from assessment to action—ensuring both compliance and safety for their teams. The 4P methodology simplifies hazard assessments into four steps:
- Predict – An educated prediction on the severity of an Arc Flash following an assessment.
- Prevent – Prevent any damage through hazard mitigation. This includes reducing the risks and mitigating hazards.
- Protect – Protect workers from residual hazards using PPE and procedures.
- Publish – Publish the results with the wider team and provide training.
The Importance of Arc Flash PPE
Thermal energy from an Arc Flash incident can be deadly. When someone is exposed to an Arc Flash incident, serious burns and other potentially life threatening injuries can be minimised and even avoided by effectively utilising Arc Flash garments.
An Arc Flash event may not be a daily occurrence in your business, but they are happening multiple times every working day in the UK. Risk assessment and precautions through safe working practices can be instigated by your company, and that will limit the possibility of an Arc Flash incident. These Arc Flash studies assess the risks in your working environment.
Wearing the correct Arc Flash protective garments for a specific risk level will further increase safety. There will always remain a risk, but there is significant Arc Flash protection available through wearing the correct garments.
How Do I Know If I Need Arc Flash PPE?
Keeping your team safe is always top priority. And your team need to be protected against an Arc Flash incident if there is a risk of one occurring whilst they work.
If your teams work in the above industries or close to sources of high voltage, there is a good chance they need to be protected. Your first step may be to conduct an Arc Flash study at your site. An Arc Flash study is a risk assessment of a workplace environment that determines Arc Flash hazards. An expert in electrical safety conducts an assessment to ensure that a company understands the risks their workplace poses to their team and how to protect against them. Assessment providers may also offer training to increase your team’s awareness and options for periodic reviews.
If your teams operate in industries such as rail, utilities, industrial electrical, power generation, or petrochemicals, there is a strong likelihood that Arc Flash protection should be considered. However, risks are not limited to large industrial environments. Electricians working in commercial buildings, residential settings, and emerging sectors such as electric vehicle manufacturing may also encounter Arc Flash hazards.
One of the most reliable ways to determine whether Arc Flash PPE is required is to carry out an Arc Flash study at your site. This study acts as a detailed risk assessment of your electrical infrastructure and working environment. It identifies where Arc Flash hazards may exist, calculates the potential incident energy that could be released, and defines the safe working distances around electrical equipment.
An electrical safety specialist typically performs the assessment by analysing system data, inspecting equipment, and carrying out technical calculations. The results help organisations understand the level of risk present and determine the appropriate category of PPE required for specific tasks.
In addition to identifying PPE requirements, assessment providers may also recommend improvements to electrical protection systems, provide Arc Flash labelling for equipment, and offer training to ensure staff understand the hazards they may face. Ongoing reviews and periodic reassessments are also important, particularly if electrical systems are modified or expanded over time to ensure workers at risk have the best arc flash protection.
By combining a professional Arc Flash study with proper training and protective equipment, organisations can significantly reduce the risk to their workforce and ensure safer working practices around electrical systems.
What Does an Arc Flash Study Involve?
How big would the bang be?
That is the central question that an Arc Flash study seeks to answer. Only by knowing this can you adequately protect your team against the Arc Flash risks of their working environment. An Arc Flash study will identify areas of low risk, as well as those at high risk of an Arc Flash incident. This allows you to tailor your Arc Flash protection strategy accordingly. The study will also assess the potential severity of injury at a given distance and locate the protection boundary at which there is a severe danger of second-degree burns.
There are many facets to a successful Arc Flash assessment and generally, they are adapted to fit your specific industry and requirements. They can include Arc Flash calculations, fault level studies and comprehensive site surveys.
What else is included?
Arc Flash studies also review how quickly protective devices, such as circuit breakers and relays, operate during a fault. Faster fault clearance can significantly reduce the energy released in an arc flash event, so part of the process may involve recommending adjustments to protection settings or system design to improve safety.
There are many components involved in a comprehensive Arc Flash assessment, and they are often tailored to suit the specific industry, facility layout, and electrical infrastructure. Typically, an Arc Flash study may include detailed Arc Flash calculations, fault level studies, protection coordination analysis, and thorough site surveys to gather accurate system data.
By combining these elements, an Arc Flash study provides a clear understanding of electrical hazards across a site and forms the foundation for safer working practices, improved system protection, and compliance with relevant safety standards.
Who Needs to Carry Out an Arc Flash Study?
Do I Need to Carry Out an Arc Flash Study?
If you’re asking the question, do I need to carry out an Arc Flash Study? You’re asking the right questions. Companies in the UK are not currently obliged to perform Arc Flash assessments on their sites. This is in stark opposition to the USA, where there is more awareness about the dangers of Arc Flash incidents. An Arc Flash study may be optional, but the positive impact on safety within your organisation is likely to be significant. Arc Flash protective clothing is vital to protect your team should they be at risk.
An Arc Flash study will highlight what level of protection is needed, allowing you to make an informed decision about your team’s Arc Flash protective clothing requirements. Arc Flash garments are available from specialist Arc Flash and non-specialist suppliers – we believe that when lives are at stake that you should trust a specialist. All garments that are rated for Arc Flash protection conform to EN Standards, but not all Arc Flash garments are created equal.
Arc Flash protection is found in specialist garments – everything from insulating warm Arc Flash base layers to Arc Flash waterproof jackets and trousers. Enhanced and effective Arc Flash protection comes through wearing layers of protective garments manufactured from inherent fibres and which feature specific Arc Flash resilient components. In addition, the level of protection or Arc Rated Category and other information about the garment’s level of protection should be clearly visible.
Are all Arc Flash Garments the same?
Not all Arc Flash protective garments are manufactured the same. Whilst many garments meet minimum standards, you need to ensure that the level of protection and quality of the garment are sufficient to provide the protection the wearer needs. Multi-norm protection involves many different types of protection.
Quality Arc Flash protective garments from ProGARM won’t simply allow you to survive an incident, they will significantly reduce the level of injury that is sustained.
We believe when lives are at stake you should trust a specialist. Someone who is using 100% inherent fibres, that develops highly durable garments that will continue to offer a high level of protection throughout the life of the garment and that has a high level of production rigour to ensure a consistent quality and garment traceability.
Becky Keegan
Becky Keegan develops content strategies for ProGARM. With a focus on audience engagement and industry education, she helps communicate the importance of arc flash PPE and high-performance protective workwear, backed by rigorous testing and in-house manufacturing.