White Paper WP083033EN Effective August 2018

What you need to know

about arc flash
Adam Reeves, Understanding and mitigating the dangers of electrical explosions.
P.E., Senior Power
Systems Engineer,
Eaton, USA Executive summary What is an arc flash?
Arc flash—a fiery explosion that can result from In the simplest terms, an arc flash is the energy
David G. Loucks, short circuits in high-power electrical devices—kills release that occurs during an electrical fault when
Ph.D., P.E., workers in the U.S. every year and permanently current flows through the air between two live
CEM, Manager, injures many more. An arc flash can also wreak conductors, causing a short circuit. In a residential
Application & financial havoc in the form of fines, lawsuits and setting, an arc flash usually produces little more
Advanced System damage to expensive equipment. Yet, many than a brief flash of light before extinguishing itself
Engineering, equipment operators are perilously unfamiliar harmlessly. In a commercial or industrial setting,
Eaton, USA with both the causes of arc flash events and however, voltages and currents are significantly
the serious dangers they pose. higher, so electrical faults typically release far
more energy. As a result, an arc flash routinely
This white paper aims to fill that knowledge gap produces a powerful explosion marked by searing
by providing introductory-level information about heat, toxic fumes, blinding light, deafening noise
what an arc flash is, why it’s so hazardous and and massive pressure waves.
what steps managers should take to safeguard
their employees, infrastructure and productivity.

Figure 1. An arc flash can ignite large and dan-

gerous explosions.

Needless to say, the human and financial repercus-

sions of such blasts can be devastating, some are
stated below:
• Injuries to employees. Without adequate
protection, workers exposed to arc flash events
can suffer third-degree burns, collapsed lungs,
vision loss, eardrum ruptures, puncture wounds,
and even death. In fact, electrical contact
results in 3,600 disabling injuries annually
and one workplace death every day in the
U.S., according to statistics from the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
• Steep medical and insurance bills. Covering
the cost of an injured employee’s medical leave
after an arc flash incident can be expensive.
In addition, businesses that have experienced
an arc flash may have difficulty obtaining
insurance and will probably pay higher rates
for any coverage they do acquire until they can
prove appropriate safety measures have been
taken.
White Paper WP083033EN What you need to know about arc flash
August 2018 

• Exposure to fines and lawsuits. Any time employees die or 2. Equip staff with appropriate personal protective
are injured on the job, costly lawsuits are almost sure to follow. equipment.
So, too, are fines from the Occupational Safety and Health
Technicians should never come within range of a potential arc-flash
Administration (OSHA). In fact, OSHA has been known to impose
hazard without wearing appropriate personal protective equipment
fines totaling millions of dollars after arc flash events, and has
(PPE), such as flame-resistant clothing, eye protection and gloves.
even fined companies that have yet to suffer an event for failure
PPE is available in varying degrees of strength, with varying degrees
to comply with arc flash safety standards. New compliance safety
of protection. Electrical engineers and fire safety professionals
standards were set by OSHA January 1, 2015, and put into effect
developed a standard to help organizations determine how much
April 1, 2015. In addition to observing revised minimum approach
protection their employees require:
distances, employers now must estimate the incident heat energy
of any electric-arc hazard to which a worker would be exposed, • NFPA 70E: Produced by the National Fire Protection Association, a
and must provide workers exposed to hazards from electric arcs non-profit organization dedicated to fire, electrical, building and life
with protective clothing and other protective equipment with an safety, NFPA 70E defines thresholds for appropriate PPE based on
arc rating greater than or equal to the estimated heat energy. the severity of potential arc flash hazards.
Through the OSHA general duty clause, companies can also be
fined for not complying with the requirements of NFPA-70E. Drawing on the two standards above, as well as data collected
during an arc flash incident energy analysis, organizations can
• Damage to equipment. Arc flash events are likely to severely accurately determine their incident energy value at each location
damage or permanently destroy any industrial, commercial in their system. Based on that value, organizations can choose the
and electrical equipment in their immediate vicinity. Smoke type of PPE their employees should wear when working in arc flash
condensation can cause further harm to sensitive electrical danger zones. Managers should also ensure that personnel from any
equipment at greater distances. Additionally, should an arc flash vendors or third-party service providers who perform maintenance
trigger the fire suppression system, valuable equipment will likely procedures on their infrastructure wear appropriate PPE at all times.
be covered in water or thick flame-retardant foam.
• Delays and downtime. Companies sometimes must wait
for OSHA to complete an investigation before repairing arc flash-
related damage. That means organizations with insufficiently
While arc flash safety standards such as IEEE 1584-2002 are extremely helpful
redundant equipment can suffer hours, days or even weeks of tools, they contain an important gap at present: single-phase-to-ground faults.
downtime after an arc flash event. Though IEEE 1584-2002 provides energy calculations for three-phase arcing
• Impact on morale. Attracting and retaining qualified technicians faults, it offers no guidance on single-phase-to-ground faults, which according to
IEEE 493-2007 Recommended Practice for the Design of Reliable Industrial and
can be difficult if an arc flash incident causes current and Commercial Power Systems, are between 7.8 (for junctions) and 73 times (for
prospective employees to view the facility as an unsafe place cable) more likely to occur than three-phase faults. Instead, the standard assumes
to work. that ground faults will either self-extinguish or escalate into a three-phase fault.
In truth, however, the additional energy released by single-phase ground faults
before they become three-phase faults can be substantial. This is because
Arc flash mitigation strategies ground faults tend to be lower current faults that require more time for upstream
protective devices to clear, while higher current three-phase faults are cleared
Given the significant dangers they pose, arc flash safety merits quickly. Since current IEEE 1584-2002 guidelines fail to take that additional energy
serious attention. Here are some of the most effective strategies into account, they may significantly underestimate the amount of protection
for reducing the frequency, severity and destruction of arc exposed workers require. As previously mentioned, on January 1, 2015, OSHA
flash incidents. implemented a new safety standard that states employers generally must provide
workers exposed to hazards from electric arcs with protective clothing and other
protective equipment with an arc rating greater than or equal to the estimated
1. Perform an incident energy analysis heat energy.
Per NFPA-70E 130.5(G) an arc flash mitigation program must be
updated every 5 years with an incident energy analysis aimed at
calculating how much energy an arc flash could release at various 3. Post warning labels
points along the power system. Incident energy is defined as the To ensure a facility’s employees are always aware of potential arc
amount of energy, at a prescribed distance from the equipment, flash hazards, companies should place warning labels on any piece
generated during an electrical arc event. It increases as the magnitude of electrical equipment that poses an arc flash risk. They should also
of current flowing in the fault and clearing time increase. Incident mark arc flash hazard zones on the floor so workers not wearing PPE
energy from an arc flash event destroys electrical equipment, injures can clearly see how far away from electrical equipment they must
personnel and contributes to extended periods of downtime. stand to avoid serious injury.
Accuracy is essential with such measurements, so managers who Note that the NFPA 70E standard explicitly requires employers to
lack direct and extensive experience with arc flash incident energy post signage notifying employees of potential arc flash dangers.
assessment should always seek assistance from a qualified power Organizations that ignore this directive dramatically increase their
systems engineer. The following standard assists with performing chances of paying serious fines and losing expensive lawsuits after
an incident energy analysis: arc flash incidents.
• IEEE 1584: Created by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE), one of the world’s most respected technical
professional associations, IEEE 1584 offers guidance on
quantifying potential arc flash incident energy levels.

Upon completion of an arc flash incident energy analysis, companies

should take the following steps:

2 EATON www.eaton.com
What you need to know about arc flash White Paper WP083033EN
 August 2018

4. Implement an employee training program

To ensure personnel understand arc flash dangers and know how

WARNING
to avoid them, be sure every existing and newly hired employee
A receives thorough arc flash safety training.

5. Reduce available fault current

Though not applicable to environments protected by fuses and
current-limiting breakers, commercial, industrial and electrical
equipment that use non-current limiting breakers (NCLBs) can
SHOCK & ARC FLASH HAZARD reduce the amount of incident energy released during an arc flash
by reducing the amount of available fault current. The following four
Location: MAIN SWGR G
Report#: TQS12345.1 Rev.0 Issued: JULY-2018 strategies can help with NCLBs that significantly reduce available
fault current.
13’ 6” B ARC FLASH BOUNDARY
LINE SIDE of MAIN

Please note that reducing arc current can result in your devices
taking longer to trip, and therefore, have a higher incident energy.
CALCULATED INCIDENT ENERGY
32 cal/cm AT 36” WORKING DISTANCE C
2 It’s important to implement the right solutions to help shorten
fault clearing time.
D
3’ 10” ARC FLASH BOUNDARY
LOAD SIDE of MAIN

a. Operate with an open tie during maintenance. Maintaining

dual electrical feeds helps increase the redundancy of their
CALCULATED INCIDENT ENERGY power supply, and hence the availability of their systems. The
E 6 cal/cm AT 36” WORKING DISTANCE
2
downside of this power architecture, however, is that it can
double the amount of current available when faults occur. In
480V Shock Hazard Limited Approach Boundary: 3’ - 6” most cases, opening the tie between dual power feeds during
F maintenance procedures reduces arc flash dangers by cutting
Min. Glove Class: 00 Restricted Approach Boundary: 1’ - 0”
available fault current in half.

Of course, opening ties during maintenance also temporarily

renders your power scheme less redundant, exposing
equipment to heightened risk of failure. Given the devastating
human and financial toll an arc flash can take, most
Callouts for label: organizations consider that a tradeoff well worth making.
A
a. The owner of the electrical equipment is responsible for b. Switch to smaller kVA and/or higher impedance
providing arc flash warning labels which are required on transformers. Consider using smaller continuously rated
electrical equipment over 50V that could be accessed while transformers and supporting infrequent overloads through
energized. temperature controlled fans. These fans can be ordered
as optional equipment on both dry-type and liquid-filled
Bb. An arc flash boundary is the distance at which the incident
transformers. Another solution is to specify high temperature
energy equals 1.2 cal/cm2, and arc-rated PPE is required for any
liquid dielectric that supports higher continuous operating
employee within the arc flash boundary.
temperatures (75OC) and therefore can be safely loaded to a
Cc. The working distance is the distance from a person’s face and higher level. In addition, or separately, higher impedance (Z)
chest to the prospective arc source. Typical working distances, on the transformer can be specified. Note that in both cases
primarily based on equipment type, are published in IEEE (smaller transformer and/or higher impedance) load flow studies
standard 1584 and used in studies to perform the incident should be performed to ensure that voltage regulation limits
energy calculations. are maintained during load switching events, especially motor
starting.
D
d. While performing two sets of calculations for the load side
and the line side of the main breaker on specific equipment c. Employ high-resistance grounding. During ground faults,
is not specified in NFPA 70E, Eaton recommends making this high-resistance grounding (HRG) systems provide a path for
a standard practice to enhance productivity and safety for ground current via a resistance that limits current magnitude.
equipment that has adequate isolation of the main protective This dramatically reduces the size of line-to-ground faults and
device. associated arc flashes. HRG can be used on systems that
service only three-phase loads. The U.S. National Electrical Code
- If the calculation is performed on the line side only, the entire prohibits using HRG on distribution systems serving loads that
switchgear lineup may be incorrectly thought to have incident are connected line-to-neutral, as are most servers. This limits
energy above 40 cal/cm2 and not able to be worked on while the practicality of an HRG system to the portion of a facility’s
energized. distribution system that typically only supplies motor loads.
d. Current limiting devices. Connected in series and used
- If the calculation is performed on the load side only, the
to reduce fault currents and to match impedance of parallel
calculated incident energy value will be relatively low, putting
feeders. For example, current limiting reactors can be used to
workers on the line side in danger.
reduce available short-circuit current, providing a reduction in the
Ee. Calculated incident energy is the amount of thermal energy bolted and arcing fault current at downstream equipment.
(cal/cm2) at a distance from an electrical arc event and
indicates the level of PPE required to protect workers
Ff. Nominal voltage, limited and restricted approach boundaries,
and PPE glove rating are also displayed on the label to help
protect workers from electric shock.
G
g. Eaton’s labels display the arc flash study report number for
reference.

EATON www.eaton.com 3
White Paper WP083033EN What you need to know about arc flash
August 2018 

often found in switchgear, can take up to 4 cycles or 67 ms to

clear a fault. Since incident energy is related to the magnitude
of current flowing in the fault and clearing time, the main circuit
breaker creates an impediment to achieve further reductions
in incident energy. Arc quenching switchgear, however, is able
to detect and contain an arc fault in less than 4 milliseconds,
and can distinguish an arc fault from arcing that occurs during
normal breaker operation. This is over 10 times faster than
systems that rely on a circuit breaker to clear a fault and yields
a corresponding reduction in incident energy. The system works
by detecting the ignition of an arc inside the switchgear using
Eaton’s arc flash relay and transferring it to the arc quenching
device where it is extinguished. Arc quenching switchgear has
such a fast clearing time that it not only provides excellent
personnel protection, but it also provides advanced equipment
protection and it minimizes downtime due to arc flash events.
NNote: When performing an incident energy analysis and implementing
mitigation solutions, care must be taken to ensure the qualified worker
understands the equipment and zone of protection. For example, a
switchboard main breaker equipped with maintenance mode may not be
Figure 2. A typical low-voltage motor control center suitable to reduce the arc flash hazard if there is not adequate separa-
tion or barriers to prevent a load side fault from propagating to the line
shown above. side of the main breaker.
6. Shorten clearing time
Just as a smaller arc flash releases less energy, so, too, does a
shorter one. Here are five techniques for shortening arc flash events
by decreasing fault clearance times:

a. Utilize zone selective interlocking. Zone selective

interlocking (ZSI) is a protection scheme that uses an “inhibit”
signal transmitted from downstream breakers that see a fault to
the next breaker upstream. The upstream breaker sees both the
fault current and the inhibit signal, and therefore delays tripping,
allowing the downstream breaker to clear the fault. Should a
fault occur between the downstream and upstream breaker,
however, the downstream feeder doesn’t see the fault and will
not, therefore, send an inhibit signal to the upstream breaker.
That causes the upstream breaker to bypass any intentional time
delay settings, significantly reducing arc flash incident energy.
b. Implement a bus differential scheme. These are coordinated
zones of protection within an electrical system. When a fault
occurs within a given zone of protection (i.e., between the main
and feeder breakers), protective devices trip instantaneously, Figure 3. An Arc Flash Reduction Maintenance System shortens
limiting arc flash durations while also confining arc flash damage fault clearing times by bypassing time delays in the trip circuit.
to specific portions of your infrastructure. Bus differential
systems are typically faster and more sensitive than ZSI but
require additional current transformers and relaying equipment. Actions to reduce arc flash risk
This generally makes them harder to implement and more Although the following actions will not reduce the calculated incident
expensive. energy at a given location, these best practices will improve safety
c. Deploy an Arc Flash Reduction Maintenance System. by removing personnel from the arc flash hazard and reduce the risk
An Arc Flash Reduction Maintenance System shortens faults of an arc flash event occurring in the first place.
by bypassing all time delays in the trip circuit any time current
exceeds a preset maximum. That enables faults to clear even 1. Adopt remote operation
faster than a circuit breaker’s “instantaneous” function makes Executing potentially dangerous procedures
possible. Technicians must manually enable circuits before doing remotely can shield personnel from injuries. Here are two ways to
maintenance work and then disable them when that work is limit the number of maintenance operations technicians must perform
complete, employing familiar lockout/tagout procedures. while in range of arc flash blasts:
d. Implement an Arc Flash Relay system. Arc faults are the
most dangerous type of fault in low-voltage (LV) and medium- a. Install remote monitoring, control and diagnostics software.
voltage (MV) switchgear. An Arc Flash Relay system helps Today’s sophisticated power management systems equip
improve worker safety and maximize electrical assembly uptime administrators to perform many administrative tasks remotely.
by combining current sensing with fiber optic light sensing to They also equip companies to remotely de-energize electrical
quickly detect and clear arc flash events. The system is designed equipment before staff approach it.
to rapidly detect and clear even the most difficult forms of
b. Employ remote racking devices. Traditionally, technicians have
arc flash events in LV and MV electrical assemblies. For more
had to stand close to equipment with live, electrical connections
information, refer to Eaton.com/EAFR
when racking and un-racking breakers. Remote racking devices
e. Utilize Arc Quenching Switchgear. The total clearing time of enable operators to perform these extremely dangerous tasks
the aforementioned systems includes the clearing time of the from a safe distance
upstream circuit breaker. Low voltage power circuit breakers,

4 EATON www.eaton.com
What you need to know about arc flash White Paper WP083033EN
 August 2018

2. Predict and prevent faults Conclusion

One of the most effective ways to prevent an arc flash event is to Arc flash events can do significant harm, ranging from disabling or
anticipate and eliminate the conditions that cause it. The following fatal injuries to heavy fines and financially ruinous lawsuits. Yet, far
are three possible solutions that can enable organizations to spot too few equipment operators fully appreciate either the hazards arc
potential arc flash dangers before they have a chance to do harm flashes pose or the frequency with which they occur.
and to keep personnel safely away from live connections.
Fortunately, arc flash dangers can be dramatically mitigated with
a. Monitor insulation integrity. Deteriorating insulation is the the help of a wide range of proven technologies and techniques.
leading cause of arc-producing electrical failures. Identifying and Remember, the first step is to perform an incident energy analysis
repairing compromised insulation before it fails can help avert to quantify arc flash hazards and to determine the best way to help
arc flash explosions. Predictive maintenance systems provide mitigate risk. Though no combination of counter measures can totally
early warning of insulation failure in medium-voltage switchgear, eliminate arc flash hazards, utilizing the solutions and strategies
substations, generators, transformers discussed in this white paper can help organizations make arc flash
and motors. incidents both significantly less likely to happen and drastically less
harmful when they do.

Figure 4. Pyrometers, like the one shown here, continuously

monitor pressure junctions for signs of loosening.

b. Use infrared (IR) windows. Using contactless IR thermography

technology, IR windows enable technicians to perform IR
scans without removing switchgear side panels, lessening the
likelihood of arc flash events caused by accidental contact with
live bus.

3. Redirect blast energy

Equipment that directs arc flash energy away from personnel is called
“arc resistant.” Arc-resistant switchgear, for example, utilizes sealed
joints, top-mounted pressure relief vents, and reinforced hinges to
contain the energy and heat released by arc flashes and channel them
via ducts to an unoccupied area inside or outside.
When all else fails, arc-resistant switchgear offers vulnerable
employees a critical last line of defense from the explosive power of
arc flash incidents. However, its protective qualities are effective only
when equipment doors are closed, so companies should train their
technicians to fasten doors securely during normal operation.

EATON www.eaton.com 5
White Paper WP083033EN What you need to know about arc flash
August 2018 

About Eaton About the authors

Eaton is a power management company with 2017 sales of $20.4 David Loucks received a BSEE from the University of Kentucky and
billion. We provide energy-efficient solutions that help our customers a MSEE and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh and has served
effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more the electrical industry for 39 years. He’s a 24-year Eaton veteran
efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton is dedicated to improving and currently researches and deploys novel solutions to a variety
the quality of life and the environment through the use of power of power systems problems. Dave has been awarded 12 patents
management technologies and services. Eaton has approximately with several additional pending and is a senior member of the IEEE.
96,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than Besides being licensed as a Certified Energy Manager through the
175 countries. Association of Energy Engineers he is also a registered Professional
Engineer in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Adam Reeves joined Eaton in 2012 and holds the position of Senior
Power Systems Engineer where he is responsible for performing
power systems studies such as Short Circuit, Protective Device
Coordination Arc Flash Analysis, Selective Coordination, and Load
Flow studies. In addition, Adam is responsible for performing Onsite
Metering, Power Quality Investigations and Harmonic Analysis
Studies. Adam is Chairman of Eaton/PSE’s Arc Flash Committee and
has instructed arc flash training classes for commercial and industrial
clients. He is also an IEEE member and is a Registered Professional
Engineer in the State of Maryland. Adam received his bachelor of
science in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland,
College Park, MD.

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