Have you performed an arc flash assessment, How do you know?
“Yes, we have labels on our panels.”We have heard this a hundred times. This is a typical response to the question “Have you had an arc flash assessment at your facility”? Stickers on equipment do not mean you have had an arc flash assessment. Over the past 15 years, many companies have had arc flash assessments completed at their facility, but we often find that the facility isn’t really sure what was actually done. If you don’t know what you are looking for and you see arc flash labels you must assume you have what you need. But look closer, if you can’t figure out where your arc flash report is located, if you walk around the facility and see panels or disconnects with no labels on them, you need to take a closer look beyond “Yes, we have arc flash labels.”
Signs you need a new arc flash study done
- Differing voltages on panels
- No incident energy shown
- The electrical system was modeled incorrectly
Case Study:
While visiting a client facility that was questioning if they had what they needed, SEAM Group completed a site walk with the safety team. As we walked around the facility, we noticed several instances where the panels and the arc flash label had differing voltages on them which caused concern. We also discovered several instances where no incident energy was shown on the label, BIG RED FLAG! SEAM Group began looking at the transformer nameplate data vs what was modeled in the assessment and found out that the majority of the electrical system was modeled incorrectly based on the secondary voltage of the transformer.
This was a big surprise for the company, and unfortunately, we see this too often. Please know who you are working with, what their core business is, and that safety is a top priority. If you look around your facility and see arc flash labels that’s great, but please look further to ensure the safety of your employees.
SEAM Group is here to help, we can provide you with an Electrical Safety Audit and ensure you have what you need.