Designing, operating, and maintenance strategies to limit arc flash energy exposure

Recent focus on measures to protect workers from the hazards related to arc flash and arc blast have resulted in an abundance of research and published papers on this topic. Updated arc flash calculation methods have recently been developed. This paper provides specific examples from petrochemical, automotive, and pharmaceutical arc flash studies of the challenges encountered when designing, operating, and maintaining facility electrical systems to limit arc flash dangers. It details common industry design and operating practices that yield high arc flash energy values. It offers lessons learned and suggestions to lower incident energy values on new and existing systems.