Arc flash hazard analysis and mitigation

Recently enacted guidelines and regulations regarding arc flash hazards have focused industry attention on quantifying the dangers of arc flash events in energized low and medium voltage electrical equipment. Since incident energy from an arcing fault is directly proportional to the arc clearing time, reducing the arcing time is very beneficial. It results in reducing the PPE level requirements and limiting both direct and collateral damage to equipment. This paper provides an overview of arc flash hazards, arc flash calculations, and suggest a means of reducing the arc flash hazard level through faster detection and clearing of arc flash electrical faults.