Techtric Enginering Ltd.

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Techtric Enginering Ltd.

• Arc Flash
• Safety Awareness
• Presentation.

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Techtric Engineering Ltd.

• What Is An Arc Flash?

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• An Arc Flash (or Arc Blast) is an explosion
  caused by the release of energy generated by an
  electric arc.

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• Causes of Arc Flash Include
• Dust, water, impurities, contamination,
  corrosion, animals.
• Discharge from accidental contact, dropped or
  improper tools.
• Over-voltages across narrow gaps.
• Failure of insulating materials.
• Loose connections.
• Equipment failure.
• An employee working near energized conductors or
  circuits without appropriate P.P.E..
• Workers assume that electrical equipment is
  de-energized.

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• An Arc Flash causes an explosive expansion of air
  and metal
• The thermal temperature can reach more than 5000
  degrees.
• Energy is dissipated in the form of a blinding
  flash of light and a deafening noise.
• Copper vaporizes and expands by a factor of
  67,000.
• The explosion generates a massive amount of
  concentrated energy which is forced outward from
  the electrical equipment producing a potentially
  lethal spray of molten steel and shrapnel.

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• The consequences of an Arc Flash can include
• Electric shock.
• Severe burns.
• Blindness.
• Deafness.
• Shrapnel wounds.
• Lung blast injuries.
• Death.

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• The probability of surviving burns

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• The flash of light is so intense that it can
  temporarily or permanently damage vision.

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• Blast Lung Injury (B.L.I.)
• Arc Flash can cause inhalation injuries by
  inhaling high temperature copper vapour.
• There are more than 100 toxic substances found in
  Arc Flash blast fumes.
• A combination of Blast Lung Injuries and burns
  greatly reduces the survival rate.

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• Hearing Effects.
• Arc blast at 2 feet 145 decibels
• Jet engine at 200 feet 132 decibels
• Pain threshold 130 decibels

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• Pressure Wave Injuries.
• An Arc Flash can
• Throw a worker off a ladder.
• Throw a worker into nearby walls and equipment.
• 2000lbs per square foot of pressure on the body
  can cause
• Concussion.
• Collapsed lungs.
• Severe internal injuries.

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Techtric Engineering Ltd.

• Effects on the business
• In addition to the personal injury caused by an
  Arc Flash, serious damage will also be caused to
  the electrical equipment. This could ultimately
  lead to serious disruption to electrical systems
  in manufacturing and process industries.
• The cost of this downtime is considerable and the
  potential effect on employees, customers and
  suppliers can be devastating.
• Should any subsequent enquiry identify poor
  maintenance or negligence as a cause, fines,
  imprisonment or business closure could be a
  result.

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• NFPA 70E
• NFPA70E is the U.S. National Fire Protection
  Association Standard for Electrical Safety in
  the Workplace
• It is Harmonized with the Canadian CSA Z462.

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Techtric Engineering Ltd.

• CSA Standard Z462

• The Standard for Workplace Electrical Safety in
  Canada.

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Techtric Engineering Ltd.

• CSA Standard Z462 Covers
• Electrical Safety Program.
• Arc Flash Hazard Analysis
• Flash Protection Boundaries.
• Fault Current Calculations.
• Arc Fault Clearing Times.
• Incident Energy Exposure.
• Required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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• Canadian Electrical Code CEC Rule 2-306 states
• Electrical equipment such as switchboards,
  panelboards, industrial control panels, meter
  socket enclosures and motor control centres that
  are installed in other than dwelling units and
  are likely to require examination, adjustment,
  servicing or maintenance while energized shall be
  field marked to warn persons of potential
  electric shock and arc flash hazards.
• The marking referred to in subrule (1) shall be
  located so as to be clearly visible to persons
  before examination, adjustment, servicing or
  maintenance of the equipment.

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Techtric Engineering Ltd.

• Bill C-45

Bill C-45 is federal legislation that amends
the Canadian Criminal Code. Bill C-45 became law
on March 31, 2004 and is now the new Section
217.1 in the Criminal Code which reads "217.1
Every one who undertakes, or has the authority,
to direct how another person does work or
performs a task is under a legal duty to take
reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm to that
person, or any other person, arising from that
work or task." The bill established new legal
duties for workplace health and safety, and
imposes serious penalties for violations that
result in injuries or death. It also establishes
rules for attributing criminal liability to
organizations, including corporations, for the
acts of their representatives and also creates a
legal duty for all persons directing work to take
"reasonable steps" to ensure the safety of
workers and the public.
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• Accepted Warning Labels

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Arc Flash and Shock Hazard calculations are
performed by Techtric Engineering Ltd to identify
the maximum expected incident energy if an Arc
Fault were to occur. To perform these
calculations, it is necessary to understand the
manner and method in which a system is grounded.
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The potential short circuit levels throughout
the system need to be known and a complete set of
protective device settings are required. Given
this information, our engineers perform a series
of calculations, looking at different operating
conditions, loading levels, and generation
levels. Worst case results are compiled.
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From these results incident energy levels are
categorized and documented for the entire
three-phase electrical system. Labeling is
installed, notifying all site staff and
contractors regarding the potential hazards they
might face when working at or near the electrical
system.
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• Hazard Risk Category Levels.

CSA Z462 has identified five hazardous risk
category levels, which are numbered by severity
from 0 to 4. Hazard Risk Category is the level of
arc flash protection clothing you must wear to
protect against a minimum level of incident
energy measured in calories per centimeter
squared. Meaning, electrical equipment, depending
upon the energy delivering capability, under
fault conditions can cause an explosion, or arc
fault of a certain level, again measured in
calories per centimeter squared. That explosion
can deliver a certain amount of heat to a certain
distance. Each level, 0-4, is rated at a certain
amount of flame resistance, again measured in
cal/cm2.
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• Personal Protective Equipment (P.P.E.)
  Requirements.

Hazard/RiskCategory Eye protection, ear canal inserts, long sleeve shirt and pants Arc rated clothing Face Head Protection Flash Suit Hood
0 ?
1 ? ? ?
2 ? ? ?
3 ? ? ? ?
4 ? ? ? ?
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Hazard/Risk Category Clothing Description Required Minimum Clothing Arc Rating
0 Non-melting, flammable materialwith fabric weight of at least 4.5 oz/yd2 Not applicable
1 Arc-rated FR shirt FR pants or FR coveralls 4 calories/cm²
2 Arc-rated FR shirt FR pants or FR coveralls 8 calories/cm²
3 Arc-rated FR shirt FR pants or FR coveralls, and Arc-rated flash suit, the layered system must meet the required minimum rating. 25 calories/cm²
4 Arc-rated FR shirt FR pants or FR coveralls, and Arc-rated flash suit, the layered system must meet the required minimum rating. 40 calories/cm²
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• Limit the Incident Energy level of the
• arc flash to 1.2 cal/cm² against the
• workers chest.
• Look for a label that states
• 1506 approval (ASTM F1506)
• Arc rating of the garment.
• All materials in the garment
• should be FR Rated
• Thread
• Buttons
• Insulation
• Zippers, etc.

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• What Is A Calorie?
• A calorie is the amount of heat needed to raise
  the temperature of one gram of water by 1C.
• Thermal energy is measured in calories/cm².

1.2 calories/cm² Holding your finger
in the blue part of the flame for one
second.
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• Tasks with Potential for Arc Flash
• (Working With Energized Equipment According to
  Equipment Rating.)

• Operating a Switch or Circuit Breaker.
• Inserting or Removing a Circuit Breaker.
• Opening an Enclosure Door.
• Removing a Cover (Hinged or Bolted)
• Testing for Voltage.

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• Arc Flash Hazard Analysis.

• If work must be carried out ON or NEAR energized
  electrical equipment, the potential for Arc Flash
  must be identified.
• Conduct a Flash Hazard Analysis to determine
• The Flash Protection Boundary.
• The Incident Energy Exposure.
• The Type and Arc Rating of P.P.E.

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• As A Part of the Arc Flash Analysis, Techtric
  Engineering Ltd Will Determine Appropriate
  Approach Boundaries.

Limited Approach - Employees must use insulated
tools and/or handling equipment inside the
Limited Approach Boundary if tools might make
accidental contact to live parts. Unqualified
workers may not cross the Limited Approach
Boundary unless escorted by a qualified worker.
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Techtric Engineering Ltd.

• Approach Boundaries

Restricted Approach Boundary - No Authorized
Worker can approach or take conductive objects
closer to exposed live parts unless The person
is insulated or guarded from the live parts and
no un-insulated parts of the body cross the
Prohibited Approach Boundary The live part is
insulated from the worker and from other
conductive objects at a different potential
Under no circumstances may an unauthorized
person cross the Restricted Approach Boundary.
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Techtric Engineering Ltd.

• Approach Boundaries

Prohibited Approach Boundary - An approach
limit from an energized live part, which is
considered the same as making contact with the
live part and varies from direct contact to
several feet depending on the voltage
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• Approach Boundaries.

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• Summary.
• Make Electrical Safety a part of your
  Occupational Health Safety Management Program.
• Carry out regular Equipment Maintenance and label
  equipment that poses an Arc Flash Hazard.
• Develop Single Line Diagrams for accuracy and
  Available Fault Current.
• Provide Training.
• Conduct Periodic Electrical Safety Audits.