Electrical safety is of utmost importance for any facility owner or manager. One thing that’s imperative for your workers to be fully aware of is what an arc flash is and its possible dangers. There are protocols that can be put in place to help keep them safe.
One thing that can be an extreme benefit to your safety procedure is to put your workers through arc flash training. This training will build essential fundamentals that will keep your workers and facility safe. By having more people be aware of electrical danger, you can avoid a tragic incident.
Dangers of An Electrical Arc Flash
An arc flash is an extremely powerful blast of energy caused by a problem in the electrical system. It’s seen as a bright light with extreme heat that can be three times hotter than the sun. This explosion can send whatever that’s in front of it flying at intense speeds. Larger blasts can even shoot out melted metal, decimating everything in its path.
Rupturing eardrums commonly happens, as the noise from the flash is extremely loud. Depending on the equipment or materials surrounding the arch flash, you could also be faced with toxic fumes. Along with serious physical injury, sometimes an arc flash can be so bad it can cause death to anyone in too close proximity to it.
Electrical arc flashes can be caused by a few different factors. One can be human error, if someone doesn’t know the proper handling protocols to keep them safe. Sometimes improper maintenance care of equipment and machines can cause the electrical system to become compromised. You can even deal with environmental issues like debris or moisture.
Keep Workers Safe with Arc Flash Training
There is something you can do along with regular electrical safety checks to keep your facility and personnel safe, and that’s to put your workers through arc flash training like the program at Facility Results. When your workers understand the importance of proper electrical handling and the risks associated with keeping an electrical area cluttered and not maintained, you drop your chances of having an arc flash event drastically.
There are specialized electrical safety training programs that focus on NFPA 70E or arc flash electrical safety where your workers can learn:
- NFPA 70E standards and OSHA requirements
- What a safe electrical working condition looks like
- General electrical safety training
- How to properly prepare an area for a potential arc flash
- What materials can help lessen the effects of an arc flash
- Which personal protective equipment to use for each area
- How to identify and read electrical labeling
- Safe use and maintenance of tools and equipment
- How to read testing equipment ratings to identify the health of the system
More Training Equals Less Problems
An arc flash can have a devastating effect, from injuring workers to destroying equipment. Along with having your electrical system evaluated by a safety professional, you can also put your workers through arc flash training. Giving them the knowledge to spot potential hazards will keep them safe and keep you well informed.
