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Protecting against arc flash: Encouraging the use of PPE
The risk of injury from arc flash is drastically reduced when personal protective clothing is worn properly. Our report with Alsico examines how to encourage long-term use of PPE.
Protecting against arc flash: Encouraging the use of PPE
The risk of injury from arc flash is drastically reduced when personal protective clothing is worn properly. Our report examines how to encourage long-term use of PPE.
It happens in milliseconds.
Two engineers, working at height above an energised switchboard.
One engineer fumbles and drops a screwdriver, which falls onto the equipment below, hitting a live terminal.
In a split second, there is a bright flash, a loud bang, and fireball.
That’s an arc flash – a sudden explosive release of electrical energy caused by electricity jumping through the air (in an arc, hence the name) between conductors.
The release of energy is so quick and powerful that the electrical arc generates heat hotter than the surface of the Sun, producing a bright light and vaporising metal, turning it into hot plasma.
In this case the engineers are protected by the PPE they are wearing and escape largely unscathed.
But not everyone is as fortunate.
Want to learn more about protecting against the dangers of arc flash? Register to access the report.
It happens in milliseconds.
Two engineers, working at height above an energised switchboard.
One engineer fumbles and drops a screwdriver, which falls onto the equipment below, hitting a live terminal.
In a split second, there is a bright flash, a loud bang, and fireball.
That’s an arc flash – a sudden explosive release of electrical energy caused by electricity jumping through the air (in an arc, hence the name) between conductors.
The release of energy is so quick and powerful that the electrical arc generates heat hotter than the surface of the Sun, producing a bright light and vaporising metal, turning it into hot plasma.
In this case the engineers are protected by the PPE they are wearing and escape largely unscathed.
But not everyone is as fortunate.
