Intelligent Power Today Magazine

Avoid hazards with these suggestions

BY ROB PROSSER & DANIELLE GALLO, Brady

With an increase in accidents and injuries occurring in a variety of industries, employers are looking for ways to reduce hazards and improve safety within their facilities. Even with a plethora of information available to supervisors, the inundation of all of these safety recommendations can be overwhelming and can result in even the most basic of mistakes. If you or your employees can relate, it is important to go back to the basics and review the most common issues contributing to electrical risks within facilities.

DE-ENERGIZE ALL EQUIPMENT...

Over the last few decades, arc-fl ash hazards have been a significant concern for many electrical workers and employers. Many methods have been developed through the years to assess incident energy.
The most common is that of the IEEE 1584, Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations. These equations have remained the same since the standard was first published in 2002. Based on the results of more than 1,800 tests, the 2018 edition of the guide provides new formulas that are both more accurate and more complex. These formulas also take more parameters into account now, including the conductor orientation at...