![]() If such hazards are present, or likely to be present, the employer shall: take all appropriate actions as described in 1910.132 – General requirements.” The full directive from OSHA 1910.132 (d)(1): “The employer shall assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). ![]() It also assists in complying with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K. Originally developed at OSHA’s request, NFPA 70E helps companies and employees avoid workplace injuries and fatalities due to shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E states that “a Flash Hazard Analysis shall be done before a person approaches any exposed electrical conductor or circuit part that has not been placed in an electrically safe work condition.”Ģ018 NFPA 70E provides requirements for safe work practices to protect personnel by reducing exposure to major electrical hazards. (OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.) But those costs also include worker and facility downtime, lost revenue, loss of product, equipment damage and OSHA citations and fines. The costs are staggering both in terms of physical injury and loss of life. It’s estimated that five to 10 arc flash explosions happen in the United States each day. Most electrical injuries occur because of arc flash - and not from electrical shock. An arc flash is a short circuit through air from one exposed live conductor to another conductor or to ground. If you’re unfamiliar with an arc flash, you should count yourself as fortunate. Referred to as arc eye, but also sometimes called welder's flash, bake eyes, or snow blindness, this comes from seeing the flash of the arc without the proper eye covering.How can arc flash labels from Precision Label Products help you and your business? And for the uninitiated, what is an arc flash in the first place? Photokeratitis – an eye condition similar to sunburn but of the cornea – can cause temporary or long-term vision problems.A sound blast from the incident can be loud enough to cause eardrums to rupture, creating short- or long-term hearing problems.These droplets adhere to clothing or skin and cause deep, severe burns. This can include tools and parts, but it can also include metal that has been melted by the high temperatures, with metal droplets being propelled at high speeds from the flash itself. The explosion caused by an arc flash can propel shrapnel at high speeds.This includes lung damage, nerve damage, and potential heartbeat disruption. ![]() Pressure from arc flash waves has been seen to produce more than 2,000 pounds per square foot of force, enough to bruise or cause disruption to body systems and damage tissue. The concussion wave from the arc flash incident can expand quickly, throw workers across rooms, and knock them off ladders.This is hot enough to vaporize nearby objects, humans included. By comparison, the sun's surface only measures up to 9,000 degrees Fahrenheit. These are temperatures that can cause severe burns, even if the worker is ten or more feet away from the flash itself. Temperatures in an arc flash can reach as high as 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
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