Risk Levels with ARC Flash Studies in Columbia
The purpose of Arc Flash Studies in Columbia is to provide business owners with the risk level of an electric arc explosion and the amount of incident energy released in each one. At Industrial Maintenance Solutions (IMS), our electrical engineers perform these and other maintenance checks of electrical equipment requiring a minimum of 208 volts to function properly.
In most cases, each piece of electrical equipment has a unique level of incident energy. However, equipment of the same type can have the same level if they draw power from the same location. Otherwise, each one needs its own Arc Flash Study. Once completed, it produces all of the information required by OSHA Standard 1910.269(l)(8)(ii).
This Standard is in place to help ensure employee safety. Understanding the possible level of incident energy released means that owners can establish the correct safety measures and procedures for everyone working with or near a particular piece of electrical equipment.
Included is the requirement to label each equipment item with the date of the study and the level of incident energy that can be released with each arc flash (measured as cal/cm2). As an example, a fairly low level of 1.2 cal/cm2 can still cause 2nd-degree burns over any exposed skin. Higher levels can quickly cause severe injury and even death.
Yearly and Change-Driven Requirements for Arc Flash Studies
Equipment owners should update these labels every five years with a new Study. This is the simplest way to keep your records updated, but there are other occasions when a new Study is required. Owners need to track these details, so operational dollars are not wasted on needless Arc Flash and other studies. These occasions include the following:
- A modification to the electrical system
- A change in protective settings
- A change in the power system configuration, i.e., the devices that make up the power system
- A switchover of the power source or in the utility company
The last occasion is beyond the control of most companies, so owners and managers should check in with their electricity provider annually.
For More Details On Arc Flash Studies in Columbia
For more details about our Arc Flash Studies and other actions that Industrial Maintenance Solutions performs for your business, call our offices today at 1-800-790-9496. You can also leave detailed questions and contact information for our scheduling team at https://www.imsnation.com/contact.html.
