![]() Shrapnel created in the explosion travels at speeds exceeding 700 miles per hour and can penetrate a worker’s body. ![]() Droplets of molten metal are propelled at very high speeds, covering the worker and potentially being inhaled as vapor. The heat generated by an arc flash causes severe or fatal burns, even if the victim is up to ten feet away. Arc Flash Damage to the Human Body and Mind ![]() This video of an arc flash simulation tells the story. Arc flashes in an enclosed space, like an electrical power control panel, magnify the blast, and the energy explodes through the opening in the enclosure, right toward the worker. The amount of energy released during an arc flash depends on the system voltage, the current magnitude of the arc fault, and the fault’s duration. While arc flashes don’t always produce arc blasts, they often occur together in the same way that thunder follows lightning. Materials in the blast zone vaporize, expanding in volume and being propelled forcefully over great distances. Heat causes the expansion of air molecules, producing a strong blast of pressurized air. What Happens in an Arc Flash?Īrc flashes produce extremely high temperatures, up to 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit, roughly four times hotter than the surface of the sun. They’re often accidentally initiated by workers that are unaware that they are in a potentially life-threatening situation. This is changing.Īrc flashes are unseen dangers that can occur without any direct contact between a worker’s body and an energized wire or piece of equipment. Although arc flashes have been a danger since electricity was harnessed for use, arc flashes were not addressed as specific hazards by the electric power industry until recently.
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