Current methods for conducting an arc flash hazard analysis

With the advent of the 2000 edition of NFPA 70E, standard for electrical safety requirements for employee workplaces, comes new language addressing the threat of arc flash. While this threat has been around for many years, it has received considerable attention in recent years due to the necessity of working on energized equipment and the subsequent accidents involving arc flash each year. Included in NFPA 70E-2004 are terms such as flash hazard, flash protection boundary, and incident energy. This paper will describe the three methods for conducting an arc flash hazard assessment contained in NFPA 70E-2004, as well as the IEEE Std 1584-2002 method of conducting an arc flash hazard analysis. The paper will discuss the effectiveness and merit of each technique. In addition, a sample system will be analyzed and used to compare the results of each hazard assessment method.