Doors Wide Open: Safety Beyond the Standards

Arc resistant, arc detection and arc quenching technologies have been successfully used for over two decades. The global standards surrounding these technologies continue to be refined. However, these standards pre-determine a given hardware configuration based on testing methodologies. The arc resistant standards typically define the performance testing of these devices with the doors of the equipment, providing a basic level of protection, being closed during the testing cycles. Many arc flash events occur when the electrical equipment doors are open as qualified service personnel troubleshoot equipment or while determining if the working area is safe. Therefore, are the test sequences and results, as defined in the procedures of the associated standards for performance evaluation of arc detection and quenching devices, still valid when the doors of the protected equipment are open. This paper will provide explicit details regarding modified testing which more accurately replicates real world applications where doors could be open during troubleshooting and maintenance of the electrical equipment. The work will also provide an in-depth review of the global standards regarding active arc fault mitigation. Their deployment and applications, in regions utilizing International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards, has been more rapid in recent years, than other global areas.