Arc Flash Risk Assessment Updates

Eaton is dedicated to improving both the environment and people’s lives, using power management technologies that are sustainable, safe, efficient, and reliable. In the grand scheme of things, that’s what matters most of all, and Eaton is here to make sure those technologies work, and work well.

 

Improvements and updates to Arc Flash Risk Assessment and Mitigation have been made, and you will find a few of these listed here:

 

• Using dedicated wire way and safety barriers, we have improved the safety and reduced Arc Flash hazards when personnel use our bypass isolation transfer switches. These improvements isolate all personnel from line and load.
• The Arc Flash Reduction Maintenance System, which is part of certain Eaton Digitrip Trip Units, can be retrofitted to a low-voltage power breaker and use patented technology that reduces fault-clearing time and thus reduces the incident energy that someone interacting with the downstream equipment would be interacting with. The system can be activated at the breaker or from a remote location, which greatly improves personnel safety.
• Eaton’s new motor control centers are built on “Arc-Free designs” intended to drastically lower the possibility of an Arc Flash.
• Using infrared (IR) windows allows personnel to complete a thermal inspection of electrical switchgear without removing covers or opening doors. Allowing operators to assess potential problems while the circuits are energized and under load vastly improves both safety and efficiency.
• Insulated bus is standard in all of Eaton’s medium-voltage breaker assemblies, and these greatly reduce shock hazard in the event of accidental contact when an energized system is undergoing maintenance.
• Any OEM’s MV Fusible Switch can be retrofilled by removing the fuse element and replacing it with a medium voltage vacuum breaker.  A relay with the Arc Reduction Maintenance Switch will be added as well, enabling greater safety when working downstream of the equipment.
• Eaton’s arc-resistant low and medium-voltage switchgear incorporates such features as sealed joints, reinforced hinges, and “through-the-door-racking,” which minimizes exposure to the concussion wave, vaporized metal & harmful gases while greatly reducing the risk of personnel injury in case of an Arc Flash event.

EMR Associates is dedicated to safety, efficiency, and the future, and we want to help your company meet and exceed your Arc Flash protection needs. Our team of professionals is available to audit your current systems to see if Eaton’s products are the right fit for you! Just click the link here to enter for a chance to win a FREE site visit and an arc flash study budget proposal! If you would like to learn more about how EMR can help your company when it comes to Arc Flash reduction, contact Mike Hughes at 615-828-8028 today. We look forward to hearing from you!