Arc flash is largely unknown by those without backgrounds in electrical engineering, but the phenomenon is deadly enough that a Suwanee company is unveiling a new program to help companies prevent such deadly electrical accidents.
"In the U.S. each day, five to 10 people are severely injured and one to two killed by arc flash electrical explosions," says Mark Tibbetts, president and general manager of M.C. Dean, Inc. Atlanta.
Arc flash occurs when large amounts of electrical current break through the air and connect suddenly with a ground or a point with lower voltage. The result is a massively powerful explosion that can kill a worker.
Tibbetts, who founded The Tibs Group before it was acquired by Virginia-based Dean in 2004, also co-wrote a white paper, "Establishing an Arc Flash Loss Prevention Program," which outlines steps businesses should follow to protect their workers and companies from arc flash explosions.
"We're the sixth largest electrical firm in the country and safety is a big issue for us," Tibbetts says. "We have a responsibility to protect our employees and get these people home to their families safely every day."
Now M.C. Dean is helping other companies institute a rigorous plan to prevent arc flash. The goal is help companies incorporate arc flash safety into their corporate cultures.
"Because of the dangers of these electrical explosions, OSHA now legally requires employers to follow the National Fire Prevention Association-recommended practices to protect workers from arc flash exposure," he says. "Having a proper program in place to protect workers is beyond being the right thing to do. Now arc flash loss prevention is mandatory."
The OSHA guidelines are a great start, Tibbetts says, but companies need a comprehensive plan for dealing with the issue. He says, for example, that oftentimes employees who work on electrical equipment don't use the appropriate protective gear for the level of risk.
"I know of major manufacturers, even in Gwinnett County, who have seen their programs die down because the equipment isn't labeled and the safety guidelines just collect dust," he says. "Sometimes workers just put stuff on because it's in the locker."
The M.C. Dean, Inc. white paper explains the impact and causes of arc flashes, includes a glossary of key terms, answers frequently asked questions, and outlines the six core steps for a thorough arc flash prevention (AFLP) program:
Authoring the arc flash white paper with Tibbetts are Dr. Hoyt, Moore Chair of Risk Management and Insurance in the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia; John Welch, a nationally-known critical power expert and manager of M.C. Dean, Inc.'s Critical Power Group Atlanta and Apostolos Vranis, P.E., an electrical engineer and vice president of electrical engineering for M.C. Dean, Inc.
"The financial impact of an arc flash accident can be devastating, and because the stakes are so high, risk managers who typically do not have an engineering background need to understand the exposure, the methods needed to prevent these accidents, and the costs associated with initiating an AFLP program," says Hoyt.
Tibbetts says the program, which was just formed this summer, has already attracted Lawrenceville-based manufacturer Wika Instruments and industrial gas distributor Airgas.
The bottom line, he says, is that arc flash will now receive as much attention as other better-known types of industrial accidents.
"If you're a plant manager or run maintenance shop in a large factory, arc flash just isn't your area of expertise."
