8/12/2021 NFPA 70E - Vrielink Electrical Services

Arc Flash Standards: NFPA 70E

The NFPA 70E standard requires work to be performed under electrically safe working
conditions for electrical
conductors and circuit parts operating at 50 V or more under
one of the following conditions:

The employee is within the limited approach boundary. The limited approach boundary
is defined as the
approach limit for exposed electrical conductors or circuit parts
where a shock hazards exists. For
voltages from 50-750 V, it is given as 1 meter
for fixed circuit parts or 3 meters for movable conductors.
The standard contains a
table for other voltages.
The employee interacts with equipment where conductors or circuit parts are not
exposed but an
increased likelihood of injury from an exposure to an arc flash
hazard exists.

When a task is performed in potentially unsafe electrical working conditions, a risk

assessment considering
electrical arc hazards is required. The risk assessment should
identify the hazards, estimate the likelihood of
occurrence and severity of electrical
arcs and lastly determine what control measures should be taken. The
estimate of the
likelihood and severity must consider the design of the electrical equipment, the
operating
conditions and the adequacy of maintenance of the installation.

To determine if additional control measures are needed, table 130.5(C) can be used. This
table gives a ‘yes’ or
‘no’ for likelihood of occurrence. It is based on the task and
equipment condition. When PPE is used as a
control measure the following items need to
be determined:

Appropriate safety-related work practices

The arc flash boundary
What PPE is to be used while working within the arc flash boundary

To find the arc flash boundary and determine what PPE is to be used, two methods are given: the arc flash
PPE category method and the incident energy analysis method. Using both or parts of these methods is not
permitted.

For the incident energy analysis method an energy exposure level needs to be estimated at the working
distance between the energy source and the face and chest areas. Arc flash PPE needs to be selected based
on this estimation. For body parts that are expected to be closer than the working distance, additional PPE
must be used.

The IEEE Standard 1584 is typically used for the incident energy analysis method. The incident energy is
determined based on the available fault current and protective device characteristics. It requires a detailed
model of the electrical distribution system and engineering judgement to properly interpret the resulting
calculations.

The PPE category method can be used to determine the arc flash boundary and arc flash PPE based on the
task performed and equipment involved. The equipment needs to satisfy certain parameters for the results to
be valid. Once determined, the resulting arc flash PPE Category numbered 1 through 4 gives the required
PPE.

One noteworthy difficulty in using the arc flash PPE Category method is ensuring the equipment parameters
are applicable. Some of the parameters are easy to determine such as voltage level and the class of
equipment. However available fault current and fault clearing time require a detailed analysis of the system.

The fault clearing time must be estimated without knowing the size of the arcing fault. From the incident energy
analysis method’s calculations, we know that arcing fault is smaller than a short-circuit fault but by how much
depends on a variety of factors. NFPA 70E does not provide guidance on how to determine the fault clearing
time or what safety margins to use.

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8/12/2021 NFPA 70E - Vrielink Electrical Services

If one of the parameters are not satisfied, the incident energy analysis method must be used instead.

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Next: EN 50110 (/en/standards-en-50110)

About Arc Flash

Arc Flash (/en/arc-flash)

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Arc Flash Boundary (/en/arc-flash-boundary)
Line, Bus and Load Side (/en/arc-flash-bus-line-side)

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IEEE 1584 (/en/standards-ieee-1584)

NFPA 70E (/en/standards-nfpa-70e)
EN 50110 (/en/standards-en-50110)

Risk Assessment (/en/risk-assessment)

Sample Arc Flash Study Report (/en/sample-study)

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