WHAT IS AN ARC FLASH? An arc flash refers to the light and heat that occur during an arc fault, which is typically a type of electrical explosion that results from a connection through air to ground or another voltage point (phase) in an electrical system. Where the fault occurs, current flows across instantaneously raising the temperature high enough to vaporize anything that gets in between the fault. When hit by an arc flash you are hit by “waves”. However these happen so quickly it feels like just one singular incident. First you are hit by the first wave which is concentrated with convection heat, UV light, IR light and visible light. The incident energy can be anything from 4-100cal/cm². Secondly you will be confronted with the radiant heat which can move up to 1200km/h. Finally, you will be struck by debris and vaporised copper. Copper expands 67000 times as it is vaporised creating a pressure wave. During all of this the temperature can reach up to 20,00O°C which means there is a significantly high risk of severe body burns. PPE should always be a last line of defence when there is no other choice but to send someone into the risk environment. 119
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