ArcWear Electric Arc Newsletter January 2009

The ArcWear™ Electric Arc and Flash Fire Newsletter is a quick update on Flame Resistant Clothing issues and news from OSHA and standards committees. This newsletter is FREE and will bring you up to date on the issues that surround flame resistant clothing for flash fire hazards and the electric arc. For previous newsletters or to sign up, visit http://www.arcwear.com

NFPA 70E - 2009 Online Free

You can purchase the NFPA 70E-2009 in book form or PDF at NFPA.org

NFPA 70E has been on sale for a few weeks and e-Hazard.com has training materials updated and the first classes are now going on. The Train the Trainer class has 2 openings for next month still if you want to upgrade your skills.

Click here to read NFPA 70E-2009 FREE Online

Click here to subscribe to NECPlus.org and get NFPA 70E-2009 and the other resources.

Click here to purchase the standard online from NFPA.

BURN UP THE MYTH

Complying with NFPA 70E

Question: If a company is looking to comply with the spirit and letter of NFPA 70E, would placing a predisconnect panel inline ahead of their breaker panels eliminate their hazards and thus void the actual need for arc protective clothing? Our logic was that before entering any arc hazard area, the employee would proceed to the disconnect, disconnect all power from the source, lock and tag the predisconnect, and void the need for arc rated clothing.
By doing this, would we comply with NFPA 70E?

Answer: You can basically never avoid arc flash clothing. Some do in places by engineering control which reduce the arc flash calculation to less than 1.2 cal/cm² for LV and 1.5 cal/cm² for higher voltages but this strategy is iffy.
With your approach, you reduce the time in the clothing but turning off the disconnect would require some PPE and testing the circuits would also require proper PPE until the circuit is VERIFIED to be de-energized it is NOT in an "electrically safe work condition" unless it meets all the criteria.

2009 IEEE IAS ELECTRICAL SAFETY WORKSHOP

St. Louis, MO February 2-6, 2009

Since 1991, the IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop has provided the "premier international forum to enable and accelerate change in the electrical safety culture and pushing the envelope on what is possible in preventing workplace injuries from electrial hazards."

The 2009 IEE IAS ESW will provide 4 days interaction with others who share a passion for preventing electrical injuries in the workplace.

Veterans of the workshop will see changes to offer more tools to prevent electrical injuries. First time attendees will see that the IEEE IAS Electrical Safety Workshop mission is to help pave the future in electrical safety by changing how you think about what is possible, or by changing electrical safety.

DriFire Up-to-Date Offers Layer Data

ASTM F1959 Changed in 2006 Lowering Layered Data

Some layers are being re-tested due to the change in the standard. Be sure you have data from 2006 forward on layers since many are found to be too high due to a change in the standard.

The new 2009 edition of the NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety in the Workplace is now available and has added a new FR requirement for personal protective clothing. The focus of the new requirement is to avoid the chance that natural fiber under layers will ignite. The standard no longer allows "counting" protection from non-arc-rated undergarments.

This means, for example, a cotton t-shirt under an arc-rated outer shell does not qualify as an HRC 2 garment system any more. Now, either the FR outer shell must rate at least 8 cal / cm² or additional FR undergarments layers must be added to bring the system up to the full 8 cal/cm² of protection required for HRC 2. Total System Arc Rating as defined in Annex M of the current standard is becoming the norm. It is reasonable to add layers arc ratings but if you do more than than you must rate them.

CSA Z462 -2008 Now Shipping

The NFPA 70E standard for Canada is now shipping

The CSA Z462 standard is useful even to NFPA 70E users since it is the standard for Canada but the committee progressively added some Annex materials giving guidance on areas not covered by the 70E committee. Both committees have state-of-the-art electrical safety and the main text is substantially the same but the international flavor of the CSA Z462 standard and the availability in French will be of use to many international users of electrical safety.

Click Here to Buy Online from CSA

e-Hazard.com offers an 8 hour training class on Z462.

Click here to see the e-Hazard.com site

NESC Update to 2007 Version Now Available

Major Changes in for Utility Arc Flash Assessment

The 2007 Edition Now Includes the Following Updates Fuse used

The 2007 Edition of the NESC has been updated to include the following five Tentative Interim Amendments: (TIA): TIA-2007-1 (Rule 110A2); TIA-2007-2 (Table 253-1 and -2); TIA-2007-3 (Rule 261N); TIA-2007-4 (Rule 215C5a); and TIA-2007-5 (Table 410-2)
Also now included are two errata sheets which cover the following rules: Table 232-1; Figure 233-1; Table 233-1; Table 233-2; Table 234-1, Table 235-5, Rule 250C, Figure 250-3(a), Table 250-2, Rule 261L2b, Table 410-1, Table 441-3 and Appendix C
View in detail the revisions made to the 2007 National Electrical Safety Code.

NEW 40 cal/cm² Arc Flash Goggle Balaclava
NSA/Paulson Crack 40 cal/cm² with a NEW Arc Flash Goggle/Balaclava System For Arc Flash Hoods in the NFPA 70E standard, there is a clear standard definition. But what about line workers who are working between lines or another place where a fabric hood poses a "greater hazard". Now there is an answer, Arc Flash Goggles with a matched balaclava. See the system at NSA.

Our newsletter is sponsored by many companies around the world. If you have ideas for articles or have questions, don't hesitate to write.

Sincerely,

Hugh Hoagland
ArcWear.com

13113 Eastpoint Park Blvd. Suite E

Louisville, KY 40223

PH: 502-314-7158

hugh@arcwear.com