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The authors and their colleagues have used the methods in IEEE 1584 'Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations' to complete electrical hazard assessments for over 90 industrial sites, from small warehouse and office facilities to large chemical plants. This paper provides analysis of the results of those assessments, with an emphasis on the safety improvements that were made in design, work practices, and application of personal protective equipment. Modifying electrical equipment design, choosing good work practices, and applying sound engineering judgment can help to minimize arc flash hazard exposures and reduce costs due to injury and process downtime. Index Terms--Arc flash, electrical arc flash, flame-resistant (FR) clothing, incident energy, personal protective equipment (PPE), safety by design, safety study.

There have been recent advances in equipment design and arc flash hazard assessment. It is possible to design a complete site electrical system, from transmission to distribution to utilization voltage, with the estimated arc flash energy below 20 cal/[cm.sup.2] (80 J/[cm.sup.2]) for all equipment. This paper describes a preferred design, where all workers can have proper arc flash personal protective equipment by using single-layer flame resistant everyday clothes and add a single-layer coverall for the higher energy tasks. Inherently safer design is in our future to reduce hazards and keep our workers safe. Index Terms--Arc flash, incident energy, personal protective equipment (PPE), safety by design.

In 1960, a large global chemical company began documenting and implementing requirements for preventing injuries from electric arc flash hazards, including appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Methods evolved from requiring a 100% natural fiber long-sleeve shirt for a specific task to a detailed analysis with multiple flame-resistant clothing options. This paper compares the PPE required by these methods, based on hazards analysis in more than 65 manufacturing and laboratory facilities. The total costs for the example company are estimated for each method. Index Terms--Arc flash, electrical hazards, electrical safety, protective clothing.

Recent research has been published on the hazards of an electrical arc flash. The calculations required for determining arc-flash incident energy exposure for our electrical workers are involved and sometimes difficult. The authors have completed arc-flash energy studies for many industrial sites, from small facilities to large chemical plants. This paper provides a summary of the results of these studies, with an emphasis on the wide range of results that were found. Learnings about electrical equipment design, installation, and operation are discussed that were found to be associated with high arc-flash energy values. In addition, some methods are described to evaluate the arc-flash energy values for a facility that can help the owner determine the most effective arc flash hazard management policy. Index Terms--Arc flash, electrical arc flash, flame-resistant clothing, incident energy, personal protective equipment, safety by design, safety study.