3. Using improper PPE

At issue: Work uniforms or personal protective equipment catching on fire often leads to serious injuries and fatalities, experts say.

One cause: arc flash incidents, which occur when “a flashover of electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another,” OSHA says.

Arc flash events cause explosions that can reach temperatures as high as 35,000° F and register sound levels up to 160 decibels.

Possible solution: Make sure your employer is compliant with OSHA’s standard on electric power generation, transmission and distribution (1910.269). It requires that workers who are exposed to arc hazards wear arc-rated PPE, and further adds that the outer layer of clothing must be flame resistant when the estimated incident heat energy surpasses 2.0 cal/cm².

The standard also states that employers “shall ensure” all workers exposed to electrical arc or fire hazards don’t wear clothing that could ignite or melt onto their skin.

NFPA 70E includes a table for choosing arc-rated PPE based on PPE-rated categories. Experts note that although AR clothing is flame resistant, not all FR clothing is arc rated. When purchasing clothing, check that it includes an arc rating on the label and complies with applicable American Society for Testing and Materials standards.

“All PPE should be inspected before each day’s use,” Marchessault said.

4. Underestimating arc flash boundary

Phillips – the founder of Brainfiller, an electrical power and electrical safety training company – frequently encounters other errors related to arc flash.

First, he said, workers believe that standing outside the arc flash boundary means they’re safe. The boundary is the distance from the arc flash source where the incident energy falls to 1.2 calories per square centimeter.

“I wouldn’t call it a ‘safe zone’ because 1.2 calories per square centimeter is the industry-accepted value where the onset of the second-degree burn can occur,” Phillips said. “So, you’re standing right there in potential first-degree burn territory. Plus, if there’s an arc flash, there’s the possibility of shrapnel, there’s debris.”

Possible solution: “So,” Phillips added, “it’s best for people that aren’t properly dressed, that shouldn’t be there, to just get out of the way. Stay out of the room. Stay out of the area. Forget about how close you can get with this arc flash boundary.”

Secondly, equipment doors can’t be relied on to provide an effective barrier against arc flash, unless the equipment is specially designed.

“I’ve conducted arc flash tests over the years, and I’ve had many where the doors just blow right open because of the pressure, even with smaller arc flashes,” Phillips said. “So, thinking the doors will protect you, that’s another common mistake.”

5. Relying on institutional knowledge

In Jooma’s experience, tribal knowledge that’s counter to the latest safety practices often finds its way into electrical safety programs.

One reason: It’s not uncommon for an organization’s entire electrical safety program to be developed by a single experienced employee.

“The problem with this approach,” Jooma said, “is that this person has spent the majority of their career within that organization, [and is] lacking a wider field of vision. We would recommend that they attend accredited electrical safety training, consult SMEs when developing programs and perform third-party independent reviews.”

Possible solution: Jooma suggests challenging what he calls a “compliance-driven” training approach – such as employers sending their staff to a daylong electrical safety class and then doing nothing else.

Instead, he supports a “safety-driven” approach – developing electrical safety management systems that consider safety through design, electrical risk management programs, job observations, refresher training, provision of PPE and tools, auditing, and electrical incident investigations.

This must be a continuously improving and evolving program to drive down electrical fatalities, disabling injuries and equipment damage.

“You have to question your motivation for electrical safety training,” Jooma said. “The fundamental reason should be zero injuries and zero equipment damage due to electrical hazards.”