Vertiv ARC FLASH SOLUTIONS User Manual

ARC FLASH SOLUTIONS

Electrical Engineering Services

OVERVIEW

Be Safe and Compliant

Arc flash is a serious hazard with
potentially devastating eects.
Ensuring worker safety and meeting
the challenges of the new arc flash
safety requirements can be a
diicult task.

Trust Vertiv's Electrical Reliability
Services (ERS) to deliver the most
complete solutions for arc flash
compliance. From risk assessment
and labeling to personal protective
equipment (PPE) and training, ERS will
provide you with the industry's best
safety programs, while reducing
your risk and ensuring
regulatory compliance.

Whether you require a complete
program or short-term assistance
with arc flash calculations, ERS has
a solution to fit your needs.

Benefits

y Ensure compliance with

regulatory requirements

y Avoid costly fines and higher

insurance costs

y Improve worker safety

y Reduce lost worker productivity

y Ensure optimum system

performance, safety
and eiciency

y Minimize threats to your critical

facility with solutions from a
single source

Electrical Reliability Services

Ensure worker safety and regulatory compliance with
comprehensive arc flash solutions

Electrical hazards, specifically shock, arc
flash and arc blast, can result in serious
injury or death to electrical workers.
Ensuring safety and meeting regulatory
requirements can be diicult to
accomplish in-house without the
assistance of resources familiar with
industry standards and recommended
practices. Consider the benefits of
partnering with ERS to help develop and
implement a complete, cost-eective,
single-point arc flash solution.

Our comprehensive portfolio of arc flash
solutions includes:

y Risk assessment
y Site review / compliance assessment
y Protective scheme design review
y Short circuit and coordination studies
y Single-line diagrams
y Arc flash analysis
y Hazard labeling plan

y Electrical safety program

review / development

y Training and performance evaluation
y PPE plan
y Preventive maintenance
y Documentation
y Optional annual re-certification

Risk Assessment

The National Fire Protection Association's
Standard for Electrical Safety in the
Workplace® (NFPA 70E) requires facility
owners to perform an arc flash risk
assessment prior to allowing a worker to
perform a task on or near energized
equipment. The risk assessment identifies
the presence and location of potential
hazards and provides recommendations
on PPE, boundaries for limited and
restricted approaches, flash protection,
shock protection and safe work practices.

To calculate the incident energy, all
technical data such as equipment type,
voltage, ratings, impedance, etc., is
collected and reviewed.

An eective way to conduct an
assessment is to utilize an outside
contractor trained in this procedure.
The technical sta of ERS is qualified
according to the National Electrical Code
definition. Our qualified electrical workers
have undergone specific training in the
hazards of working on energized
equipment, and the use and proper
application of PPE.

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ARC FLASH SOLUTIONS

To provide accurate results, state-of-the-art software (e.g., SKM, ETAP®, EasyPower®) is
utilized to perform arc flash calculations in accordance with the standards of NFPA and
the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). These software packages
enable users to evaluate alternatives quickly and easily in order to establish optimal
protective schemes and device settings.

Hazard Labeling Plan

NFPA 70E mandates that electrical equipment such as switchboards, panelboards,
industrial control panels, and motor control centers, that are likely to require
maintenance while energized, must be field marked with a label. ERS can assist with
compliance during each phase of an arc flash risk assessment. Once the initial
assessment has been performed, ERS supplies the labels and can assist in applying the
appropriate hazard warning labels. As part of an ongoing labeling plan, updated labels
can be provided to accommodate equipment or system changes, or regulatory updates.

Site Review /
Compliance Assessment

The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) can and does
enforce its requirements. To ensure
compliance, ERS will determine the steps
needed to meet OSHA and NFPA
requirements. By conducting a
comprehensive assessment to identify
areas of risk and non-compliance, we will
formulate a plan to bring your facility into
compliance in the most eicient
way possible.

Protective Scheme Design Review

ERS’s technical sta can conduct a
protective scheme design review and
operational assessment of your electrical
distribution system to identify areas for
reducing potential arc flash hazards.
Several areas are evaluated including fault
current levels, arc exposure times,
operational procedures (such as remote
breaker control and remote racking), and
system grounding. Conducting a design
review is the most eective way to uncover
potential hazards, so options can be
evaluated and mitigation strategies can
be employed.

"It was necessary for us to have one vendor for our arc flash, safety, and training programs. Based on our

previous experience with Vertiv's Electrical Reliability Services, we knew we would receive world-class

experience and solutions that would address all of our critical needs. We are very satisfied

with every phase of the program we received."

- Ramy Maharaj, Utility Maintenance Supervisor

Single-Line Diagrams

National Electrical Code (NEC)
requirements mandate accurate,
up-to-date single-line diagrams. These
schematics are essential for documenting,
troubleshooting, and communicating
information about your power systems. To
meet these requirements, ERS conducts a
comprehensive site survey that is
essential to developing or updating
existing single-line diagrams or
completing electrical system drawings.

Short Circuit and
Coordination Studies

To achieve the most accurate arc flash
hazard results, it is recommended that arc
flash calculations be completed in
conjunction with short circuit calculations
and protective device coordination. Short
circuit and coordination studies verify
protective device ratings, calculate
momentary and interrupting currents,
establish settings for all types of
protective devices, and coordinate
protective devices to minimize downtime.
ERS specializes in conducting these
studies which provide critical information
needed to ensure compliance with NFPA
and OSHA requirements.

Preventive Maintenance

NFPA 70E requires maintenance to be
performed on electrical equipment in
accordance with manufacturers’
instructions or industry consensus
standards. ERS can assist in developing a

preventive maintenance program to
specifically address arc flash hazards.

Our optimized preventive maintenance
program evaluates the equipment’s
condition and determines the most
cost-eective and manageable solution to
ensure your protective devices operate
properly, safely and reliably. Proper
maintenance will ensure that you are in
compliance with the NFPA 70E
requirements permitting "normal operation"
of equipment reducing hazards, thus often
allowing tasks to be accomplished safely
and without the need of extensive PPE.

Electrical Safety Program
Review / Development

OSHA requires every facility to establish
an electrical safety program. ERS can
assist in reviewing or developing a
comprehensive electrical safety
program that supports an overall site
safety program.

ERS can design an eective customized
program to provide training and create
awareness of potential electrical hazards.
This program will also identify hazard /
risk evaluation procedures, electrically
safe work procedures, tools and PPE
requirements, and risk mitigation
strategies. The electrical safety program
must be documented and audited at least
every three years. As part of the overall
safety program, we will assist you in
developing an eective safety audit
process, creating and maintaining a safety
manual, and planning and conducting
safety meetings.

Training and
Performance Evaluation

An eective electrical safety training
program should provide workers with the
knowledge and understanding of the
existence, nature, and causes of electrical
hazards, and methods for preventing them.
ERS’s arc flash training can include
sessions on building employee awareness
of the potential electrical hazards present,
identifying arc flash hazard and assessing
risk, understanding of quantities, selection,
and use of appropriate arc flash PPE,
reading and following hazard warning
labels, and reducing risk while working on
live exposed parts. Training can also cover
safety policy review and recommendations,
overview of applicable standards and
codes, and required documentation.

PPE Plan

PPE plans developed by ERS address all
relevant OSHA standards to ensure
compliance. Based on the findings of
the arc flash risk assessment, we will
provide incident energy information and
PPE recommendations, based on
calculated IE values. We can also assist in
the selection and supply of recommended
equipment on which workers will be
trained. Our team will address when
PPE is necessary and what equipment
is needed. ERS's approach can cover
how PPE should be worn, maintained,
and disposed of after the equipment life
has expired.

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ARC FLASH SOLUTIONS

Optional Annual Re-certification

Ongoing arc flash hazard research and
development will likely produce additions
to arc flash requirements. As modifications
or expansions to your electrical distribution
system are made, or as changes occur in
the electric utility system, it will be
necessary to update arc flash assessment
information on a regular basis.

In some cases it will be necessary to
update worker training on an annual basis.
ERS can provide annual follow-up site visits
to ensure continued compliance with
applicable arc flash standards, practices
and regulations. The audit includes a
written report of findings and
recommendations.

Documentation

Proper documentation will help you prove
compliance with OSHA and NFPA
standards, and facilitate an investigation
should an arc flash related injury occur.
Thorough documentation is one of ERS's
strengths. Our arc flash compliance plan
consists of a customized written report
that includes results of the arc flash risk
assessment, updated single-line drawings
of electrical systems, and signs and labels
on equipment and in hazardous areas.

Also included are the type, name/ID,
incident energy at working distances,
flash protection boundary, and other
pertinent information such as voltage,
available fault current, protective device
description and its trip time, arc gap, and
arc current.

Qualified Electrical Worker program
documentation can also be provided as
part of the safety and worker training
program, demonstrating compliance in
case of an audit.

Summary

Arc flash is a serious hazard with
potentially devastating eects.
NFPA 70E requirements aid users of
electricity in understanding how to
reduce the probability of injury in
case of an arc flash event.
Therefore, OSHA strictly enforces
these requirements. By complying,
your facility supports the goal of
reducing injuries and downtime.

However, you don’t have to do it
alone. Rely on the experts at ERS to
help you implement an arc flash
program. Whether you require a
comprehensive program or
short-term assistance with arc flash
calculations, we can help.

Establishing an eective arc flash
program will help reduce your risk,
provide required worker safety, and
ensure regulatory compliance.

Ordering Information

To learn more about this service
and other Electrical Reliability
Services solutions, please contact
your local sales representative oice
or visit ers.Vertiv.com. In the United
States, call 1-877-468-6384.

ers.Vertiv.com | Vertiv - Electrical Reliability Services, 1-877-468-6384

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ES-02-557 (R05/19)

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