INDUSTRY BACKS IEEE-NFPA ARC
FLASH TESTING PROGRAM WITH INITIAL DONATIONS OF $1.25
MILLION
Multi-Year, $6.5 Million Program Aims to Better
Define Arc Flash Hazards and Protect Workers
Contacts: Sue Vogel, Manager, Technical Committee
Programs
+1 732-562 3817; s.vogel@ieee.org
or
Lorraine Carli, NFPA Public Affairs Office
+1 617-984-7275; lcarli@nfpa.org
PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 14 July 2006 A multi-year
initiative by the IEEE and the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) to gain a better understanding
of arc flash hazards and how to protect electrical
workers against them has received an initial $1.25
million in contributions from industry.
Three major donations have been received: $500,000
from Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL), $500,000
from Bruce Power, and $250,000 from Hydro One Networks,
Inc. An additional $5 million is needed to fully fund
the IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash Collaborative Research and
Testing Project. Electrical utilities, process industries,
equipment manufacturers, professional associations,
safety-related agencies, insurers and others concerned
with the safety of electrical workers are being asked
to contribute to the project.
The need for the initiative is evident in the many
reports on arc flash phenomena. The US Department
of Labor and Electricite de France, for instance,
cite arc flash as causing an inordinate number of
electrical worker deaths and serious injuries. One
major corporation found that up to 80 percent of its
electrical injuries involve thermal burns due to arcing
faults.
"We were impressed by the thorough job IEEE
and NFPA did in defining arc flash issues and the
research needed," says Gus Schaefer, Sr. Vice
President and Public Safety Officer at UL. "Our
contribution to this program is consistent with our
mission, which includes promoting 'safe living and
working environments' and advancing 'safety science
through research and investigation.' We see the program
as a great opportunity for many organizations to collaborate
to benefit the entire power industry."
Duncan Hawthorne, President and CEO of Bruce Power,
which is located on the shores of Lake Huron, says
his company is thrilled to be the first North American
electricity generator to support this arc flash initiative.
"Supporting such an important breakthrough health
and safety initiative is consistent with our number
one value of safety first. Moving forward, I will
be encouraging other utilities to participate in this
important initiative".
Since 2001, Bruce Power has made safety a key focus
by reducing lost-time injuries by over 93 percent
and by leading a group of over 150 business leaders
in the CEO Health and Safety Leadership Charter. Hawthorne
said he believes this initiative will build on Bruce
Power's track record as a leader in health and safety
by helping to counteract the risks arc flash poses
to those who work on or near electrical equipment.
The more than 2,000 test protocols planned for the
IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash Collaborative Research and Testing
Project will create deeper insight into arc flash
and arc blast phenomena, especially in areas not researched
before. The project will measure thermal energy transfer
from these phenomena, as well as such effects as pressure
and sound waves, shrapnel, the toxicity of gases released,
and energy radiated at infrared, visible, ultra-violet,
x-ray and other wavelengths. It also will look at
how enclosures affect the energy released in an arcing
fault.
"At Hydro One we believe that everyone is entitled
to a safe workplace," says Tom Parkinson, President
and CEO of Hydro One. "That is why we are pleased
to support an initiative that will contribute to improved
workers safety not only at Hydro One, but across a
multitude of sectors."
The program will yield many dividends. In addition
to improving worker safety, it will help employers
boost operating efficiency and productivity and lower
workers' compensation claims and premiums. Insurance
carriers should thus see fewer claims for injuries
and property damage and fewer workers' compensation
and disability claims. In addition, the information
developed will help electrical equipment and personal
protective equipment manufacturers create safer products.
The program has also received smaller donations,
such as $5,000 from SKM Power Tools and $1,500 from
John Cadick at Cadick Corporation. In addition, Powell
Electrical Systems will contribute the metal enclosures
to be used in testing.
Data from the project will enable the IEEE to expand
IEEE 1584™, "Guide for Performing Arc Flash
Hazard Calculations", which helps designers and
operators determine arc flash hazard distance and
energy exposure. Similarly, the project will help
NFPA enhance NFPA 70E, "Standard for Electrical
Safety in the Workplace". NFPA 70E provides guidelines
in such areas as training, hazard evaluation, work
conditions and personal protective clothing.
Those interested in contributing to the IEEE/NFPA
Arc Flash Collaborative Research and Testing Project
should contact either Sue Vogel at IEEE (732 562 3817,
s.vogel@ieee.org)
or Mark Earley at NFPA (617-984-7400, mwearley@nfpa.org)
for more information. A prospectus on the project
is available online at http://standards.ieee.org/esrc/arcflash/index.html.
About the National Fire Protection Association The National Fire Protection Association has been
a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical,
building, and life safety to the public since 1896.
The mission of the international nonprofit organization
is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other
hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating
consensus codes and standards, research, training,
and education.
About the IEEE Standards Association
The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized
standards-setting body, develops consensus standards
through an open process that brings diverse parts
of an industry together. These standards set specifications
and procedures based on current scientific consensus.
The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of more than 870 completed
standards and more than 400 standards in development.
For information on IEEE-SA see: http://standards.ieee.org/.
About the IEEE
The IEEE has more than 375,000 members in approximately
150 countries. Through its members, the organization
is a leading authority on areas ranging from aerospace,
computers and telecommunications to biomedicine, electric
power and consumer electronics. The IEEE produces
nearly 30 percent of the world's literature in the
electrical and electronics engineering, computing
and control technology fields. This nonprofit organization
also sponsors or cosponsors more than 300 technical
conferences each year. Additional information about
the IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org/.
