Due to the horrific nature of the damage that arc flash incidents can do, governments tend to take them seriously and push strongly for people to make use of quality arc flash shield equipment. For example, Queensland is closing in on 50 serious incidents, and one fatality, in the past decade, which prompted WorkSafe in Queensland to release this safety video.

While those numbers might not seem extreme, another video that WorkSafe shared, featuring the story of one electrician that experienced an arc flash incident without protective gear, highlights why the government takes it so seriously. That video includes imagery of the injuries, though he obviously survives (mild content warning).

Meanwhile, showing how seriously the Victorian government also takes arc flash safety, Metro Trains in Melbourne was fined $100,000 after an arc flash injury, when a linesman experienced burns to his hands that required hospital treatment. A live wire caused an arc flash while he was installing a steel bracket near a train station. Metro Trains was found to have failed to provide safe systems of work and the necessary training for identifying risks on the job.

Arc flashes are incredibly dangerous, creating heat that can reach as much as four times the heat of the sun’s surface. For those that are affected it can mean life-changing injuries and a long time out of work. For employers it can mean massive fines, expensive worker’s compensation, and losing a good employee, either temporarily or permanently.

Employers need to take arc flashes as seriously as the government and adopt the position that no incidences is the maximum tolerable. This can be achieved in three ways:

1) Completing the SWMS

Minimising the risk of arc flash injuries starts with making a proper analysis of the work environment and successfully identifying the areas where there is the risk of an arc flash. From there, the goal needs to be determining what steps can be undertaken to minimise the risk of an arc flash happening at all.

2) Educating employees

Employees need to be aware of what can cause arc flashes in an environment, and what they can do as a matter of personal safety to ensure that it doesn’t happen to them. Most importantly, as Mark’s story (above) so keenly shows, it’s important to express to employees why it’s so important to be methodical and stick to safety best practices, no matter how confident you are in your capabilities.

3) Wear the proper protective arc flash shield

The best of precautions can sometimes go awry, and when that happens, it’s critical to have the specific arc flash shield equipment that can protect an employee from the worst of the damage. This equipment needs to be specially designed for this particular purpose – as all of NECA’s equipment is – and needs to be well maintained checked regularly for signs of wear and need of replacement.

By following these steps, businesses will be protecting their employees from the risk of an arc flash injuries, and will also be protecting themselves from one of the injuries that governments across Australia are particularly concerned with.

Working in an area that carries the risk of arc flashes? Contact NECA today to discuss your arc flash shield options!