Arc Flash
Posted by Dan Chisholm Jr.
on Wednesday, 01 February 2012 in Latest News
Dan Chisholm Jr.
Dan is President of MGI Systems and Co-Founder of Medical Gas Certifications, Inc. Dan specializes in facility...
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Q. We are trying to come to grips with the requirement in NFPA 70E for an arc flash analysis every five years. Does that mean we must do one immediately or do we have a specific time to get the first one done? Is this being enforced by a regulatory agency (other than NFPA) such as OSHA? Can someone refer me to the code? We have a proposal from an electrical contractor but the cost seems very high.
A. There are several different levels (stages) that can/could be handled by in-house folks to reduce cost. You would need: one-line diagrams showing the distribution system. That would help gauge the size of the study.
The cost of the study will be greatly dependent on the amount of information that can be derived from the one-line diagram. For a complete study, you need the following:
1. All feeder wire sizes and feeder lengths for the equipment on the one-line diagram (or floor plans with locations to determine lengths).
2. Circuit Breaker Summary: Would need manufacturer, type and any device settings that are available.
Enforcement and "deadlines" are a different matter and should be covered in "off the record" correspondence.
Coordination and fault studies are also part of the procedure.
Dan
P.S. We have participated in studies for up to 10M SF facilities that have taken 2-3 years; and, the older the more complicated; plus, the more accessible the information the shorter the time period.
A. There are several different levels (stages) that can/could be handled by in-house folks to reduce cost. You would need: one-line diagrams showing the distribution system. That would help gauge the size of the study.
The cost of the study will be greatly dependent on the amount of information that can be derived from the one-line diagram. For a complete study, you need the following:
1. All feeder wire sizes and feeder lengths for the equipment on the one-line diagram (or floor plans with locations to determine lengths).
2. Circuit Breaker Summary: Would need manufacturer, type and any device settings that are available.
Enforcement and "deadlines" are a different matter and should be covered in "off the record" correspondence.
Coordination and fault studies are also part of the procedure.
Dan
P.S. We have participated in studies for up to 10M SF facilities that have taken 2-3 years; and, the older the more complicated; plus, the more accessible the information the shorter the time period.
Tags: Arc Flash
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