5 Mistakes Companies Make Trying to Cut Costs...on Arc Flash Analysis

1. “Let’s just use NFPA tables to determine the stickers to put on our panels.”

Problem: In order to qualify to use this method, your facility must meet certain parameters, for which most manufacturing or assembly facilities do not qualify. NFPA and OSHA recommend that as a stop gap measure you use NFPA tables, but this is only a short term measure until an analysis is completed.

2. “Let’s eliminate the Short Circuit Analysis and Coordination Device Study sections.”

Problems: The short circuit analysis and coordination device study accurately model your electrical distribution system and without knowing this, engineers are guessing. There are a few inherent dangers here. First off, the danger of the arc flash and blast is calculated both in terms of energy AND time. An arc flash incident point with a lower level of energy may be more dangerous than a higher voltage area because of the time for the breaker to pop. Without knowing this, engineers must take a guess and make one of two decisions: A) assume the best case scenario and rate the category based on that, leaving someone with category 2 clothing and equipment on exposed to a Category 3 or 4 situation. Should an accident happen here, an investigator may find your company to blame for excessive damages that could have been avoided. B) assume the worst case scenario and base the categories on this. This is the path that most engineers take because it covers them and the maintenance technician. Here’s the problem – this might actually be a Category 2 situation and the engineer will make it Category 3 to cover everyone. You just saved $3K on engineering, but now you need to go out and buy $10K in PPE and tools to meet Category 3. The other big factor is that the higher the category of PPE, the more hot and restrictive it is for the technician to work in and the longer it takes. The goal should be to get everyone in the best possible situation to do their job safely, not to overburden them and the company with unnecessary equipment.

3. “Let’s eliminate the Corrective Actions investigation segment of the report.”

Problems: The reality is that few companies actually do this, primarily because they do not understand the real world applications of an electrical distribution system and how electrical technicians work on them. When engineers identify a design flaw that either makes your system less efficient or puts workers at higher risk for shock or arc flash, they should make corrective recommendations to you before the arc flash analysis is completed. There is a reason that the breaker in your lunch room keeps popping when you plug in the coffee pot that requires a call to maintenance! A Corrective Actions Investigation will make your system more efficient and safe, but this too can only be done if the Short Circuit Analysis and Coordination Device Study is completed. Simply changing a breaker out for a different one could save you tens of thousands of dollars over time.

4. “We don’t need the final report delivered. Just send it.”

Problem: Having a report sent to you through the mail is of no value if you don’t understand it, which most people don’t. Many engineers have been called more than once to help customers dissect an arc flash analysis report because the company that did their report will not tell them what it means without scheduling a visit to their facility for an extra cost. Look for an engineering firm that includes full disclosure of the analysis and explanation of the analysis as part of the package and price.

5. “Hey, we can print the labels and put them on ourselves.”

Problem: Knowing where to put the labels and how many to put on per piece of equipment or panel is something that most end users are not qualified to do. Doing an analysis and getting the labels is useless if the labels do not service the correct purpose and meet NFPA and OSHA codes. In addition, prices and quality for labels can vary greatly and choosing a more expensive label than what you need can cost thousands of extra dollars. Make certain your quotes include labels!