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•White Paper: Arc Flash In The Water/Wastewater Industry: No Longer An Emerging Issue

Abstract
In the "project background" portion of its February 2006 Request for Proposal for Arc Flash Analysis, a county municipality – one that includes a major U.S. city – states:

The County "is taking steps to meet the highest standards for electrical safety in the workplace, established in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, at each of its wastewater treatment facilities…In updating and building new facilities in the past three years, the County has been incorporating NFPA 70E compliance into the designs. Existing facilities that have had no electrical modifications since NFPA 70E was established need to be brought into compliance."

While water treatment and wastewater treatment facilities have sometimes been viewed as being outside the requirements of new arc flash standards, this perception is rapidly changing. Through the years, requirements for employee safety in the workplace have come under increasing government scrutiny. In particular, worker electrical safety is one of the latest and is still evolving. Although perceived as largely a liability issue, there are benefits to the w/ww industry of an electrical safety program that includes an arc flash hazard analysis. This paper will present some of the technical portions of the safety requirements and the potential benefits.

The paper begins with an overview of the regulatory and technical requirements behind safe work electrical practices including a brief description of the applicable standards. The focus will be on facility electrical equipment and the requirement for an arc flash hazard analysis. Some of the misconceptions associated with the analyses are presented. Specific issues from recent analyses will be discussed with particular emphasis on w/ww facilities. Finally, the benefits of an electrical safety program are explained, including how an arc flash analysis can be applied to minimize liability, increase safety, protect equipment and processes, and minimize downtime.

Click Here To Download:
•White Paper: Arc Flash In The Water/Wastewater Industry: No Longer An Emerging Issue

SOURCE: Schneider Electric