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We are looking for a number of presenters to submit an abstract and present their technical papers at this important industry event which has been created to promote best practice and help reduce the number of arc flash incidents in Australia.
What is ARC FLASH?
An arc flash is the explosive release of energy occurring when there is a phase-to-phase or phase-to-earth fault.
It can be caused by various reasons including accidental contact, unsafe work procedures, corrosion, insulation failure or conductive dust or moisture/liquids. Heat generated by an electric arc is capable of reaching temperatures of around 1000°C, which can cause a significant amount of damage. The rapid heating of the air and vaporisation of the conductive metals creates an intense pressure blast which exposes the electrical worker to shrapnel, air, vaporised metal, intense UV exposure and heat.
Arc flash is arguably one of the most topical issues being discussed today in the electrical engineering community in Australia (especially in the mining, utilities and manufacturing areas). Technology and safety procedures have significantly reduced most other forms of electrical injuries; however incidents related to arc flash have surfaced as one of the leading causes of injury and death to workers.
The technical aspects and physics associated with arc flash are still somewhat debatable. And there has been some concerns about the physics of electrical arcing faults being significantly different to those established by the USA with the NFPA 70E and the IEEE 1584 standards and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) new arc flash safety standard CSA – Z462. Although arc flash is a contentious and critical issue in Australia there are still no official local standards that deal with arc flash safety.