Sometimes, the effects of an arc flash incident aren’t apparent immediately. Make sure they receive medical attention right away, even if they insist that they feel fine. When the burn has cooled, cover it with a clean, dry cloth.ĭon’t give victims food or water.Do not apply ice, cream, or ointment to the burns.Run cool (but not cold) water over the victim’s burns.If the victim is not breathing or does not have a pulse, start CPR while waiting for emergency personnel to arrive.Do not tell or let the affected person move this could worsen injuries or cause new ones.If the victim is on fire, attempt to smother flames - do not try to remove the victim’s clothing, especially if it has melted to the skin.Contact emergency services immediately.These steps can help to mitigate the damage caused by arc flashes: Employees are more likely to suffer permanent damage or death if treatment is delayed. If an arc flash injury does affect an employee, it’s essential that everyone knows what to do and acts as quickly as possible. WHAT TO DO AFTER AN ARC FLASH INJURY OCCURS They often cause permanent changes to employees’ quality of life some require expensive medical care exceeding $1 million. These injuries are severe and can even be fatal. Vision damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet light.Hearing damage caused by sound blasts that reach up to 140 decibels.Brain injuries and concussions caused when a worker falls and hits their head or gets hit in the head with a flying object.Musculoskeletal injuries caused by flying objects striking a worker.Burns caused by fires and exposure to temperatures above 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit.The following are some of the most common injuries associated with arc flashes: The severity of an arc flash injury depends on several factors, including how close a worker is to the hazard, the temperature and the amount of time it takes for the circuit to break. Regardless of the cause, arc flashes often cause severe injuries to nearby employees.

It then moves through the air to another conductor or to the ground.Īn arc flash can result from several causes, including the following:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an arc flash as a phenomenon during which a “flashover” of electric current strays from the path it’s meant to follow. In this article, we examine how to respond effectively to arc flash injuries at work and provide appropriate first aid. Exposure to electricity caused 145 fatal occupational injuries 3 in 2022, and 2,950 non-fatal occupational injuries 4 in 2021-2022 according to the most recent BLS reports.Īrc flash injuries are one of the causes of some of the more severe injuries. In fact, employees in any occupation can be injured by exposure to electricity. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) 2 reports that more than 7,200 electricians suffered an injury or illness that required days away from work in 2016-2020. However, despite this declining trend, electrical contractors, electricians, and other workers in the sector continue to be injured at work. Ever since the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1 introduced its NFPA 70E ® Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, the number of fatalities and less serious injuries has dropped. © Pog – .įor the past four decades, working with electricity has become safer in the United States. In 1979, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) established the standard for workplace electrical safety, NFPA 70E.

Arc flash boundary images