Arc Flash Code Compliance

The National Electrical Code 110.16 broke new ground in the field of arc flash safety in a number of important ways. By referencing other standards, as 110.16 does, it serves to integrate and link the critical task of safety across different jurisdictions and industrial groups. The standard makes note of both NFPA 70E-2000 - Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces, and ANSI Z535.4 - Product Safety Signs and Labels. The first reference is critical to determining the severity of potential exposure and selecting personal protective equipment, and the second to the proper design of appropriate safety labels.

It's important to note that the National Electrical Code leads to what, in practice, is a two-tier approach. The first tier is a general warning which communicates that an arc flash hazard is present and "appropriate PPE" is required. A warning label that conveys this message is the minimum needed to meet the code.

The second tier is the more detailed, best-practices safety marking. In this approach, a label is created that ties in information from a specific location in a facility as defined by an arc flash study. This label identifies the severity of the arc flash hazard, the distances involved, and specifies the exact type of PPE required to best avoid possible injury as per NFPA 70E. The example below is one of several standardized formats Clarion has designed for receiving specific serialized arc flash information. Call our Custom Design Department for more information on how to implement this best safety practice approach to arc flash labeling.