![]() ![]() ![]() Because of the update cycles, some companies may not have had an arc flash analysis for a few years, meaning they will not have updated their report and other arc flash-related items for the 2018 NFPA update and the forthcoming 2021 update before having another analysis completed. It is recommended to have a discussion with your vendor to determine if it makes sense to redo the calculations for the rest of the facility based on the amount of new changes, compared to the existing equipment, and the age of the original report.Īdditionally, keep in mind that the most recent update to NFPA 70E occurred in 2018 alongside the IEEE 1584 update. However, if you have added additional equipment, had an equipment retrofit, or expanded your facility, then those new items should utilize the new standard. Your existing study is grandfathered in based on the active standard that was being enforced at the time the study was conducted. But what if your organization just recently had an arc flash hazard analysis performed on your facilities? Do you need to have another analysis completed to remain in compliance? This is critical, as OSHA conducts its inspections using NFPA and IEEE standards as guidelines. If your organization requires an arc flash hazard analysis every five years, your next inspector should conduct that analysis using the new standards set forth in IEEE 1584-2018. The reason for including these additional orientations is that testing during the years between the 20 editions found that different configurations produced different incident energy and thus affected the arc flash boundary. In addition to VCB and VOA orientations, IEEE 1584-2018 now supports calculations for HCB (horizontal conductors or electrodes inside a metal enclosure), VCBB (vertical conductors or electrodes terminated in an insulating barrier inside a metal enclosure), and HOA (horizontal conductors or electrodes in open air). In the 2018 update, IEEE 1584 now includes a few more electrode orientations to support calculations for different types of electrical assets. Regarding electrode configurations, the previous version of IEEE 1584 from 2002 was published accounting for only two versions: VCB (vertical conductors or electrodes inside of a metal enclosure) and VOA (vertical conductors or electrodes in open air). This seems logical because an arc flash occurring within a smaller space would focus the heat and other effects. For example, larger enclosures can lead to a decrease in incident energy based on a larger open area from the panel, and a smaller enclosure can lead to an increase in that energy. This includes the asset’s height, width, and depth. IEEE 1584-2018 now accounts for entering the physical dimensions of enclosures in the calculations. This meant that the calculations were less accurate than the new models, as asset size can have a dramatic effect on the direction and concentration of an arc flash. Prior to the 2018 update, IEEE 1584 did not account for the physical dimensions of an enclosure. ![]()
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