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Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Question:
Hi Charles, at what voltage do you start to need arc flash protection.
Brad Lester
A
Answer:
Hey Brad thanks for your question. The need for protection from an arc flash event is not determined based only on voltage but is based on incident energy and the likelihood of an arc flash event occurring. The arc-flash hazard warning sign required by 110.16 does not have a lower voltage limit but has examples of types of equipment it applies to.
NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, requires employers to perform arc flash risk assessments as stated in 130.5 of that standard and to implement a hierarchy of risk control methods as stated in 110.1(H)(3). The definition of Electrical Hazard in Article 100 of NFPA 70E has an informational note explaining that class 2 power supplies, listed low voltage lighting systems and similar sources are not considered electrical hazards.