Arc Flash Training: What Is It?

Arc Flash Training courses provided by Electrical Safety Specialists keep your employees up to date with the ever-changing electrical safety standards. These courses are taught nationwide and cover the complex standards and regulations per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and NFPA 70E. Electrical Safety Specialists Arc Flash training is offered in 4-hour, 8-hour, and Qualified Electrical Worker (QEW) sessions.

What Arc Flash Training Covers

The course begins with positive electrical safety culture, including why a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing, the evolution of the electrical worker, and the ever-present danger of electricity. 

The classes also thoroughly cover shock hazards like shock boundaries, shock protection, and the requirement for shock hazard analysis; when insulated tools and equipment are required; the dynamics of arc flash and arc blast; meter safety; and much more.

The four-hour training is well suited for an introduction to the NFPA 70E. Participants may include qualified and unqualified persons. 

The eight-hour Arc Flash Training is a more in-depth understanding of the necessary requirements of the NFPA 70E and what steps need to be taken to stay compliant with OSHA and the NFPA 70E. Participants may include management, qualified, and unqualified persons. 

The Qualified Electrical Worker (QEW) training consists of the 8-hour NFPA 70E classroom training with a written exam combined with hands-on practical exams. Each attendee will receive full documentation sufficient to prove them qualified. Participants may include management and personnel working on or near energized electrical equipment.

Who Requires Training, And How Often?

Arc Flash Training should include both “qualified persons” trained to work directly with electrical equipment and “unqualified persons,” such as management, mechanics or janitorial staff who operate around an electrical hazard. It could also include outside contractors or visitors to the facility.

Employees must be retrained at least once every three years in safe work practices and in any changes to the NFPA 70E standard. Retraining is also required after discrepancies are discovered during annual audits of employees’ performance when new equipment has been added or after a temporary change in job duties. 

Although OSHA will issue citations for failure to properly train employees, this shouldn’t be a prime motivator when developing an electrical safety training program. Arc Flash Training protects employees from injuries, creates a positive workplace, and builds a culture of safety within the company.

For more information on Arc Flash Training, contact ESS at (816) 925-0443 or click here.