Electrical arc flash hazard analysis in electrical safety risk management at Hospital Seberang Jaya

Abstract

Electrical safety issues in terms of the dangers it poses during faults or insulation breakdowns increases around the world parallel with the rise in the number of electrical switch board installations around the world. High voltage switch boards, particularly, 415 V and above exhibit an arc flash hazard to operators and facilities. Thus, this project focuses on the electrical quantification on such hazards and how the safety risk is managed by using adequate personal protective equipments (PPE). This is done so by utilizing the classical short circuit analysis approach and employing the IEEE 1584 Standard’s Arc Flash arcing current and hence the energy equations and cross-matched to the rating of the PPEs required for adequate protection and safety. This approach also determines the safe boundary parameter which presents the distance from these equipments where arc flashes don’t reach out. This electrical quantification is done manually using hand-calculations and solidified further using simulation tool namely SKM Power Tool. The simulation is much more in depth for calculation with detail switchboard parameters are input to output the desired results. This effort translates in adequately protecting people and properties from unwanted disasters by enforcing operators to wear proper PPEs during operations or maintenance. Based on the simulations, Hospital Seberang Jaya requires Category 1 and Category 2 levels of PPE. Risk management is done by labeling all the switchboards with their category ratings as a warning signal to anyone passing nearby these switchboards.