Arc Flash PPE sales videos

[bbaumer]

Hi all. I attended a seminar yesterday on arc flash. I did not know in advance that the presenter would have a sidekick along to sell PPE.

Anyhow, they show showed several vids with a dummy in front of a 480V, 200A disconnect with different types of clothing and PPE being subjected time after time to an extremely violent arc flash fire.

I asked the presenter what they were doing to create the flash every time. He did not know and gave me a smart-ace answer instead.

I have never witnessed such a violent event with 480V although I do know it is certainly possible. I am not trying to minimize the importance of PPE and procedures but I would like to know what they were doing to create this condition. How did they exactly create the fault to begin with and what type of environmental conditions were present.

Does anyone know?

 

[WDeanN]

Don't know this for sure, but I think what they often do is put a very small piece of jumper wire in between phases before turning it on.
When the wire burns up, it creates the arc.

 

[zog]

Hi all. I attended a seminar yesterday on arc flash. I did not know in advance that the presenter would have a sidekick along to sell PPE.

Anyhow, they show showed several vids with a dummy in front of a 480V, 200A disconnect with different types of clothing and PPE being subjected time after time to an extremely violent arc flash fire.

I asked the presenter what they were doing to create the flash every time. He did not know and gave me a smart-ace answer instead.

I have never witnessed such a violent event with 480V although I do know it is certainly possible. I am not trying to minimize the importance of PPE and procedures but I would like to know what they were doing to create this condition. How did they exactly create the fault to begin with and what type of environmental conditions were present.

Does anyone know?

Hmmmm, showing you a video that he knows nothing about? Makes me wonder what he does know. I have done many arc flash tests and KEMA power labs, there are several ways to initate an arc flash event but some you see are not real life situations, I think I know the video you are talking about (In a wood box?), not a good example, but the result is real.

Go to this website, click on video library, my buddy Scott explains how the tests are set up in detail and there are several good examples. http://www.westexinc.com/

BTW, on most systems the highest arc flash hazards are on the 480V system, not the 4160V or 13,800V systems.