VFD and RVSS Arc Flash Labeling

[Isaiah]

Can anyone tell me why MV, VFD's and RVSS's do not require Arc Flash Study/ labeling? I have several here on site ready for installation -- without labels.
thanks in advance
Isaiah

 

[Jraef]

Who said they don't? You may have some that don't but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be labeled...

Arc Flash labeling is the responsibility of the EMPLOYER, not the manufacturer of the equipment. But that said, technically the requirement for labeling is for "any piece of electrical equipment that may need examination, adjustment, service or maintenance while energized, creating the potential for an arc flash incident to occur". In the case of MV drives and soft starters, they are interlocked in a way that does not allow the doors to be opened with power applied, usually with Kirk-key interlocks or mechanical pin interlocks. So some people take that as a reason to not bother with any sort of labeling. I'm not one who agrees with that, I'm just relating the argument I have heard.

 

[jim dungar]

Arc Flash labeling is the responsibility of the EMPLOYER, not the manufacturer of the equipment

This is the important thing to remember if you work in multiple facilities or different employers. Just because you were taught a safety procedure at one place does not mean it is universally applied. Always raise a question.

 

[Isaiah]

Who said they don't? You may have some that don't but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be labeled...

Arc Flash labeling is the responsibility of the EMPLOYER, not the manufacturer of the equipment. But that said, technically the requirement for labeling is for "any piece of electrical equipment that may need examination, adjustment, service or maintenance while energized, creating the potential for an arc flash incident to occur". In the case of MV drives and soft starters, they are interlocked in a way that does not allow the doors to be opened with power applied, usually with Kirk-key interlocks or mechanical pin interlocks. So some people take that as a reason to not bother with any sort of labeling. I'm not one who agrees with that, I'm just relating the argument I have heard.

Thanks Jraef. Did you get the quote from NFPA 70 or 70E?


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[garbo]

Can anyone tell me why MV, VFD's and RVSS's do not require Arc Flash Study/ labeling? I have several here on site ready for installation -- without labels.
thanks in advance
Isaiah

Good luck. At very large childrens hospital/ research center that I retired from a year ago I tried in vain to get JCI ( Johnson Control Inc. ) to install Arc flash on panels of 6 new 100 HP Chillers @480 volts and best was two 1,750 HP chillers feed from 13,200 volts to a 21 foot print of cabinets, 13,200 to 4,160 transformer. 4,160 Volt motors feed from a VFD. Got nothing but BS for over a year. Unfortunately management in larger locations never take complaints seriously. Would tell us they are looking into it. We had blind areas 5 floors below the ground where no phones existed, no cell phone or walkie talkie service. Some times spent days there PMing drives. Complained about it every year and for over 5 years said they were either working on it or looking into it.