It is estimated that 5 to 10 arc flash incidents occur in electrical equipment everyday in the United States. These events have the potential to cause serious injuries and even death due to burns and other trauma. In the mining industry, non-contact electrical burns due to arc flash events are the largest single category of electrical injuries. To address this problem, NIOSH OMSHR researchers conducted a study of such injuries from an 11-year period, with findings that included the determination of organizational and human behavior components of arc flash incidents.

The program

This Arc Flash Program is a result of that study and focuses on individual and organizational behavior including judgment-decision making. It presents interviews with three electricians and the situation and consequences of being directly or indirectly involved in one of these incidents. Organizational issues are addressed through an interview discussing management responsibilities.

A 26-minute video is available in 4 formats (downloadable and streaming). Click here to go to the CDC website and access the video.

Additional materials:

Arc Flash Awareness Information and Discussion Topics for Electrical Workers

Arc Flash Awareness Video Transcript

Authors: KM Kowalski-Trakofler, EA Barrrett, CW Urban, GT Homce

Audience: All mining employees at all experience levels

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/works/coversheet1839.html