Because most methods currently available for analyzing the arc flash incident thermal energy were developed for low and medium-voltage industrial and commercial settings -- and not applicable to practical transmission and substations situations – a study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) aimed to:
“Arc flashes are a serious hazard that may potentially put people in life-threatening situations and cause great damage to existing assets,” according to the introduction of Arc Flash Issues in Transmission and Substation Environments: Modeling of Incident Thermal Energy of Long Arcs. “National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) safety rules have introduced requirements for electric utilities to perform arc flash hazard analysis of all electric facilities operating at and above 1000 volts.