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NETWORK / 14 / OCTOBER 2017 W arnings over the dangers of electricity have tended to focus on shock hazards over the decades – some- thing that consumers everywhere are familiar with. Arc flash – an electrical flashover and subsequent explosion – has received less attention, although awareness of the dan- gers of this phenomenon has become more pronounced in the UK and Ireland over the past ten years, experts say. In fact, the UK lags the US in terms of both standards on the treatment of arc flash, and awareness of arc flash hazards among industrial electricity users – al- though the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 place a duty on employers to prevent injury from electrical arcing. Understanding arc flash Historically, Dr Ralph Lee is credited with creating the foundation of our understand- ing of arc flash and the dangers it poses in an IEEE paper: 'The Other Electrical Hazard: Electric Arc Blast Burns'. His identification of arc flash as a hazard "where contact is not necessary to incur injury", has led the way in identifying effective controls for personnel. Today, local expertise has developed around arc flash prevention and protection. The consequences of an arc flash can be life-changing or even fatal for personnel ARC FLASH & PPE Arc flash hazards Arc flashes pose considerable dangers to personnel working at or near electrical equipment. However, the UK and Ireland lag the US when it comes to protecting workers from them.