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The Myth of Arc Flash Resistance
Filed under: IRISS News, Questions & Answers
Myths are entertaining, instructive, and inspirational. Myths are intended to be harmless, told around a campfire or as a bed-time story. Because Myths have no basis in reality, there is no one to hold responsible for their truthfulness. They are often just believed to be true and are passed along through a community without ever really being researched to prove their validity. Most of the time, a Myth is about something simple or inconsequential.
When a Myth is about something as serious and potentially deadly as what can withstand an Arc Flash event, these “stories” can have consequences that are anything but harmless or amusing.
IRISS Video- The Myth of Arc Flash Resistance
An Arc Flash is not a Myth. An Arc Flash event occurs daily in industrial workplaces just like yours. On average, one fatality or serious injury occurs every 3.2 hours as a result of an Arc Flash event.
There is a myth that an Arc Flash-resistant IR window exists. Many reliability and maintenance professionals are under the impression that an IR window will protect them in the event of an arc blast. The consequences of believing this myth can cost you your life!
Infrared windows cannot protect you from an Arc Flash event. The simple fact is: there is no such thing an Arc Resistance rating for an IR window.
Any claims to the contrary are just plain dangerous and negligent.
An IR window is a data collection point for Infrared inspections. An IR window allows for a closed panel inspection of electrical switchgear components. Closed-panel inspection using IR windows will eliminate more than 99 percent of arc flash triggers during inspection. IR windows are a safer, more efficient way to perform infrared inspections of energized electrical equipment using an infrared camera.
At IRISS, your safety is our primary concern. That is why we want you to know that believing the Myth of the Arc Flash-resistant IR Window has life-threatening possibilities.
IRISS never overlooks a detail.
Neither should you.
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Posted on August 12th, 2010 by admin
1 Comment
One Response to “The Myth of Arc Flash Resistance”
July 11th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Absolutely horrifying set of statistics there…an incident every 3.2 hours – boggles the mind. Well done for spreading the news on this. I for one had no idea (not that I use one in my work), and I wonder how many more aren’t aware at all.