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Let Us Be Your Electrical Compliance Partner

Reduce Risk, Meet Compliance Requirements, and Protect Workers

Companies must comply with NFPA 70, 70E, 70B, and IEEE standards for electrical equipment maintenance and safety. Failure to comply can lead to injuries, downtime, and OSHA penalties. CBS ArcSafe can help.

Supporting Your Electrical Safety Program

Electrical compliance requires more than meeting standards—facilities need to safely carry out the work those standards define. Per NFPA 70B 205.4, electrical equipment must be maintained in accordance with manufacturers’ instructions or industry consensus standards to reduce the risk associated with failure. The equipment owner or representative is responsible for maintenance and documentation.

Before electricians can perform maintenance, the equipment should be de-energized and disconnected. But disconnecting equipment isn’t feasible in every instance. Remote switching, racking, and bucket extraction/installation from CBS ArcSafe are potential solutions that reduce exposure to arc flash hazards during routine maintenance and operation.

Where Arc Flash Risk Occurs

Certain routine activities increase the likelihood of arc flash exposure, including:

  • Operating circuit breakers or switches after installation, maintenance, or routine operation following extended service life
  • Insertion or removal (racking) of circuit breakers or starters from cubicles (doors open or closed)
  • Racking individual starter buckets from a motor control center (MCC) or plug-in devices into or from busways
  • Opening voltage transformer or control power transformer compartments

These are necessary parts of maintaining and operating electrical systems, making risk reduction a critical part of the process.

Electrical Standards Keep Us Protected

Know the key players in electrical safety.

Electrical standards continue to evolve as new technologies and innovations change the power systems we rely on. Companies must comply with a series of electrical standards to ensure equipment is well maintained and safe to operate. CBS ArcSafe’s remote racking and remote switching solutions can help you comply with all the following standards by allowing workers to perform regular maintenance without the risk of arc flash injuries from short circuits and other failure conditions.

Reducing Risk With Distance

Distance plays a critical role in electrical safety.

When you double the distance between you and the power source, you reduce the incident energy you’re exposed to by one-quarter. This is an estimation and by no means exact, but it demonstrates that distance is the best thing to have between you and an arc flash. Use engineering calculations to determine the arc flash boundary: the distance at which incident energy equals 1.2 cal/cm². This amount of incident energy will produce a second-degree burn.

Arc Flash Zone Stages

The three main factors that affect heat intensity and ultimately determine incident energy levels are:

  1. Available fault current (power of the arc)
  2. Working distance from the arc
  3. Duration of the arc (clearing time)

Arc flash is commonly caused by human error, such as accidental contact, incorrect wiring, and insufficient training, or equipment failures, including insulation breakdown, poor maintenance, and improperly rated electrical equipment.

Training & Demos

NFPA 70E 110.2 states that an employer must establish, document, and implement an electrically safe work condition policy that does both of the following:

  • Makes hazard elimination the first priority in the implementation of safety-related work practices
  • Complies with NFPA 70E 110.2B

Implementing a safety program requires more than equipment maintenance. Proper training and consistent application are crucial. CBS ArcSafe supports customers with:

OEM training is included in the purchase of select equipment. Per NFPA 70E Article 110.6(3), we recommend OEM retraining every three years and/or as staff attrition occurs. In addition to on-site training, you can visit the CBS ArcSafe YouTube channel for demonstration videos for a variety of devices.

Electrical Services and Support

Through the Power of One, Group CBS companies provide a full range of electric power system lifecycle solutions that support compliance and long-term system reliability.

Real-World Safety Solutions

CBS ArcSafe offers more than 800 arc flash safety solutions designed to keep your personnel safe, but we also engineer custom solutions for real-world applications. See how we’ve helped customers enhance safety at facilities in various industries.

Standards Compliance Overview

For a more detailed look at electrical safety standards, maintenance practices, and arc flash risk, download our electrical standards compliance brochure.

Download the brochure

Learn More About CBS ArcSafe Solutions

Contact our team to discuss your application or request a demonstration.

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