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Electrical Safety: Arc Flash Prevention

26 minutesEN / ES / MLCCSafety TrainingNFPA 70E; 29 CFR 1910.331-335 - Electrical Safe Work Practices
Quick Answer

Electrical Safety: Arc Flash Prevention is a 26-minute online course that teaches workers how to prevent arc flash incidents through proper hazard assessment, PPE selection, and safe work practices as outlined in NFPA 70E and OSHA's electrical safety standards. It is designed for electricians, maintenance technicians, facilities managers, and safety officers, and includes a downloadable certificate of completion.

Course Overview

An arc flash is a sudden, violent release of electrical energy through the air that can produce temperatures exceeding 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit - hotter than the surface of the sun. Up to 80% of OSHA-reported electrical injuries involve thermal burns from arc flash incidents, and these events can cause severe burns, permanent blindness, hearing damage, and death within fractions of a second. Despite the availability of NFPA 70E standards and arc-rated PPE for over two decades, an estimated 600,000 workers in the United States still lack the necessary PPE to prevent arc flash injuries, according to industry safety data.

This course trains your team on the specific knowledge needed to prevent arc flash incidents and minimize injury when they occur. Your employees will learn how arc flashes happen, how to conduct an arc flash risk assessment, the PPE category system defined by NFPA 70E, proper approach boundaries for energized equipment, and the safe work practices that eliminate or reduce exposure. The training bridges the gap between OSHA's legal requirements under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S and the practical implementation guidance provided by NFPA 70E.

What You'll Learn

  • How arc flash incidents occur and the physics of electrical arc energy
  • NFPA 70E arc flash risk assessment methodology
  • Arc flash PPE categories and how to select appropriate protection levels
  • Approach boundaries: limited, restricted, and arc flash boundary distances
  • Arc flash labeling requirements for electrical equipment
  • The role of lockout/tagout in arc flash prevention
  • Incident energy analysis and its effect on PPE selection
  • Emergency response procedures for arc flash injuries

Who Needs This Training

  • Electricians who perform installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting on energized equipment
  • Maintenance technicians who open electrical panels and work on control systems
  • Facilities managers responsible for electrical safety programs and compliance
  • Safety officers conducting arc flash risk assessments and PPE evaluations
  • Engineers involved in electrical system design and protective device coordination
  • Supervisors who authorize work on or near energized electrical equipment

Regulatory Background

NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, is the recognized industry standard for arc flash prevention and was originally developed at OSHA's request in the 1970s. While NFPA 70E is a voluntary consensus standard, OSHA enforces electrical safety under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S (general industry) and 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K (construction), and frequently references NFPA 70E when issuing citations under both these standards and the General Duty Clause. OSHA has issued citations specifically for failure to provide arc-rated clothing, with penalties for serious violations reaching $16,550 and willful violations up to $165,514 as of 2025. Between 2011 and 2024, 2,070 workers were killed by electricity in the United States. NFPA 70E requires employers to conduct an arc flash risk assessment before any work on or near energized electrical equipment, and to update the assessment at intervals not exceeding five years or whenever major modifications occur.

Frequently Asked Questions

NFPA 70E is not federal law, but OSHA uses it as a recognized industry standard to validate and enforce electrical safety compliance. OSHA can cite employers for failure to meet NFPA 70E guidelines under both the specific electrical standards in 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S and the General Duty Clause. In practice, failure to follow NFPA 70E is treated as evidence of non-compliance with OSHA requirements.
NFPA 70E defines four arc flash PPE categories based on incident energy levels. Category 1 requires a minimum arc rating of 4 cal/cm2. Category 2 requires 8 cal/cm2. Category 3 requires 25 cal/cm2. Category 4 requires 40 cal/cm2. Each category specifies the minimum clothing and equipment required, including arc-rated shirts, pants, face shields, and head protection. Work is not permitted on equipment with incident energy above 40 cal/cm2 without de-energizing.
NFPA 70E requires that the arc flash risk assessment be updated when a major modification or renovation takes place and that it be reviewed periodically at intervals not to exceed five years. Changes to overcurrent protective devices, system configuration, or available fault current can significantly alter the incident energy levels and PPE requirements for a given piece of equipment.
The arc flash boundary is the distance from an arc flash source at which incident energy drops to 1.2 cal/cm2 - the threshold for a second-degree burn. The limited approach boundary and restricted approach boundary are shock protection boundaries defined by the voltage of the energized conductor. The arc flash boundary is based on thermal energy calculations and can be inside or outside the shock approach boundaries depending on the system.
The most effective prevention is to de-energize equipment before performing work, which eliminates the arc flash hazard entirely. When energized work is necessary, risk can be minimized through proper PPE, maintenance of overcurrent protective devices, insulated tools, and adherence to safe work practices. Current-limiting fuses and zone-selective interlocking can also reduce incident energy levels significantly.
$29.95
per person
Volume Pricing
Team Size Price per Person
1 - 9$29.95
10 - 24$23.95
25 - 49$21.55
50 - 99$17.50
Subtotal $29.95
Language

This course is available in English, Spanish, and Multi-Language CC at no additional charge.

Certificate of completion included. Downloadable upon passing the final assessment.

$29.95
per person