Always check the arc flash rating sticker

[mayanees]

What do you guys do when you find a label that says "Dangerous! No Safe PPE exists"?

A RED DANGER NO SAFE PPE EXISTS label is a common mistake based on an unenforceable Fine Print Note in the 2009 edition of 70E. That note from 130.7(A) stated: FPN No. 2: When incident energy exceeds 40 cal/cm2 at the working distance, greater emphasis may be necessary with respect to de-energizing before working within the Limited Approach Boundary of the exposed electrical conductors or circuit parts. It was repeated as an Informational Note in 2012.

As a result of this note, power systems analysis software manufactures mistakenly provided templates in their software for RED DANGER labels for anything above 40 calories.
The IN was removed in the 2015 edition.

The RED DANGER label also violates the ANSI Z535 labeling standard as RED DANGER is reserved for "death or injury WILL occur" and that's not the case with arc flash incidents.

So an orange Warning label is appropriate, and safe PPE does exist above 40 calories.

John M

[mayanees]

A RED DANGER NO SAFE PPE EXISTS label is a common mistake based on an unenforceable Fine Print Note in the 2009 edition of 70E. That note from 130.7(A) stated: FPN No. 2: When incident energy exceeds 40 cal/cm2 at the working distance, greater emphasis may be necessary with respect to de-energizing before working within the Limited Approach Boundary of the exposed electrical conductors or circuit parts. It was repeated as an Informational Note in 2012.

As a result of this note, power systems analysis software manufactures mistakenly provided templates in their software for RED DANGER labels for anything above 40 calories.
The IN was removed in the 2015 edition.

The RED DANGER label also violates the ANSI Z535 labeling standard as RED DANGER is reserved for "death or injury WILL occur" and that's not the case with arc flash incidents.

So an orange Warning label is appropriate, and safe PPE does exist above 40 calories.

John M

As I read back over this I realized there was another reason for a 40 cutoff. The old HRC table use to go up to 40 calories for PPE 4. That changed from Hazard Risk Categories to Personal Protective Equipment tables which are only used when the bus is not labeled and the PPE TABLES METHOD is used. So if you're using the tables method, the upper limit is 40 calories, and it must be determined by 130.7 C(15) 2021 edition and the associated tables. 130.7(C)(15) a, b and c.

Incident energy calculations for arc flash labels use Table 130.5(G) and provide PPE criteria for incident energy levels from 1.2-12 and above 12 calories.

So this could have been another reason why the software manufacturer's provided templates stating RED DANGER for IE levels above 40 calories.

[beeksYOW]

This absolutely goes without saying!