Arc flash studies · Canada-wide, coast to coast
Know the hazard before the door opens.
An arc flash study calculates the incident energy at each piece of equipment, sets the PPE your people wear and puts a clear label on the gear. Field data by Red Seal electricians, analysis to CSA Z462 and IEEE 1584.
- CSA Z462
- IEEE 1584
- Red Seal field data
- Labels on every piece of gear
What you get
A study your electricians can work from
Updated single-line diagram
Your one-line brought up to date from what is actually installed, so the model matches the room.
Short-circuit study
Available fault current at every bus, checked against each device's interrupting rating.
Coordination study
Protective device settings reviewed so the device closest to a fault trips first.
Incident energy analysis
Incident energy and arc flash boundary at each piece of equipment, calculated to IEEE 1584.
Arc flash labels
A label for every piece of equipment in the study, showing the hazard and the PPE your people need.
Report and recommendations
Findings in plain language, with the options to lower incident energy where it is high.
The label
What the study puts on your equipment
The label is where the study meets the job: it tells whoever opens the door how much energy an arc could release there and what to wear.
1.27 m
Restricted approach 0.3 m
- 1
Incident energy
The energy an arc could release at the working distance. It sets the arc rating of the clothing and face protection.
- 2
Arc flash boundary
The distance from the equipment where arc-rated PPE becomes required.
- 3
Shock hazard
The voltage and the approach boundaries for shock, plus the rubber glove class.
- 4
Equipment and date
Ties the label to the study, so you know when the five-year review is due.
From our field work
Data collected by the people who work on the gear
Our Red Seal electricians record what is actually installed: nameplates, protective devices, settings and cable runs, so the study matches your room.
When you need one
Four signs it is time for a study
No study or no labels
Equipment without arc flash labels gives your electricians nothing to choose PPE from.
Your study is over 5 years old
CSA Z462 calls for the arc flash risk assessment to be reviewed at least every five years.
Something changed
New equipment, a transformer change, a renovation or a change in the utility supply can change the results.
Someone asked for it
A client, contractor or insurer has asked for an arc flash study or for labels on the gear.
How it works
From your single-line to labels on the gear
- STEP 1
Scope and quote
Send the single-line, an equipment list and any past study. We confirm what the study covers and quote within one business day.
- STEP 2
Field data collection
Red Seal electricians record nameplates, protective devices and settings, and conductor sizes and lengths, under your site's electrical safety rules.
- STEP 3
Analysis
Short-circuit, coordination and incident energy calculations for every bus, to CSA Z462 and IEEE 1584.
- STEP 4
Labels and report
Labels for each piece of equipment, plus a report with the results and the options to reduce incident energy.
New to arc flash? Read understanding arc flash hazards.
Arc flash study questions
What is an arc flash study?
An engineering study of your electrical system that calculates how much energy an arc flash could release at each piece of equipment, how far from it arc-rated PPE is required, and which PPE to wear. It usually includes a short-circuit study and a protective device coordination study, and it ends with labels on the equipment.
How often does an arc flash study need to be updated?
CSA Z462 calls for the arc flash risk assessment to be reviewed at intervals of no more than five years, and whenever changes to the electrical system could affect the results, such as new equipment, a transformer change or a change in the utility supply.
What is on an arc flash label?
The nominal voltage, the arc flash boundary, and either the incident energy at the working distance or the PPE category. Labels usually also show the shock approach boundaries, the equipment name and the date of the study.
Do you need to shut anything down to collect the data?
Most of the information comes from drawings, nameplates and protective device settings. Where an enclosure has to be opened to read a device, we plan it with you under your site's electrical safety rules.
Can you lower the incident energy at our equipment?
The report shows where incident energy is high and the options to reduce it, such as protective device setting changes, so you can decide what to change.
Can the study be combined with an infrared scan or breaker testing?
Yes. Many sites book the field data collection with their infrared inspection or breaker testing, so one visit covers both.
What does an arc flash study cost?
It depends on the number of buses and devices, how current your drawings are, and travel. Send the single-line and an equipment list and we reply with a quote within one business day.
Need labels on your equipment?
Send us your single-line diagram and equipment list; we quote the study within one business day.