An "ACB" is mentioned, and on the North-American continent, there are 3 types of breaker construction in that range—air-{frame}, insulated-case and molded-case. In my experience, air-frame breakers are generally "rackable," meaning they can be mechanically exercised/checked to operate in a test position—unenergized.
After the fact, I would want to determine if the fault duty was too high, and if the breaker manufacturer provided any maintenance instructions. Sounds like you were able to sidestep a potentially serious accident. Because of the breaker misoperation, it integral ground-fault protection may have been useless.
In the US, NFPA 70E {Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces} calls for evaluation of arc-blast hazards, and appropriate personal protective equipment.
