Okay....New buzz going on at my shop. We recently hired a new director and he's trying to update a couple of things. We want to know if were required by law to label all of our panels with arc flash information. We recently had a new six story hospital build and none of these panels have any arc flash labels. He wants us to add these labels to all of our panels......throughout our campus. What do you guys think?
Just that it is a hazard (per NEC), but no detailed calcs needed on the sign.
That is true, but what good does that do anyone? You should conduct an arc flash study and put the results of the FHB and EI on the label so workers know when to wear PPE and what to wear. Generic labels do nothing from a safety aspect.
Try looking at either IEEE 1584 or NEC 70E for arc flash labeling requirements. A short circuit and arc flash analysis will need to be performed first to establish the required label statements.
You might want a label saying something like "DANGER High Voltage. DANGER Explosive Arc Flash Hazard. No user servicable parts inside, refer servicing to qualified electricians, proper Personal Protection Equipment required." Maybe add a description of what an arc blast is, and why it's dangerous: "A conductive object shorting the main feed will, with the busbars, be melted and vaporized, causing very hot material to be explosively sprayed at the worker, which can cause blindness and other severe injury."
To convince someone that "This ain't those little sparks you saw on your toy train set..." Part of the object here is to convince a homeowner that he ought not to mess with his panel.