Electrical System Safety Analysis

Protecting Workers and Assets from Power System Hazards

Critical Safety Statistics

Every year, electrical incidents cause over 300 workplace fatalities and 4,000 serious injuries in the United States. Behind each statistic is a preventable tragedy—and often, an electrical system that was never properly analyzed for safety hazards.

Whether you manage a manufacturing facility, hospital, data center, or commercial building, your electrical distribution system contains hazards that may be invisible until someone gets hurt. System safety studies identify these hazards, quantify the risks, and provide actionable solutions before an incident occurs.

What is Electrical System Safety Analysis?

Electrical system safety analysis is a comprehensive engineering evaluation of your power distribution system to identify, quantify, and mitigate electrical hazards. This multi-faceted assessment typically includes three interconnected studies:

1. Short Circuit Analysis

Calculates the maximum fault current available at every point in your electrical system. This determines whether equipment can safely interrupt fault currents or if dangerous conditions exist.

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2. Arc Flash Studies

Analyzes the thermal hazard (incident energy) workers face when performing tasks on energized equipment. Results determine PPE requirements and safe work practices per NFPA 70E.

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3. Coordination Studies

Ensures protective devices (breakers, fuses, relays) operate in the correct sequence during faults, isolating problems quickly while keeping the rest of your facility energized.

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For Engineers: Studies utilize computer modeling (SKM PowerTools, ETAP, or similar) to perform comprehensive fault calculations, time-current coordination analysis, and arc flash hazard assessments per IEEE 1584-2018 methods.

Why This Service is Critical

Legal Compliance & OSHA Requirements

OSHA 1910.335(b) mandates that employers must provide safety-related work practices to protect employees from electrical hazards. This includes conducting arc flash hazard assessments. NFPA 70E, the industry standard for electrical safety, requires incident energy analysis or the PPE category method.

Without documented studies, your organization faces:

OSHA citations with penalties up to $156,259 per willful violation
Increased scrutiny after any electrical incident
Potential criminal liability in case of worker fatalities

Worker Protection

Your electricians and maintenance personnel work on or near energized equipment regularly. Without proper hazard analysis:

Workers don't know what PPE level is required
Some tasks may be performed energized that should require de-energization
Arc flash boundaries are unknown, leading to approach violations
Incident energy may exceed available PPE protection levels

Equipment & Asset Protection

System safety studies reveal critical equipment vulnerabilities:

Circuit breakers with inadequate interrupting ratings (catastrophic failure waiting to happen)
Improperly sized protective devices that won't clear faults
Coordination gaps that cause unnecessary widespread outages
Equipment operating beyond safe capabilities

When Should You Schedule This Service?

Immediate Red Flags

• No arc flash labels on equipment
• Recent electrical incidents
• OSHA inspection scheduled
• Utility service upgrades
• Labels older than 5 years

Mandatory Timing

• Immediately if no studies exist
• Every 5 years minimum
• After system modifications
• New equipment installations
• Building expansions

ROI & Business Value

$4M

Average electrical burn injury cost

$750K

Average arc flash property damage

100-500x

ROI preventing ONE incident

Study investment: $8,000-$40,000 depending on facility size

Industry Standards & Compliance

Primary Standards

NFPA 70E: Electrical Safety in the Workplace
IEEE 1584: Arc Flash Hazard Calculations
IEEE 242: Protection & Coordination (Buff Book)
NEC Article 110.16: Arc flash labeling

OSHA Regulations

1910.335: Protective equipment use
1910.333: Work practice selection
1910.137: Electrical PPE requirements
General Duty Clause: Safe workplace provision

Protect Your People and Assets

Don't let your facility become a statistic. Every day without proper safety analysis is a day your workers face unknown risks.

ClarkTE's licensed Professional Engineers have performed over 1,000 system safety studies across manufacturing, healthcare, commercial, and industrial facilities.

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