I work for an electrical contractor out of Pittsburgh. We are looking into partnering with an engineering firm to perform data gathering services for their arc flach projects. Beyond safety, from an operations standpoint can anyone speak to the best practices in retrieving accurate data. Do engineering firms typically sub this work out to contractors? If so how do the firms confirm the accuracy of the data gathered. I several other questions regarding this topic, so I hope this sparks a conversation.

Thank you

We provide a detailed list of arc flash site info req'd to the contractor and cross-check this if possible with co-ordination study data etc..Also when the contracor installs the labels, we will also spot check some of this site data if possible.

Using an EC for data collection is the way to go for engineering firms. The trick is having good data collection forms and having the EC do it right the first time so they do not need to go back. Here is a tip, invest the $400 in a good laser distance finder and use it for measuring bus and cable runs. You can be fast and accurate with a little geometry.

We recognize that good data in means good data out so we are going to strive for accurate data. I've heard some horror stories of contractors having to go back to the site several times to gather more data that was either unclear or missed. How are contractors ensuring that no data is missed? Do you find that most contractors are using set forms for each type of equipment? If so is it cumbersome on large jobs to enter the data from these forms into your software?

Your forms you provide them should mesh with your software for data entry. You also will need to train the EC on the finer points of data collection.

A good form is one that aids both in data collection and data entry.

Data collection is everything.

Remember, you can not get good results from poor data. The more assumptions that are made concerning the data, the more the assumed the results become.

I've been searching for the most effective way to gather the data. On a large job I will need to make sure the data stays organized, is easy to read, and most importantly is easily referenced if a discrepancy arises. Does SKM or other similar sources provide data forms to use?

Yes, go to the website of the software you are using, they usually post forms there.

Practical advices:
- You should wear PPE (at least Cat 2) when collecting data on site;
- Ask for a single line (if the client has it); sometime you can find it attached to the wall in a main electrical room;
- Ask Maintenance Supervisor to give you a copy of last maintenance report, any other documents (upgrades, repairs…) – you can find a lot of information there;
- Ask who is a local Hydro, contact info;
- Take a binocular (sometimes a gate to TX and main switchgear is locked by Hydro, so you can’t see data on the nameplate…);
- Make sure you have a photo-camera to take pictures such as relays and CBs settings…

Hope it will help.

"FlashTrack" for the data collection. It is easy to use and a qualified worker can quickly collect all the data needed for the engineer it do the analysis using (in our case) SKM.

Note: FlashTrack is not for doing calculations, it was designed for the qualified worker to capture the data needed to model the system.
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