When collecting the data for equipment at a plant for arc flash study can any employee do this or does nfpa 70e say it must be collected by someone with some type of training ? Also is there anything else to take in consideration when doing the data collection ?

Anyone can collect the data. However, it would be beneficial if the data collector had some sort of electrical background. Also remember that the data collector will need PPE, if they are opening panels and removing covers to get the information. (It's the old chicken and the egg: You need PPE to collect the data so that you can do the study to determine the PPE requirements to open the panel covers.)

I would want the data collector to be an electrically qualified person. They will be opening switchgear doors to see things like number of conductors per phase, size, trip settings, etc. They must have a very clear understanding of the hazards.

The results of your study will only be as good as the data you use. I would only allow qualified personnel to collect data.

OSHA has regulations on training requirements for those exposed to electrical hazards in [url="http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owasrch.search_form?p_doc_type=STANDARDS&p_toc_level=1&p_keyvalue=1910"]29 CFR 1910 Subpart S[/url]. By subsection 1910.332(a), employees are delineated as either qualified or unqualified when working on or near exposed energized parts.

According to paragraph 1910.333(c)(2), only qualified persons may work on or near electric circuit parts or equipment that have not been deenergized under the lockout/tagout provisions of subsection 1910.333(b). These qualified persons shall be capable, as determined by their electrical knowledge and skills, of working safely on energized circuits. This includes familiarity with the proper use of special precautionary techniques, personal protective equipment, insulating and shielding materials and insulated tools. Also, this capability includes familiarity with the construction and operation of the equipment and the electrical hazards involved, in accordance with the definition of qualified persons in section 1910.399.

The NFPA-70E has very similar requirements in article 110.6(D) stating that qualified personnel shall be familiar with the proper use of precautionary techniques and PPE including arc-flash. Persons permitted to work within the Limited Approach Boundary of exposed energized conductors and circuit parts operating at 50V or more shall at minimum be trained in the skills and techniques to distinguish exposed energized conductors and circuit parts, determine nominal voltage, the approach distances specified in T130.2(C) and the decision making process to determine the degree and extent of the hazard, PPE and job planning necessary to perform the job safely.

A qualified worker can collect the data using a new software package called FlashTrack from Facility Results. It is simple and easily done. The software walked you thru the steps and assures that you do not miss any data points. Google "flashtrack data collection" to read more about it.

You can’t make a good study out of bad data.

There are lots of independent training courses available, have you looked into any?

Editorial comment: I am not a fan of DIY arc flash studies.

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Look in to a free software called FlashTrack, you can find it going to facilityresults com.

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Also go to YouTube and search FlashTrack to see a demo.

You don't get what you don't pay for.

IMHO: If you don't know what data to collect, you probably don't know why it is required. If you don't know why information is required for a study, you probably don't know if the study results are valid.

Thank you very much for the thoughtful advises.
I'm workign with Easy Power but like I said, this is my very first one. I can see from the software what is needed but at the same time I don't know if ALL that is requested is practical to get it from the field or if I should be doing some educated assumption. I have to send my technician to the site for data collection and I'm working in a "list" of information per electrical elements for him to use as a guide. but i wonder if people with a lot more exprecince than me in Arc flash studies has come out with a more practical solution, or a guide that it is done already so I can use it as an start point and make it more especific for my case.

There are data collection forms in the back of IEEE 1584

Thank u!

[ATTACH=full]294[/ATTACH] "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.