This article by Jim Phillips of the U.S. and Mike Frain of the U.K. elevated the awareness of the electrical flashover (arc flash) hazard in Europe to a new level. This ultimately lead to one of the very first public forums in which the authors and a member of the British Health Safety Executive (HSE) discussed their views on the subject of electrical flashover (arc flash in the U.S.)
PPE happens to be last resort in the UK risk control hierarchy behind removing and avoiding the hazard altogether. There is evidence that some UK companies adopt a comfort/protection balance argument such that it is better to allow a lower level of arc protection PPE rather than to insist on better protection that will be difficult to enforce because workers will not wear for comfort reasons.
Jim Phillips, P.E. and Mike Frain FIET – The IET – June 2007
Download Article: United Kingdom | Europe | Fear of Flashover
