It is estimated that 5 to 10 arc flash explosions occur in electric equipment everyday in the United States. These events have the potential to cause serious injuries and even death due to burns from the thermal radiation and intense light released. In the mining industry, non-contact electrical arcs are the largest single category of electrical injuries. To address this problem, NIOSH researchers conducted a study analyzing data over an 11-year period that included the determination of organization and human behavior components of arc flash incidents.

This Arc Flash Program is a result of that study and focuses on individual and organizational behavior including judgment-decision making. It presents interviews with three electricians and the situation and consequences of being directly or indirectly involved in one of these incidents. Organizational issues are addressed through an interview discussing management responsibilities.

Additional Materials:

• Arc Flash Awareness Information and Discussion Topics for Electrical Workers (PDF, 683 KB)
• Arc Flash Awareness Video Transcript (PDF, 36 KB)

NIOSH Mining videos can also be found on the NIOSH Videos page.