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Arc flash concerns were first published in 1982 in Ralph Lee's paper “The Other Electrical Hazard: Electric Arc Blast Burns.” Arc flash hazards were not formally studied until 1993, which is why they are still the least understood electrical hazard existing in most industries. Wikipedia defines arc flash as "the light and heat produced from an electric arc supplied with sufficient electrical energy to cause substantial damage, harm, fire, or injury." Because arc flash temperature can reach …

An arc flash occurs when an electrical current leaves its intended path and travels from one conductor to another. This may result in fire, flying objects (traveling at more than 700 mph), blast pressure, sound blast (exceeding 160 dB) and heat (exceeding 30,000 F). If an arc flash makes contact with a person, injury and death may occur depending on proximity of the worker to the source, temperature, and time for the circuit breaker to be disengaged. OSHA last issued an arc flash related rule …