While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has not officially adopted arc flash provisions, the NFPA research and documentation of arc flash has been conducted and presented at the request of OSHA. OSHA is in the process of adopting the NFPA 70E documents to address both shock and arc flash hazards. In the meantime, OSHA has begun to cite NFPA 70E in post-accident investigation and fine assessment.

Changes in the 2002 National Electric Code® and the 2004 edition of the National Fire Protection Association Standard 70E mandate required new safety practices for personnel working on energized electrical equipment. In conjunction, the Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers has conducted extensive research and presented detailed calculation methods in IEEE Std.1584-2002TM. These standards determine the circumstances in which workers should wear specific clothing to protect them from the dangers posed by electrical arcs.

Operators who work with this equipment must become familiar with new terms such as Arc Thermal Performance Exposure Value (ATPV), Hazard Risk Category and Flash-Protection Boundary. They must also understand how the power of a potential arc, along with its duration and distance from the worker, interact to determine the potential for personal injury.

In turn, the burden is on employers to provide the training, equipment, and work rules that let workers perform safely in situations where arcs might occur. This requires staff to make the necessary calculations and to apply very specific recommendations that will protect workers. In many cases, the necessary skills to do this aren't available in house.