Arc Flash: What Safety Managers Should Know about Mitigating Risk in Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities

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Arc Flash: What Safety Managers Should Know about Mitigating Risk in Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities
John Kay, Rockwell Automation

Arc flash events are responsible for as many as 80% of all electrical-related injuries, and about 5-10 arc flash events occur each day in North America. Since the causes of arc flash events are typically accidental and difficult to predict - such as dust or water accidentally entering plant-floor equipment or an employee leaving a tool inside an enclosure - it's critical for safety managers to proactively manage arc flash risks. This session will address recent changes in electrical safety standards as well as current processes and technologies for identifying and mitigating arc flash risks in manufacturing and industrial facilities.

Presented by:

John Kay, Rockwell Automation
John A. Kay received his degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technology from Conestoga College and is a Certified Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologist in the province of Ontario, Canada. He has held several technical and supervisory positions within the Sperry Corporation, including roles related to the planning and installation of high-, medium-, and low-voltage electrical substations for large mainframe computer systems. He is a Fellow of IEEE and the IEEE Industry Application Society, actively involved with various IEEE technical committees and conferences. He serves as Chairman on the executive board for the IEEE Pulp and Paper Industry Committee and on several technical sub-committees, and is an active member on many other technical groups, including the IEEE Standards Committee and the IEEE Petrochemical Industry Committee in addition to several other IEEE and UL Standards working groups. He has published over 50 award-winning technical papers regarding protection- and safety-related products and technologies along with many other technical articles and manuals related to electrical control, protection and safety systems, arc resistant equipment, fuse protection, and infrared technologies.