Safety: Having a Blast
You probably enjoy your work. Maybe it’s the intellectual challenge or the camaraderie. It may be so much fun that you have a blast every day; just make sure it’s never an arc blast.
Any list of arc blast prevention tips is necessarily incomplete. Even if you had a 100-item checklist, you could eventually run into a situation the list doesn’t cover. Use lists as starting points; don’t let them substitute for analyzing the conditions you’re working in. You may find your situation is a “one-off” with specifics not covered in your procedures or safety training.
Your mentality needs to be one of asking these two questions:
- “What are the arc blast hazards this location might present, and how can I eliminate or reduce those hazards?”
- “In case my prevention steps fail, how can I protect myself from the energy levels present?”
Always assess the equipment and wiring for possible shock and arc blast hazards. Never assume it’s safe just because it checks out against a standard list.