Arc Flash Awareness — poster
An arc flash reaches 35,000°F — four times hotter than the sun's surface — in a fraction of a second. It vaporizes metal, ignites clothing, and blasts shrapnel. Most victims weren't touching anything: they were just standing too close.
Arc flash boundaries are marked on equipment labels. Inside the boundary, you need arc-rated PPE matched to the incident energy — ordinary FR clothing may not be enough.
Opening panels and working on energized equipment above 50V requires QEW training and authorization. “Just flipping a breaker” on damaged equipment has triggered arc flashes.
Arc-rated clothing, face shield or hood, voltage-rated gloves, no synthetic underlayers — polyester melts into skin. Remove metal jewelry and watches.
Tripped breakers, burning smells, buzzing panels are warnings, not annoyances. Racking breakers and re-energizing after a fault are the highest-risk moments — stop and get a qualified person.
Full certification online: Qualified Electrical Worker (QEW) — scan the QR.
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