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The steel industry operates some of the most demanding electrical systems found in industrial environments.
From steel mills and melting operations through to rolling mills, finishing lines and large-scale processing facilities, electrical power is fundamental to production. High-power motors, transformers, furnaces, switchgear, drives and complex distribution networks all work together to keep production moving.
But these systems can also present significant electrical hazards.
One of the most serious is Arc Flash.
An Arc Flash can release an enormous amount of thermal energy in a very short period of time. The consequences can include severe burns, blindness, hearing damage, blast injuries, equipment damage, fire and potentially fatal injury.
For steel manufacturers, the combination of high-energy electrical systems, demanding production environments, ageing infrastructure, frequent maintenance and pressure to minimise downtime means that understanding Arc Flash risk is particularly important.
So, what should steel manufacturers be considering?
Why is Arc Flash a concern in the steel industry?
Arc Flash is not unique to steel manufacturing. It can occur within many types of electrical systems.
However, steel facilities can contain characteristics that make the consequences of an electrical fault particularly significant.
Electrical networks may incorporate high fault levels, large transformers, high-power motors, extensive switchgear, complex protection systems and multiple sources of electrical supply.
Over time, these systems can also evolve.
A production facility that was originally designed around one configuration may have been modified many times. New machinery may have been installed, transformers replaced, switchboards upgraded, generation added, or production capacity increased.
Each change can affect the behaviour of the electrical system.
The available fault current may change. Protection settings may no longer provide the intended level of discrimination. The incident energy associated with particular equipment may change.
The result is that an Arc Flash assessment completed years ago may not necessarily represent the electrical system as it exists today.
This is why Arc Flash risk needs to be considered as part of the wider management of electrical safety, rather than as a one-off exercise.
Where could Arc Flash risks exist within a steel plant?
Steel facilities can contain extensive electrical distribution networks, often with equipment operating at different voltage levels.
Potential areas of concern may include:
- High-voltage switchgear
- Low-voltage switchboards
- Motor control centres
- Distribution boards
- Transformers
- Large motor supplies
- Furnace and melting equipment
- Rolling mill drives
- Control panels
- Substations
- Busbars
- Cable distribution systems
- Power factor correction equipment
- Generator and alternative supply systems
- Electrical equipment associated with production and processing lines
The specific risk will depend on the Age and condition of equipment. Failure history. Maintenance history. Design of the equipment.
There is no substitute for understanding the actual electrical network.
The impact of production changes
Steel manufacturing environments rarely remain static.
Production requirements change. Equipment is upgraded. New drives are installed. Transformers are replaced. Distribution systems are extended. Existing machinery is relocated or modified.
These changes can have implications for electrical protection and Arc Flash risk.
For example, adding a new transformer or changing the configuration of a distribution system can alter fault levels. Changing protection settings can affect how quickly a fault is cleared. Introducing new generation or alternative sources can change the available energy within the system.
This is why electrical studies should not simply be regarded as historical documents.
The information needs to reflect the current installation.
A study based on outdated single-line diagrams, obsolete protection settings or an incomplete asset list may provide a false sense of confidence.
High fault levels and protection systems
Steel plants can have substantial electrical loads and significant fault levels.
When an electrical fault occurs, protective devices are designed to detect the fault and disconnect the affected part of the system.
The speed at which the fault is cleared can be a critical factor in determining the severity of an Arc Flash event.
Protection coordination is therefore an important consideration.
A protection coordination study can help determine whether protective devices are appropriately coordinated and whether faults can be cleared selectively and within suitable times.
An Arc Flash study can then use the electrical system data and protection characteristics to calculate the potential incident energy and Arc Flash boundary at relevant equipment.
These studies should not be considered in isolation.
Short-circuit analysis, protection coordination and Arc Flash analysis can provide a more complete understanding of how an electrical system behaves under fault conditions.
Maintenance is part of Arc Flash risk management.
The condition of electrical equipment matters.
Industrial environments can expose equipment to heat, dust, vibration, moisture, contamination and mechanical stresses. Steel manufacturing can also involve particularly demanding operating conditions.
Poorly maintained equipment can increase the likelihood of faults.
Loose connections, damaged insulation, contamination, corrosion and deteriorating components can all contribute to electrical problems.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require electrical systems to be maintained, so far as is reasonably practicable, to prevent danger.
HSE guidance makes clear that the extent and frequency of maintenance should be appropriate to the risks associated with the equipment and environment.
Maintenance should therefore form part of an organisation’s wider electrical safety strategy.
It is not simply about keeping production equipment operational.
It is also about controlling the risks associated with electrical failure.
Live electrical work and Arc Flash
One of the most important considerations is what happens when people need to work on or near electrical equipment.
Where possible, electrical conductors should be made dead before work begins.
HSE guidance on the Electricity at Work Regulations states that where equipment is to be made dead, it should be properly isolated and the conductors should be proved dead at the point of work before work starts.
This is particularly important within industrial environments where there may be multiple sources of supply, alternative generation, backfeeds or stored energy.
Simply switching equipment off does not necessarily mean that it is safe to work on.
The correct isolation must be identified, secured and verified.
Where work must be carried out on or near energised electrical equipment, the risks need to be properly assessed and appropriate precautions implemented.
The starting point should always be to determine whether the work can be carried out with the equipment isolated and dead.
What does an Arc Flash study tell you?
An Arc Flash study is an engineering assessment of an electrical distribution system used to determine the potential Arc Flash hazard associated with equipment.
At ESUK, Arc Flash studies form part of a wider approach to understanding electrical risk.
A study can involve collecting and validating information about:
- The electrical network
- Utility supplies
- Transformers
- Generators
- Motors
- Switchboards
- Switchgear
- Motor control centres
- Protective devices
- Protection settings
- Cable sizes and lengths
- Electrical equipment ratings
- System configuration
The electrical network is then modelled to calculate relevant fault conditions and Arc Flash parameters.
The resulting information can help organisations understand where the higher-risk areas of their electrical systems are and identify appropriate risk-reduction measures.
This can include engineering controls, changes to protection systems, revised working practices, improved isolation arrangements, and appropriate PPE where required.
The important point is that an Arc Flash study should not simply result in a set of labels.
The information needs to be understood and acted upon.
Arc Flash labels are only part of the solution.
Labelling electrical equipment can provide important information to people working on or near the system.
However, a label does not make an electrical system safe.
It is one element of a broader risk management process.
People need to understand what the information means, how it relates to the work they are undertaking and what controls are required.
This is where competence, training, and safe systems of work become important.
For example, an engineer may identify an Arc Flash label indicating a significant incident energy level. The next question should not simply be about which PPE to wear.
The organisation should ask:
Can I be exposed to arc flash when I carry out my intended tasks?
Can the risk be reduced through engineering controls?
Is the protection system operating as intended?
Is the equipment adequately maintained?
Are the people undertaking the work competent?
Is the task properly planned and risk assessed?
PPE can provide an important layer of protection, but it should not be the only control considered.
Engineering controls can reduce the risk.
The most effective approach to Arc Flash risk is to consider whether the hazard can be reduced at the source.
Depending on the electrical system, engineering controls may include:
- Reviewing protection settings
- Improving protection coordination
- Faster fault clearing
- Current-limiting devices
- Arc-resistant switchgear where appropriate
- Remote switching
- Remote racking
- Zone-selective interlocking
- Improved equipment segregation
- Remote monitoring
- Appropriate system design and configuration
The right solution will depend on the electrical system and the particular risk identified.
For steel manufacturers, this is particularly relevant because the cost of an electrical incident can extend far beyond the immediate risk of injury.
An Arc Flash event can damage critical equipment, interrupt production and result in significant downtime.
Reducing the incident energy and improving the resilience of the electrical system can therefore have both safety and operational benefits.
Electrical safety is also about business continuity.
For a steel manufacturer, an electrical failure can have significant consequences.
Production can stop.
Equipment can be damaged.
Orders can be delayed.
Maintenance teams may need to work under significant pressure.
Customers can be affected.
The financial consequences can quickly become substantial.
This is why electrical safety should not be viewed separately from operational reliability.
A robust electrical safety strategy can support both the protection of people and the resilience of the manufacturing operation.
Understanding the electrical system is an important part of that process.
What does UK legislation require?
There is no single UK regulation that specifically sets out a prescriptive requirement for Arc Flash studies for steel manufacturers.
Instead, Arc Flash risk sits within the broader legal requirements for managing electrical and workplace risks.
The Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 are particularly important.
Regulation 4 requires electrical systems to be constructed and maintained so far as is reasonably practicable to prevent danger, while work activities associated with electrical systems must be carried out in a way that prevents danger.
Regulation 12 addresses means for protecting against danger, including isolation.
Regulation 13 covers precautions for work on or near live conductors.
Regulation 14 sets out requirements relating to working on or near live conductors.
Regulation 16 requires those carrying out work on electrical systems to have the necessary technical knowledge or experience, or to be adequately supervised by someone with that competence.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also require employers to make suitable and sufficient assessments of risks to employees and others affected by their work.
HSE guidance HSR25 and HSG85 provide further practical guidance on meeting these duties.
For steel manufacturers, this means electrical risk needs to be properly understood, assessed and controlled.
An Arc Flash study can be an important engineering tool for achieving that, but it should be part of a broader electrical safety management system.
How often should a steel plant review its Arc Flash risk?
We recommend a review at least every five years, sooner if changes are being made to the electrical system i.e. update the arc flash study as part of any projects.
The important consideration is whether the information remains representative of the electrical system and whether changes have occurred that could affect the risk.
A review should therefore be considered when there have been significant changes, such as:
- New transformers
- New generators
- Changes to incoming supplies
- Major production equipment changes
- New high-power motors
- Switchgear replacement
- Protection setting changes
- Changes to network configuration
- Significant modifications to production lines
- Changes to working practices
- Changes to electrical safety procedures
- Incidents or near misses
A periodic review can also provide an opportunity to verify that the electrical network model, protection settings, equipment information and Arc Flash labels remain current.
Building Arc Flash management into your electrical safety strategy
An Arc Flash study should not sit independently from the rest of an organisation’s electrical safety arrangements.
For a steel plant, a more effective approach is to bring together:
Electrical system studies
Understanding fault levels, protection coordination and Arc Flash risk.
Maintenance
Ensuring electrical equipment and protection systems remain in a condition that supports safe operation.
Safe systems of work
Making sure electrical work is properly planned, controlled and carried out by competent people.
Isolation
Ensuring equipment can be safely isolated, secured and proven dead before work begins.
Competency Management
Giving employees and contractors the knowledge required to understand electrical hazards and work safely and verifying their understanding of any training delivered as well as assessing their competence.
Engineering controls
Looking for opportunities to reduce electrical risk at the source.
Electrical Safety Management
Creating clear responsibilities, procedures and governance around the management of electrical systems.
This is where a holistic approach becomes important.
The objective should not simply be to produce an Arc Flash report.
The objective should be to understand the risk and use that information to make the electrical system, working practices and people safer.
What should steel manufacturers ask themselves?
If you are responsible for electrical safety within a steel manufacturing environment, it is worth asking:
- Do we have an up-to-date model of our electrical distribution system?
- Have there been changes to the system since our last Arc Flash assessment?
- Are our protection settings current?
- Do we understand the fault levels throughout the network?
- Do we know where the high levels of arc flash incident energy are on our networks?
- Are our Arc Flash labels current?
- Are our electrical systems adequately maintained?
- Can electrical work be completed safely with equipment isolated?
- Are isolation procedures robust and properly verified?
- Are employees and contractors competent for the work they undertake?
- Do our safe systems of work reflect the actual equipment and tasks?
- Have we considered engineering controls to reduce Arc Flash energy?
- Does our Electrical Safety Management System reflect the current operation?
If the answer to some of these questions is unclear, it may be time to review your electrical safety arrangements.
Understanding the risk is the first step
Steel manufacturing depends on electrical systems that are powerful, complex and critical to production.
That means electrical safety cannot be treated as a paperwork exercise.
Arc Flash risk needs to be understood in the context of the actual electrical system, the equipment, the people working on it and the way the site operates.
A comprehensive Arc Flash assessment can provide valuable information about the potential severity of an Arc Flash event and help identify opportunities to reduce the risk.
But the assessment is only the beginning.
The real value comes from using the information to improve protection, maintenance, engineering controls, safe systems of work, competence and the wider management of electrical safety.
How can ESUK help?
Electrical Safety UK works with organisations across the UK and internationally to assess and manage Arc Flash risk.
Our approach can include Arc Flash studies, electrical system studies, protection coordination, fault level analysis, risk reduction recommendations, engineering controls, Arc Flash training and wider Electrical Safety Management support.
With experience across sectors including steel, manufacturing, power generation, chemicals, healthcare and other complex industrial environments, ESUK can help organisations move from understanding their electrical risk to developing a practical strategy for managing it.
If you would like to understand the potential Arc Flash risks within your steel manufacturing facility, speak to the ESUK team about an initial discussion and assessment of your requirements.
Understanding your electrical risk is the first step towards managing it.
