Arc Flash Studies & Power Grading Assessments

Understanding your arc flash risk to protect your people, plant and equipment.

"MET Group provides comprehensive arc flash engineering studies by sending our experts to your facility for a full, on-site evaluation, arc flash modeling, equipment evaluation relative to the fault current and clearing coordination of your system with detailed one-line electrical model drawings.

We offer turn-key services or will support your site team with the services they need."

European Project: 105 sites, 45+ countries

105 sites assessed

45+ countries across Europe

We're currently delivering an arc flash study programme across 105 sites in more than 45 countries, for a client whose electrical infrastructure spans almost every regulatory regime in Europe. Different grid characteristics, different national wiring standards, different languages on every nameplate — one consistent methodology, applied site by site, so the client gets a single, comparable safety picture across their entire estate rather than 105 disconnected reports.

WHY AN ARC FLASH STUDY IS CRITICAL TO THE SAFETY OF PEOPLE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF YOUR ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION

Personnel Safety:
- Prevention of Injuries: Arc flashes can result in severe injuries, including burns, hearing loss, and other life-threatening consequences. Arc flash calculations help determine the potential hazards and establish safety measures to protect personnel working on or near electrical equipment.
Regulatory Compliance:
- Adherence to Standards: Compliance with industry standards and regulations is essential for ensuring workplace safety. Arc flash calculations are often required by standards such as NFPA 70E (in the United States) to assess and mitigate arc flash hazards.
Risk Assessment:
- Identification of Hazards: Arc flash calculations quantify the energy released during an arc flash incident. This information is used to define the boundaries within which personnel are exposed to potential harm. Understanding these hazards allows for informed risk assessment and the implementation of appropriate safety measures.

Selection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE):PPE Requirements: Arc flash calculations help determine the appropriate level of personal protective equipment (PPE) that workers must wear to minimize the risk of injury during an arc flash incident. This includes flame-resistant clothing, face shields, gloves, and other safety gear.
Equipment Labeling:Safety Communication: The results of arc flash calculations are used to label electrical equipment with important safety information. This labeling includes details such as the incident energy, arc flash boundary, and required PPE, providing clear guidance to personnel.
Mitigation Strategies:Engineering Controls: Arc flash calculations assist in the design and implementation of engineering controls to reduce the incident energy and mitigate the impact of an arc flash. This may involve adjusting equipment settings, installing protective devices, or using arc-resistant equipment.
System Design and Configuration:Optimized Design: Arc flash calculations play a role in the design and configuration of electrical systems. By understanding potential arc flash hazards, engineers can make informed decisions to optimize the system layout, select appropriate protective devices, and minimize risks.

Emergency Response Planning:Effective Response: Knowing the potential hazards enables organizations to develop effective emergency response plans. Personnel can be trained on proper procedures to follow in the event of an arc flash, minimizing confusion and ensuring a swift and coordinated response.
Equipment Reliability:Prevention of Equipment Damage: Arc flash incidents can cause significant damage to electrical equipment. By implementing measures based on arc flash calculations, organizations can protect their equipment, reduce downtime, and extend the lifespan of electrical components.
Legal and Liability Considerations:Liability Reduction: Implementing arc flash calculations and associated safety measures not only helps protect personnel but also reduces the legal and financial liabilities associated with workplace injuries. Compliance with safety standards demonstrates a commitment to a safe working environment.

In summary, arc flash calculations are a critical component of electrical safety programs, providing the necessary information to assess and mitigate the risks associated with arc flash incidents. Prioritising safety through these calculations contributes to a safer workplace, regulatory compliance, and the protection of both personnel and equipment.

Why an arc flash study isn't optional — it's a duty you already have

"Arc flash study" isn't a term you'll find written into UK law. But the underlying duty is, and it's not new:

Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 require you to construct, maintain and work on electrical systems in a way that prevents danger — including from arcing faults (Regs 4, 6 and 14).
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 require a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of hazards your employees and contractors face — arc flash included.
PPE at Work Regulations 1992 put engineering controls and safe systems of work ahead of PPE — meaning you have to reduce the hazard first, not just issue a flash suit.
HSE guidance (HSG85 and HSR25) sets out what "suitable precautions" looks like in practice, and points to BS 7671 as the benchmark most inspectors will measure you against.

The HSE has issued enforcement notices against duty holders who couldn't demonstrate they'd assessed this risk. If your switchgear has been added to, extended, or is more than a few years old, "we've never had an incident" isn't evidence you're compliant — it's evidence you've been lucky.

What a MET Group study actually gives you

A clear answer on incident energy levels at every point in your system — not a generic estimate, calculated from your actual protective device settings and fault current.
Correctly rated PPE requirements, so your people (and anyone else's people on site) know exactly what to wear and when.
Arc flash warning labels at every panel, fed by real data rather than a worst-case default that leaves everyone over-protected and under-informed.
Protective device coordination review, which usually finds — and lets us fix — settings that are actually making the hazard worse, not just documenting it.
A defensible paper trail the day an inspector, insurer, or investigator asks what you did about this.
A plan, not just a problem — every finding comes with a route to resolving it, using our own engineers rather than a third party you then have to go and find.

"At MET Group we don't just provide an Arc Flash Study. If we find any issues we provide in-house services to restore your electrical infrastructure to full functionality with ongoing support."