OUR EXPERTISE AND SPECIALTIES

Arc Flash Hazard Analysis

Stark Safety Consultants’ staff can provide complete Arc Flash Hazard Analysis solutions or support your company through every part of the process.
We can give you a step-by-step process for completing every aspect of the process. With a typical process having four phases for completion, we offer a variety of ways to perform them which enables you to decide which way is right for your facility.

  • Modeling the data: Using state of the art software, we will evaluate various electrical system configurations and operating modes. We can take field data from either our data collectors or data that you have submitted and create a digital model of your electrical system. A natural by-product of this modeling is an accurate one–line diagram.
  • Engineering analysis: Our professional engineers and power systems analyst staff will help you determine the incident energy and arc flash protection boundary for each study point in your facility and show you how to use that information to develop proper PPE requirements, work procedures, warning labels and to help clearly delineate areas where specialty clothing and protective gear is required.
  • Hazard reduction / final reporting / installing labels: Our system study report includes the results of the analysis, recommendations and a prioritized action plan. This report is provided to help assure proper electrical equipment ratings and settings, PPE selection and electrical service reliability. Stark Safety Consultants will print high quality, weather resistant vinyl warning labels that meet ANSI requirements for you with all the arc flash analysis data included on them. We can install them for you, or if you prefer, we can hand them over to one of your qualified persons to install.

Arc Flash Reduction Engineering

We don’t stop with just calculating the arc flash incident energy that is present. We will also give detailed recommendations for reducing all hazards to an acceptable level. This gives you the option to make the corrections to limit the amount of PPE that will be needed when exposed to those pieces of equipment in your facility, making working conditions better for those needing to wear protective clothing.

Arc Flash Study/Proposal Third Party Reviews

If you have already had an arc flash evaluation, it is highly recommended to seek a third party expert to review the study you are having done.
This provides the customer with a non-biased expert who has the ability to act on their be-half and ensure they received what they paid for. More importantly, this expert will make sure what they paid for is actually what they needed!

Benefit by providing you:

  • Review of the proposal/contract on the scope of the study and how it is being completed.
  • Verify you are evaluating everything that is required.
  • Ensure that there are not any gaps in how study is being completed in the form of:
    • assumptions or data from outdated sources being used to provide you with “accurate” data.
  • Review the deliverables provided for the study.
  • Verify all documentation provided completely fulfills the deliverables described in the proposal.

Reports – Drawings

  • Spot check X% of equipment listed in report and one-lines randomly to ensure their accuracy with the actual field installation conditions and determine if discrepancies warrant additional checks.
  • Ensure values shown on drawings match those in reports and labels.

Labels

  • Spot check X% of labels to ensure that labels are installed where needed and determine if discrepancies warrant additional checks.
  • Ensure that the labels values match those on drawings and reports.
  • Ensure that labels meet requirements of ANSI Z535.4 for style, size, color, and design.

Coaching/Consulting

We believe in the importance of a good fit and a trusting relationship in order to move all parties in the right direction. Below are the four steps that we follow in order to achieve this relationship.

STEP 1: The Consultation

Your first contact with us will include a telephone consultation where we will identify the scope of your needs, desired outcomes, time frame, etc. Then, we’ll set a date and time for your consultation to review your project in more detail and help you visualize the possibilities. This meeting typically lasts an hour and we can meet either by phone or in person.

STEP 2: The Design

After the initial consultation, we will prepare a draft design process and share with you to ensure that we’re on target. This may take some back and forth as we review, makes edits, and come to agreements. Once we’ve agreed on this piece, it then becomes our roadmap for the successful completion of our work as related to your need.
Typical designs include:

  • Review and report on study model after set amount or complete study completed by customer.
  • Scheduled modeling sessions to work through study from data entry through the analysis and report creation (can be in person or Web-X).
  • On-site guidance for field personnel for data collection accuracy.

STEP 3: The Delivery

We’ll work with you to ensure a smooth delivery, as promised.

STEP 4: The Conclusion

Last, we’ll evaluate the experience, get your feedback, and wrap up loose ends.

Complete Program Audits

Having an expert look at all of your existing program components can be of great value to:

  • Ensure that you are current with all of appropriate standards/regulations.
  • Provide guidance in your efforts to create or update your program.
  • Save time on researching and trying to determine what is needed on your own.
  • We can get any documents sent and reviewed without coming on-site which then minimizes field audit time to see how the program actually is functioning as well as to inspect program equipment and PPE.

Complex LOTO Procedure Development

Having a written LOTO procedure is critical for identifying and isolating power for repair and maintenance work. This can be very difficult to do at the last moment or if there are multiple power sources to locate. Having a facility audit and create these detailed procedures can make a big impact on ensuring your employees and subcontractors are all on the same page when equipment needs isolated for work to be done.

We use state of the art graphical procedure templates to enable to create a fully digital procedure that can use hyper link technology to link photos, Warning labels and tools needed. This gives a worker instruction along with visual verification of the key components involved. We can also easily provide a Hard copy version of the digital with all of the links attached for viewing when digital access is not practical.

Electrical Hazard  / Risk Assessments

Stark Safety Consultants can conduct an on-site assessment of your facility’s electrical safety hazards. This is the first logical step for any OSHA/NFPA compliant Electrical Safety program.

NEW: 

We have developed a easy to implement Electrical Risk assessment spreadsheets to complete your  task and/or hazard specific Risk assessments.

Electrical Safety Policies

We can create a standards-based Safety Policy for your facility. This includes the development of company safety policies, drafting of supporting documents, an employee safety handbook, and the creation of a formal annual review program.

Electrical Safety Training

Our Training program is conducted on-site by trained professionals to educate your workforce about the dangers of arc flash hazards. We review and discuss NECA, OSHA and NFPA regulations and how they apply to your facility. We provide step-by-step demonstrations on setting up flash protection boundaries, how to safely work on equipment and the various categories and levels of personal protective equipment. Training can be customized for qualified or non-qualified personnel. Remember, your facility’s safety is determined by your workforce’s knowledge, training and attitudes about arc flash hazards.

NEW:

We are partnered with QualifiedSafety.com to now allow for our popular courses or any custom created courses to be done online!

 

Infrared Scans

Infrared (IR) scans determine the significance of hot spots found in equipment. Equipment is scanned while normal load is applied. Detailed reports with images taken and findings with recommendations for corrections will be provided.

Typical items for IR scans:

  • Electrical Switchgear & Equipment
  • Electrical Distribution Systems
  • Electrical Transmission Systems
  • Electric Induction Furnaces
  • Roof and Building Envelope Inspections
  • Hospital Maintenance Programs
  • Data Processing Maintenance Programs
  • Electric Arc Furnaces
  • Process (Monitoring)

Labeling

Arc Flash labels identify potential arc flash hazards. These labels are used to warn qualified individuals of the type of hazard, correct Flash Protection Boundary distance and the required Personal Protective Equipment. Labels must be located so that they are clearly visible before examination, adjustment, servicing or maintenance of the equipment.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Planning

Based on our analysis, we will provide PPE requirements / options and recommendations to make certain you are in full compliance with all OSHA standards.

Power Quality Assessments

Call us to discuss how we can help with various forms of power quality evaluations to ensure your systems are functioning at maximum efficiency, and to ensure you are not paying any unnecessary utility premiums or penalties for power factor corrections.

If you have heard these terms, but are not clear as to what they mean or what effect they have on your business, please call us and we can explain where your company can improve and how it will benefit.

Preventive Maintenance Planning

We can help you develop a preventive maintenance program to specifically address arc flash hazards. Our optimized preventive maintenance program evaluates the condition of your equipment, the best way to keep your PPE operating properly and how to safely eliminate prolonged exposure to arc flash that could result in disabling injuries or death.