EFC’s Business Sections: T0115 Arc Energy Reduction Proposal A Win for EFC’s Distribution Equipment Business Section

On June 16, 2022, the Technical Committee on the Canadian Electrical Code, Part I, voted in favour of a new subrule 3) in Rule 2-306 Shock and arc flash protection, to be published in the 2024 CE Code. The proposal for the amendment was submitted in June 2020 by Gurvinder Chopra on behalf of Electro-Federation Canada’s Distribution Equipment Business Section, which prepared the proposal. The new subrule mandates that when overcurrent protective devices rated 1200 amps and higher are used, means are to be provided for reducing the arcing fault duration.

These new requirements represent a ‘quantum leap’ for workers’ electrical safety in Canada since it is the first time the CSA Z462 Workplace Electrical Safety Standard elements are mandated in Canada’s National Safety Standard for Electrical Installations.

To clarify, ‘arc flash protection’ was already in the Rule title and the existing two subrules only address warning markings on ‘potential electric shock and arc flash hazards. One could say that this newly added subrule was the ‘missing piece’ for the Rule’s intent to be entirely met.

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