Arc Flash Risk Assessment & Study Services in Florida
If your facility operates energized electrical equipment, OSHA and NFPA 70E require you to know the arc flash hazard at every panel and to protect your people accordingly. Arc Flash Florida performs the on-site study, delivers the documentation, and installs the labels, so your facility is compliant and your team knows exactly what they are working on.
What an arc flash risk assessment actually is
An arc flash risk assessment determines, for each piece of energized equipment in your facility, how much thermal energy an arc flash could release, how far that hazard extends, and what protection a worker needs to stay safe. It combines an engineering analysis of your electrical system with a practical evaluation of the tasks your people perform on that equipment.
The terms get used interchangeably, so to be clear: the arc flash study, also called an incident energy analysis, is the engineering calculation. The arc flash risk assessment is the broader NFPA 70E requirement that includes the study plus the judgment about likelihood, severity, and controls. When facilities ask for one, they usually need both, and we deliver both as a single engagement.
Why your facility needs one
It is required. OSHA does not publish an arc flash formula, but it enforces electrical safety under the General Duty Clause and treats NFPA 70E as the recognized standard for a safe electrical workplace. NFPA 70E requires an arc flash risk assessment wherever workers may be exposed to energized equipment. Without a study, you cannot select correct PPE, and you cannot demonstrate to an inspector or an insurer that you controlled a known hazard.
It protects people. An arc flash can reach temperatures several times hotter than the surface of the sun and cause fatal burns from feet away. The study tells your team the exact boundary and protection for each task, instead of guessing.
It reduces liability and downtime. A documented assessment is what defends your facility after an incident or during an inspection, and the process routinely surfaces protective-device problems that would otherwise cause nuisance outages.
What is driving arc flash compliance in Florida right now
Electrical safety requirements do not stand still, and two developments make an outdated or missing study a real exposure this year.
NFPA 70E 2027 is the current edition. Published in 2026, it updates the workplace electrical safety standard your program is measured against, including new requirements for certain energized work and a dedicated article for solar and PV systems. OSHA measures your facility against the current standard, so a study built on the 2021 or 2024 edition is due for review.
Florida’s building code updates December 31, 2026. The 9th Edition Florida Building Code takes effect at the end of 2026, and arc flash labeling enforcement is tightening: generic warning stickers are increasingly being replaced by labels that carry calculated values from a real, site-specific study. Facilities that complete their study ahead of the deadline avoid the year-end backlog and walk into inspection already compliant.
Arc flash risk assessment requirements under NFPA 70E
A compliant arc flash risk assessment addresses each of the following:
- Incident energy analysis at every exposed energized point, calculated per IEEE 1584-2018.
- Arc flash boundary for each piece of equipment, the distance at which a worker could receive a second-degree burn.
- PPE determination matched to the calculated incident energy at each location.
- Equipment labeling showing nominal voltage, arc flash boundary, incident energy or required PPE level, and the assessment date.
- Documentation you can present to OSHA, your insurer, or an electrical inspector.
- Review on a five-year cycle, or sooner whenever a system change affects available fault current or protective-device clearing time.
What is included in our study
On-site data collection. Our consultant visits your facility to capture your one-line diagram, utility fault-current data, protective-device nameplate data and settings, conductor specifications, and equipment configurations. If you do not have current one-line diagrams, we develop them as part of the engagement.
Short circuit and coordination study. We verify your protective devices are properly rated for available fault current and coordinated for selective tripping. This is the engineering foundation under an accurate arc flash calculation, and it often identifies ways to reduce incident energy by adjusting settings. Learn more about our short circuit and coordination study.
Incident energy analysis. Using your actual installed conditions, we calculate the incident energy, arc flash boundary, and PPE category for every evaluated location.
Report and labels. You receive a documented report and compliant arc flash warning labels produced for, and installed on, all evaluated equipment.
Training, if you need it. We deliver on-site NFPA 70E training tailored to the specific hazards in your facility.
What we will need from you
- One-line diagram (we can build one if you do not have it).
- Available fault current from your utility.
- Circuit breaker nameplate data and protective settings.
- Cable type, sizes, count, and lengths.
- Conduit type.
- Equipment types and configurations.
Missing several of these is normal, and it does not stop the project. Field data collection is part of what we do.
Florida facilities we serve
Manufacturing plants, data centers, healthcare facilities, utilities, commercial buildings, oil and gas operations, and educational institutions, across Florida.
Frequently asked questions
Is an arc flash risk assessment required by law?
OSHA requires employers to protect workers from recognized electrical hazards and enforces this using NFPA 70E as the standard of care. NFPA 70E requires an arc flash risk assessment wherever workers may be exposed to energized equipment. If your facility has energized equipment that is serviced, examined, or operated while live, you need one.
What is the difference between an arc flash risk assessment and an arc flash study?
The study, or incident energy analysis, is the engineering calculation of the hazard at each location. The risk assessment is the broader NFPA 70E requirement that includes the study plus the evaluation of likelihood and controls. Most facilities need both, and we deliver both together.
How often does an arc flash study need to be updated?
NFPA 70E requires review at least every five years, and sooner any time a change to your electrical system could affect the available fault current or how quickly protective devices clear a fault, such as a transformer swap, a feeder reconfiguration, or new equipment.
How much does an arc flash study cost in Florida?
Cost depends mostly on the size of your electrical system, the number of panels and buses evaluated, whether current one-line diagrams exist, and your facility’s location. The most accurate way to price it is a short scoping conversation. Request a quote and we will provide a firm number.
What do we receive at the end of the assessment?
A documented report covering incident energy, arc flash boundaries, and PPE requirements for every evaluated location, compliant labels installed on your equipment, and recommendations for reducing hazard levels where possible.
Get your facility documented and compliant
Have your arc flash hazard studied, labeled, and documented, before the December 2026 code transition and any inspection that follows it.