Cooper Bussmann gives $500K to arc flash research

Cooper Bussmann, a leader in downtime reduction, workplace safety and code compliance, contributed $500,000 to the Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). This Platinum Level sponsorship will expand the knowledge of the electric arc flash phenomena with the objective of advancing codes and standards for greater workplace safety.

Arc flash (an electric current that is passed through air when insulation or isolation between energized conductors can no longer withstand the applied voltage) can cause severe injury, and currently accounts for more than 2,000 worker injuries requiring admission to burn centers for extended treatment every year.

“Electrical safety and knowledge of the hazards associated with arc flash has come a long way since arc-flash tests were initiated in 1996 at the Cooper Bussmann Gubany Center for High-Power Testing,” said Kevin Stein, president, Cooper Bussmann. “That groundbreaking research led to the award-winning IEEE paper Staged Tests Increase Awareness of Arc Flash Hazards in Electrical Equipment and has since improved arc-flash understanding exponentially. Cooper Bussmann has led the industry with our Safety Basics electrical safety training program, so it is only natural that we continue to lead as a Platinum Level contributor for the latest round of electrical safety research.”

Cooper Bussmann has a complete offering of products and services that help address electrical safety issues and arc flash in particular. These range from current-limiting fuses (that minimize the arc flash hazard) to engineering services that perform arc-flash analysis, to electrical safety training and development of electrical safety programs.

The IEEE and the NFPA joined forces on this initiative to fund research and testing to increase the understanding of arc flash. The results of this collaborative project will provide practical safeguards for employees in the workplace as well as statistical data for improving electrical safety standards and predicting the hazards associated with arcing faults (and accompanying arc blasts). The multi-year project is estimated to cost a total of $6 million to $7 million.

About Cooper Bussmann

Cooper Bussmann is a division of Cooper Industries and is headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. The company is committed to the development, manufacturing and marketing of innovative circuit protection products, and provides engineering, training and testing services globally for the electrical, electronics and transportation industries.

About IEEE

The IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.) is the world’s largest technical professional society. Through its more than 370,000 members in 160 countries, the organization is a leading authority on a wide variety of areas ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Dedicated to the advancement of technology, the IEEE publishes 30 percent of the world’s literature in the electrical and electronics engineering and computer science fields, and has developed nearly 900 active industry standards. The organization also sponsors or co-sponsors more than 450 international technical conferences each year. 

About the National Fire Protection Association

The National Fire Protection Association has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training and education.