Arc flash study costs vary based on facility size, equipment count, geographic location, and the scope of deliverables included. For most industrial and commercial facilities, pricing ranges from a few thousand dollars for smaller sites to tens of thousands for large, complex operations with high equipment density. Key variables include the number of panels and equipment points to be evaluated, whether utility data collection is required, and whether label installation and employee training are included in the scope. At Herzig Engineering, we provide upfront, transparent pricing with no hidden fees and deliver most quotes within one to two business days.

NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, establishes the requirements for safe work practices that protect workers from electrical hazards including arc flash and electric shock. The standard requires employers to perform arc flash risk assessments and shock risk assessments before any energized electrical work is performed, provide workers with appropriate PPE, maintain a written electrical safety program, and keep documented worker training records. Equipment must also be labeled with arc flash hazard information so workers have the data they need to select the correct protection before opening any panel. See a full breakdown of what OSHA and NFPA 70E require from employers.

Arc flash labels contain critical safety information that workers must understand before performing energized electrical work. A standard label includes the equipment voltage, the incident energy level (measured in cal/cm2), the working distance used in the analysis, the arc flash boundary, a site-specific level of PPE, and the date the study was performed. The incident energy level and site-specific PPE level are the most important factors: they tell the worker exactly which protective gear must be worn for that specific piece of equipment before energized work begins. Labels that are missing fields, illegible, or do not reflect the current state of your system are non-compliant. Learn more about arc flash labels and what each field means.

NFPA 70E requires that electrical equipment likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized be marked with arc flash hazard information. Labels must give workers enough information to identify the hazard and select the correct PPE before beginning work, which typically means including the rated voltage, the incident energy level, arc flash boundary, required PPE category, working distance, and the study date. Equipment with labels that do not reflect the current state of your electrical system is considered non-compliant under NFPA 70E, since any system change can alter incident energy levels and invalidate existing label data. See the 2026 NEC arc flash label updates for the latest code-level labeling requirements.

Any facility where workers perform examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance on energized electrical equipment is required to conduct an arc flash study under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333 and NFPA 70E. This includes manufacturing and industrial plants, food processing facilities, hospitals and healthcare campuses, universities, data centers, water treatment plants, warehouses, and commercial buildings with three-phase electrical systems. The requirement applies regardless of company size or industry: if your workers interact with energized electrical equipment, a current arc flash study is not optional. Facilities that have never had a study or have not updated theirs in several years are likely operating with documented compliance gaps.

The timeline for an arc flash study depends on facility size, equipment density, and scheduling availability for the onsite data collection visit and engineering review. For a 300,000 sq ft facility with a moderate equipment count, Herzig Engineering's arc flash studies typically run three to six months from start to finish. Larger or more complex sites may take longer, while smaller facilities are often completed more quickly. The process moves fastest when the client is available during data collection and participates in the review step, where we verify the accuracy of the model before any labels are produced. See a step-by-step overview of our arc flash study process.

NFPA 70B, the Standard for Electrical Equipment Maintenance, recommends annual infrared inspections for most electrical equipment as part of a comprehensive preventive maintenance program. High-load, aging, or critical electrical systems may require more frequent inspections to reliably detect developing issues before they escalate into failures. Many property insurance carriers also require current infrared inspection reports as a condition of coverage for electrical equipment. Herzig Engineering recommends pairing annual infrared inspections with an up-to-date arc flash study for a complete picture of your electrical system's current condition and potential hazards.

NFPA 70E requires that your arc flash study be reviewed for accuracy at least once every 5 years. The study should also be reviewed and updated in the event that system changes occur so that the study will reflect the current state of your electrical system at all times. Events that should trigger an update include adding or removing equipment, changes to your utility service or transformer, modifications to overcurrent protective devices, installation of renewable energy sources, and facility expansions. Herzig Engineering offers targeted update studies that refresh your existing data model efficiently rather than requiring a full study from scratch.

Incident energy is the amount of thermal energy, measured in calories per square centimeter (cal/cm2), a worker could be exposed to during an arc event based on industry-accepted standards for the typical distance between an arc source and the vital parts of the worker's body. It is the central calculation in every arc flash study because it determines what PPE a worker must wear before performing energized electrical work. Incident energy is calculated using IEEE 1584 methodology and is influenced by available fault current, the clearing time of your overcurrent protective devices, working distance, and conductor gap. Because small errors in any of these variables can produce significantly wrong results, field-verified data collection is essential to producing reliable incident energy values that workers can actually trust.

Arc flash labels become inaccurate any time a significant change is made to your electrical system, and most facilities do not realize their labels are outdated until an audit or incident reveals the problem. The consequences include workers wearing PPE rated below the actual hazard, documented OSHA compliance violations, significant legal and liability exposure after an injury, and insurance coverage issues with carriers that require current studies. Beyond the regulatory risks, the most serious consequence is that a worker relying on an outdated label may unknowingly perform energized work without adequate protection. Request an arc flash study update if your system has changed or your study is more than three to five years old.

The most common errors found in arc flash studies are assumed equipment data instead of field-verified settings, outdated utility fault current values, incorrect overcurrent device settings, and equipment added after the original study that has no labels. Each of these errors produces inaccurate incident energy calculations, which means the labels workers rely on do not reflect the true hazard at their equipment. Some providers also install generic or placeholder labels before calculations are finalized, leaving incorrect hazard data permanently on equipment. At Herzig Engineering, every arc flash study includes a client review step to verify model accuracy before any labels are produced, and all final reports are signed and PE-stamped.

The most important factors are field-verified data collection rather than drawings or assumptions, PE-stamped reports signed by a licensed Professional Engineer, IEEE 1584-compliant calculations, a fully transparent scope of deliverables, and unbiased advice with no equipment upsells. Ask directly whether the provider physically visits your facility to collect and verify equipment data, since providers who skip this step produce studies with errors that can result in workers wearing the wrong PPE. A complete study should include onsite data collection, engineering analysis, label installation, one-line diagrams, and training: if a provider's scope excludes any of these, ask why. Herzig Engineering has delivered arc flash studies nationwide for 23 years with a 95% client retention rate built on doing the job right the first time. [Contact us] to see exactly what a complete, field-verified study includes.

True OSHA compliance for electrical safety requires more than a current arc flash study on file. It also requires equipment-specific [lockout/tagout procedures], a written electrical safety program, documented worker training records, and current arc flash labels that reflect your actual system. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333 governs electrical safety-related work practices, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 governs the control of hazardous energy, and NFPA 70E establishes the framework for arc flash risk assessments and safe work practices. A professional electrical safety audit is the most reliable way to identify gaps across your entire program and receive specific recommendations for achieving full compliance. Read more about what OSHA and NFPA 70E require from employers.

Infrared thermography uses thermal imaging cameras to detect abnormal heat signatures in electrical equipment, revealing developing problems such as loose connections, overloaded circuits, failing components, and unbalanced loads that are invisible to the naked eye. During a Herzig Engineering infrared inspection, a qualified thermographer scans panels, switchgear, transformers, and motor control centers under load and documents all findings with thermal images and severity ratings so your maintenance team can prioritize repairs. Integrating annual infrared inspections into your maintenance program is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent unplanned electrical failures and extend the life of your equipment.

Unplanned electrical failures are among the most expensive events a manufacturing or industrial facility can face, with downtime costs that can reach thousands to millions of dollars per hour, depending on the operation. A structured preventive maintenance program built around NFPA 70B recommendations, including annual infrared inspections, insulation resistance testing, breaker testing, connection tightening, and equipment cleaning, catches deteriorating components on a scheduled basis before they cause unplanned shutdowns. The cost of routine maintenance is almost always a fraction of the cost of emergency repairs, equipment replacement, and lost production time. Herzig Engineering offers preventive maintenance audits to evaluate your current program against NFPA 70B requirements and deliver specific recommendations for a stronger, more cost-efficient approach. Still have questions? [Contact Herzig Engineering] and our team of verified electrical safety specialists will get back to you within one business day.