Educational · For Procurement Teams

What an arc flash report
actually contains.
Section by section.

Procurement teams tender an arc flash study without knowing what a good report contains. This page is the answer. The 11 mandatory sections. The four quality markers that separate a strong report from a weak one. The four common mistakes that signal a vendor who has not done this before. Signed by a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIE FIE).

Scope Your Arc Flash Study → See the Workflow
VB engineer at an arc flash compliance walkdown at a UAE brownfield plant · cinematic field shot
VB field team at an arc flash compliance task at a UAE plant
Bilingual · ADNOC spec
• LIVE INSTALLATION · INCOMER-1
Engineered label on red INCOMER-1 panel
Blue arc-rated suit · orange hood · bilingual label affixed under witness signature
500+
Arc Flash Studies
1,000+
Power System Studies
21
Countries
12
Years · Since 2014
UAE Standards Stack

11 Mandatory Sections · Tested Across 500+ Reports.
The three layers The structure your auditor reads.

Across 500+ arc flash deliverables in 21 countries, a strong arc flash report has 11 mandatory sections. Four anchor sections give procurement immediate clarity. Seven supporting sections build the audit trail. Below: each of the 11, what it should contain, and how to evaluate it.

Section 1 · Conformance Matrix
Front-of-report mapping
Section-by-section mapping of the report to the country compliance standard (ADNOC SAES, Aramco SAES, NFPA 70E, AS/NZS 4836, etc.). Auditors read this first.
Section 2 · Executive Summary
2 pages · plain English
HSE Head-readable summary. Number of buses studied. PPE categories distributed. Critical findings. Action register at-a-glance.
Section 3 · Methodology
Calculation basis
IEEE 1584-2018 method declared. Source impedance basis. Software (ETAP, DigSILENT, PSCAD). Cross-validation approach.
Section 4 · SLD Reconciliation
As-found vs as-installed
Single-line diagram verified against the field. Drift documented. Client engineer co-signed.
Bilingual labels · what your auditor sees on every panel

Same calculation. Two languages. One audit-ready label.

ADNOC operating-company specifications mandate bilingual Arabic-English labelling on every switchgear, MCC, and transformer. Below are two real labels from a VB Engineering deliverable. The English NFPA 70E format. The Arabic WARNING format. Same incident-energy data. Equal weight. Affixed under witness signature.

English NFPA 70E DANGER arc flash label · DOUBLE BREAK ISOLATOR_1 · 1627.85 cal per cm squared EN · NFPA 70E
DOUBLE BREAK ISOLATOR_1
1627.85 cal/cm² · Dangerous
Arabic WARNING arc flash label · BUS-600 KVAR APFC Panel · 4.33 cal per cm squared · ADNOC SAES format AR · ADNOC SAES
BUS-600 KVAR APFC
4.33 cal/cm² · Category 1

Print-ready. Site-installed. Witness-signed.

Every label carries: DANGER ARC FLASH HAZARD (English top, Arabic bottom · equal weight per ADNOC specification), ATPV cal/cm² value, arc flash boundary distance, restricted approach distance, PPE category, equipment ID, study date.

Labels are printed at our Hyderabad facility, shipped to UAE, installation supervised by our on-site team. Operator option to print locally with our master files. Five-year revalidation written into the AMC retainer.

What you receive

Six deliverables. One Chartered Engineer signature.

An Arc Flash Study from VB Engineering is not a software report PDF. It is a documented engineering deliverable structured for HSE audit, insurer review, and procurement file. Every section signed CEng MIE FIE.

Power System Modelling and Arc Flash Risk Analysis · the ETAP DigSILENT model that produces the incident energy report 01

IEEE 1584-2018 Incident Energy Report

Incident energy at every working position calculated against IEEE 1584-2018 method (the 2002 method is retired in our practice). Arc flash boundary, restricted approach distance, PPE category per ATPV. Calculated in ETAP or DigSILENT, hand-verified at critical buses.

ETAPDigSILENTIEEE 1584-2018
Engineered VB warning label installed on HVAC VIVARIUM LAB 1600A panel showing 7.1 cal per cm squared with arc flash and shock boundary annotations 02

Bilingual Arabic-English Labels

Print-ready arc flash warning labels in bilingual format · English on top, Arabic below, both equal-weight per ADNOC operating-company specification. ATPV value, working distance, PPE category, equipment ID. Mounted on every switchgear, MCC, transformer.

Bilingual AR-ENADNOC spec
VB Engineering full certifications stack · ISO 45001 · ISO 9001 · chartered-engineer credentials referenced on every signed deliverable 03

SAES-E-005 Conformance Matrix

Section-by-section mapping of the study to the country dutyholder code clauses. Front-of-report submission template. Format pre-cleared with multiple ADNOC operating companies · auditors recognise the layout.

SAES-E-005Audit-ready
Data Verification and SLD Preparation · field walkdown data reconciled against legacy single line diagram before any calculation begins 04

SLD Reconciled to As-Found

Single-line diagram verified against the as-installed equipment via supervised walkdown. Drift from legacy SLD logged. The calculation accuracy is constrained by SLD accuracy · we deliver both. Client engineer co-signs reconciliation.

As-found SLDClient-verified
Data Collection and On-Site Survey · nameplate, CT and PT ratio, breaker trip-unit settings logged on tablet during the walkdown phase 05

Walkdown + Field Data Pack

Nameplate verification, CT/PT ratio confirmation, breaker trip-unit settings, cable run measurements. Every equipment item photographed and tablet-logged. The basis-of-design archive that survives staff turnover.

Field-verifiedPhoto-documented
Our methodology summary · the engineering audit trail that every Arc Flash Study deliverable opens with 06

Executive Summary + Action Register

2-page executive summary for HSE Head sign-off. Action register with categories (engineering control, PPE upgrade, procedure change, training), priority ranking, responsible discipline, target dates. The format your HSE auditor reads first.

Exec-readyAction tracker
The Workflow

Seven engineering steps. Six to eight weeks.

The Arc Flash Study workflow is methodical, technical, and signed at every gate. We are not delivering a PDF · we are delivering an engineering audit trail.

STEP 01

Site walkdown + as-found verification

Physical walkdown of every switchgear, MCC, transformer. Nameplate verification, CT/PT ratio confirmation, breaker trip-unit settings logged on tablet. Legacy SLD reconciled to field. Drift documented per equipment. Client engineer accompanies walkdown.

2-3 days siteSenior Engineer led
VB engineer + client engineer reviewing plant single-line diagram in the UTILITY MCC room · as-found verification walkdown · client-co-signed reconciliation
STEP 02

SLD reconciliation + client sign-off

Walkdown data plotted against the client SLD. Every drift logged. Client engineer co-signs the reconciled SLD before any calculation begins. This is the input-layer discipline that decides accuracy of every downstream number.

3-5 days deskClient co-signed
VB Engineering 25 CAL per cm squared arc flash coverall · hardhat and safety boots · CAT-2 PPE
STEP 03

System modelling in ETAP or DigSILENT

Software model built from verified as-found data. Source impedances, transformer parameters, cable lengths and impedances, motor contributions, generator data. Every bus identified, every protective device modelled. IEC 60909 fault calculations cross-validated by hand at critical buses.

1-2 weeksETAP / DigSILENT
VB engineer at UAE substation HMI · system modelling input data verification
STEP 04

IEEE 1584-2018 incident energy calculation

Incident energy at every working position. Arc flash boundary distance. PPE category per ATPV value. Where incident energy exceeds 40 cal/cm², the work practice recommendation is "energised work prohibited" · documented in the report with engineering control alternatives.

1 weekIEEE 1584-2018
NFPA 70E masterclass training session for plant electrical workers · the calculation methodology explained to client
STEP 05

Bilingual label production

Print-ready bilingual Arabic-English labels generated per equipment. English NFPA 70E format on top, Arabic ADNOC-spec format below, equal weight. ATPV, boundary, PPE category, equipment ID, study date. Print at Hyderabad · ship to UAE · install under witness signature.

2 weeksEN + AR
VB Engineering arc flash field engagement at a UAE brownfield plant
STEP 06

Site installation + operator handover briefing

Arc flash warning labels (NFPA 70E format with ATPV cal/cm² value, arc flash boundary distance, restricted approach, PPE category, equipment ID) affixed at every switchgear, MCC, transformer. on-site team supervises installation in coordinated outage windows. Witness signature per label. Operator handover briefing delivered the same day so the workforce understands every label before energising work resumes.

1-2 weeksOperator handover
VB Engineering on-site labelling at a UAE plant · arc flash label installation activity
STEP 07

Final report + Chartered Engineer signature

Signed engineering deliverable. SAES-E-005 conformance matrix front-of-report. Executive summary + action register. CEng MIE FIE signature on every section. Audit-ready, insurer-ready, ADNOC HSE-ready. Optional 5-year AMC retainer offered for recurring compliance.

1 weekCEng MIE FIE
Expert Arc Flash Risk Assessment · the final signed deliverable from VB Engineering · CEng MIE FIE signature on every section
The Proof

Field-installed. Not just calculated.

Two photographs from VB Engineering field installations. The physical proof that an Arc Flash Study from us does not end at a PDF report.

Yellow and black tiger stripe arc flash boundary painted on the cable pit walls at an outdoor 33 kV substation · physical boundary proof
Arc Flash Boundary

Tiger-stripe boundary at 33 kV outdoor substation

Where incident energy demands a physical demarcation, we paint the boundary. Yellow and black tiger stripes at the cable pit perimeter define the energised work restricted-approach distance. No calculation in a PDF replaces this.

VB Engineering arc flash field deliverable · UAE install evidence
Installed Label

Engineered label installed on HVAC VIVARIUM LAB 1600A

7.1 cal/cm² calculated. PPE Category 2 recommended. Arc flash boundary noted at 12 inches. Shock-hazard restricted-approach distance noted. Installed and witness-signed. The form the auditor opens the door and reads.

UAE Engagements

Four quality markers · how to read any arc flash report. Three engagements.

Across 500+ deliveries in 21 countries, four signals separate a strong arc flash report from a weak one. Use these to evaluate any vendor. Below:

VB Engineering arc flash deliverable for Marker 1 · CEng signature Marker 1 · CEng signature
Engineering accountability

A strong report has a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIE FIE) signature on every section. Not just a stamp on the cover. Each calculation, each assumption, each recommendation is owned by a named, accountable engineer.

Outcome
Why it matters: this is the difference between a software output and an engineering deliverable.
CEng
MIE FIE
Every
Section
VB Engineering arc flash deliverable for Marker 2 · Field-verified inputs Marker 2 · Field-verified inputs
Inputs reconciled to as-found

A strong report reconciles every input to field-verified data. The SLD is co-signed by the client engineer. Nameplate verifications are documented per equipment. CT/PT ratios confirmed. Cable lengths field-measured.

Outcome
Why it matters: calculation accuracy is constrained by input accuracy. Garbage in = garbage out.
100%
Field-verified
Co-
signed
VB Engineering arc flash deliverable for Marker 3 · Documented assumptions Marker 3 · Documented assumptions
Every conservatism declared

A strong report declares every assumption that affects the calculation. Conservatism is noted. Where utility data is not available, the conservative estimate is documented. Alternative scenarios are run.

Outcome
Why it matters: the auditor can trace every number back to its source.
Every
Assumption
Traceable
Sources
VB Engineering arc flash deliverable for Marker 4 · Auditor-ready format Marker 4 · Auditor-ready format
Audit-aligned structure

A strong report opens with the conformance matrix mapped to the country standard. Section numbering matches the standard's clause numbering. Cross-references back to the regulation are explicit.

Outcome
Why it matters: an auditor should be able to verify compliance in under 10 minutes.
<10
Min audit
Mapped
Format
Selected operators · 1,000+ studies · 21 countries
Buyer Questions

Procurement and engineering questions, answered.

What are the 11 mandatory sections of an arc flash report?
Conformance matrix, executive summary, methodology, SLD reconciliation, source data, modelling assumptions, calculations, coordination review, incident energy table, PPE category map, and action register. Each section maps to a specific compliance requirement under IEEE 1584-2018, NFPA 70E 2024, and the country dutyholder code.
Who signs an arc flash report at VB Engineering?
Every section is signed by a Chartered Engineer (CEng MIE FIE). The Practice Lead drafts. The Principal Reviewer cross-checks. The Chairman or CEO countersigns when required by the operating company. ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 management systems govern the workflow.
How should procurement evaluate an arc flash report from a vendor?
Four markers: CEng signature on every section (not just the cover), field-verified inputs (SLD co-signed), documented assumptions (every conservatism declared), and auditor-ready format (conformance matrix front-of-report, cross-referenced to the country standard).
Can VB Engineering deliver an arc flash report in operator-preferred software format?
Yes. Default modelling is ETAP. Where the operator standardises on DigSILENT PowerFactory (typical Aramco-aligned procurement), we deliver in DigSILENT. Where the operator standardises on PSCAD, we deliver in PSCAD. Output reports are software-agnostic PDFs with raw model files included.
How long do procurement teams typically take to evaluate an arc flash report?
Less than 10 minutes if the conformance matrix is front-of-report and section numbering matches the standard's clause numbering. Two hours if structure is poor and the procurement team has to hunt for compliance evidence.

Ready to scope an Arc Flash Study for your site?

Tell us your plant voltage, regulatory framework, , and target outage window. A Chartered Engineer responds inside 24 hours with a scoped technical proposal and a fixed-price quote.

Scope Your Arc Flash Study → WhatsApp our practice