Eaton Corporation Contributes $500,000

Arc Flash News

Eaton Corporation Contributes $500,000 to IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash Research Project

Multi-Year, $6.5 Million Program Aims to Better Define Arc Flash Hazards and Protect Workers

PISCATAWAY, N.J., USA, 16 April 2008 — Eaton Corporation has contributed US $500,000 to the Arc Flash Collaborative Research Project organized by IEEE and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The company’s Platinum level sponsorship will help expand the knowledge of the electric arc flash phenomena and enhance worker safety through advances in the codes and standards relating to safe employee work practices.

Arc flash is an electric current that is passed through air when insulation or isolation between electrified conductors is no longer sufficient to withstand the applied voltage. The flash is immediate, but the results can cause severe injury. Every year, more than 2,000 workers are admitted to burn centers for extended injury treatment caused by arc flash.

“Arc flash safety is tremendously important to a wide range of industries and Eaton is committed to improving education and providing solutions that will help companies protect their most important assets – their people,” said Jerry Whitaker, Eaton’s vice president and president, Power Component and System Operations.

“Eaton currently offers the industry’s widest range of arc flash-related products and services,” said Whitaker. These services include industry education through presentations at IEEE conferences and electrical safety workshops, arc flash consulting services and arc flash mitigation retrofit services. In addition, Eaton is developing new products to improve arc flash safety such as arc fault detection circuit breakers and arc reduction motor control centers.

“We are pleased to have Eaton Corporation join the growing list of sponsors for the Arc Flash project,” said Sue Vogel, director, Technical Committee Programs for the IEEE Standards Association. “Eaton’s contribution, along with their experience and commitment to preventing arc flash, will help expedite the work of this project to produce the data needed to advance our understanding of the arc flash phenomenon.”

IEEE and NFPA have joined forces on an initiative to fund and support research and testing to increase the understanding of arc flash. The results of this collaborative project will provide information that will be used to improve electrical safety standards, predict the hazards associated with arching faults and accompanying arc blasts, and provide practical safeguards for employees in the workplace. The multi-year project is estimated to cost a total of $6-$7 million.

About Eaton Corporation

Eaton Corporation is a diversified industrial manufacturer with 2007 sales of $13.0 billion. Eaton is a global leader in electrical systems and components for power quality, distribution and control; fluid power systems and services for industrial, mobile and aircraft equipment; intelligent truck drivetrain systems for safety and fuel economy; and automotive engine air management systems, powertrain solutions and specialty controls for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has 79,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit http://www.eaton.com.

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.

About the IEEE Standards Association

The IEEE Standards Association, a globally recognized standards-setting body, develops consensus standards through an open process that brings diverse parts of industry together. These standards set specifications and procedures based on current scientific and technological consensus. The IEEE SA has a portfolio of over 870 active standards and more than 400 standards under development. For information on IEEE SA see: https://standards-dev21.ieee.org/.

About IEEE

IEEE is the world’s largest technical professional society. Through its more than 375,000 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, 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 annually sponsors more than 850 conferences worldwide. Additional information about IEEE can be found at http://www.ieee.org.