Word of the Day
9 March 2026
arc blast
An explosion produced by the extreme heat of an uncontrolled high-energy electric arc.
Why this one
Often lumped in with arc flash, but it is the other half of the event: the pressure wave and shrapnel from copper vaporising and expanding, which is why blast is treated separately from burns in hazard assessments.
In use
Flash hood covers the burn side, but nothing you wear stops an arc blast throwing you off the ladder, so we work it dead.
Written by our editors to show how the term is used, not a recorded quotation.