Hi Kennethg2025!
I've worked medium and high voltages all of my career, actually starting as a linesman on the transmission towers with 345,000 volts. I can assure you that our procedure was Never! to stand under or in front of a switch while operating it. Memorize your pending moves and always, always turn your face away before taking any action. Same rules applied with fuse slams into pole arms. (We did have leather ponchos, hear protection, 11 foot hot sticks and hot gloves.)
And, yeah there were some brilliant & violent arc flashes.
Granted this was before NFPA 70E and arc flash requirements, but even with the gear I won't stand in front of a switch or circuit breaker- even at home. Habit is to stand aside.
A Good Example Of Dangerous Behavior-
We had a new, hot shot journeyman electrician assigned. Boy this guy knew everything. He was way, way smarter than all of us seasoned masters.
One day, he was approaching a 13,200 volt motor starter with the intention of energizing it. I noticed and told him to stand to the side. (Before arc flash gear days.)
Well, apparently old guys are stupid (or words to that effect) came from his mouth. He threw the switch while partway in front of it. The cabinet exploded and a contactor blew out of the cabinet. It went through two cinder block walls and into the locker room next door. A chunk of cabinet broke his arm on the way to space. He also suffered eye damage.
Some months later, he was changing some 200 amp cartridge fuses in a 208 volt QMB switch. He declined another worker's offer of insulating liner sheets, fuse pullers & a flash shield. The know-it-all slipped and a fuse shorted to the frame. The poor guy had to have multiple surgeries to repair the damage the flash did to his abdomen and intestines.
Upon returning to work, he was just as know it all. The guy soon was transferred to the sewage treatment plant where things are always de-energized before anyone works on them.
Conversely, one of the auto companies which is a client of mine has a very strict & wise rule: Everything is de-energized before working on it and anything above 600 volts has to be drained before continuing. All while wearing arc flash gear.
