As is common with emerging technologies, the maturity of safety considerations for a technology may lag the momentum in applying the technology. This has been true with the industrial, commercial, and residential electrification of modern society that began in the late nineteenth century. While human contact with electricity was known to be hazardous, differentiating arc flash from electric shock did not receive significant attention until a century later. We now know that injuries from arc flash events in electric power systems are among the most traumatic and costly occupational injuries. The intense energy transfer occurring in a fraction of a second converts electrical energy into thermal, blast, acoustic, chemical, and electromagnetic components that individually have their own injury consequences. Collectively, these energy transfers to the human body produce complex physical, neurological, and emotional trauma that are very difficult and costly to treat and rehabilitate. The resulting tragedy not only impacts the injured person, it extends to family, friends, and coworkers. And that is just the human side. Arc flash events also damage vital infrastructure, disrupting operations and damaging critical equipment. Altogether, the consequences in human suffering, equipment damage, and disruption of essential electrical systems can be extraordinary. But they can be prevented.