NFPA Electrical Safety Standards Update

It is amazing how quickly time passes.  I had intended to put together a series of electrical safety topics that focused on the basics of electrical safety and then some mitigation techniques, but time got the best of me7.  So, before we get too far, I want to step back and briefly discuss the trilogy of electrical safety standards with updated information.

As you know from reading past blogs, there are three standards from the standards from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that contribute to an organization’s electrical safety program: National Electric Code (NFPA 70), Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance (NFPA 70B), and The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA 70E).  Equipment that is not properly installed or properly maintained can create safety hazards.

The foundational standard of electrical safety is equipment design and installation.  The 2017 version of the National Electric Code (NEC) provides the minimum design and installation requirements for electrical equipment.  The 2017 version is available as a PDF download; hard copies will be available in October.  The NEC describes how to apply equipment, conductors, grounding, overcurrent protective devices, and other devices.  When equipment and components are designed and installed in accordance with the NEC, there are minimal potential for shock and arc flash hazards. 

Article 110.16 of the NEC requires that all equipment, other than those installed in swellings, that are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized to be marked to warn qualified persons of the potential arc flash hazards.  This includes switchboards, panelboards, motor control centers (MCCs) and industrial control panels.  This can also include transformers, UPSs, transfer switch equipment, and junction boxes where power distribution blocks are used to splice conductors.  Arc flash labels should meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standard Product Safety Signs and Labels, ANSI Z535.4-2011.

The second standard of electrical safety is maintenance.  The latest edition of the Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance (NFPA 70B), which was published in 2016, and provides details on the development of an electrical preventative maintenance program (EPM) and basic maintenance requirements for common electrical equipment.  NFPA 70B can be used when specific maintenance procedures from the equipment manufacturer are not available.

The third and final standard of electrical safety is The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace(NFPA70E), which was last published in 2015.  NFPA 70E provides the basic requirements for working on or near energized equipment when the guards (enclosure doors or panels) are removed and electrical energy is present.  Shock and arcing hazards are present whenever qualified employees are working on or near equipment when enclosure doors or panels are removed, and electrical energy is present.  If the equipment is properly installed and properly maintained, then any work or troubleshooting that could be required while the equipment is energized should follow the guidelines of NFPA 70E. 

Standards are developed to provide people and organizations with basic knowledge and guidance.  Ensuring that equipment is properly designed and installed (NFPA 70), properly maintained (NFPA 70B) and people working on or near exposed live (energized) circuits are trained, have procedures, and protective equipment (NFPA 70E) will limit personnel to shock and arc flash hazards.