NFPA 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, 2018 Edition

Keep the workplace safe from electrical hazards using the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E.

In a fraction of a second, an electrical incident can claim lives and cause permanently disabling injuries. In fact, hundreds of deaths and thousands of burn injuries occur each year due to shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast -- and most could be prevented through compliance with NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.

Originally developed at OSHA's request, NFPA 70E responds to the latest information about the effects of arc flash, arc blast, and direct current (dc) hazards, and recent developments in electrical design and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It provides vital information that helps you comply with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K.

Make sure everyone goes home at night. New NFPA 70E explicitly states that the first priority must be the elimination of the hazard.

The Standard continues to evolve to address risk assessment and introduces human factors, such as human error, as part of that assessment. Annex Q, Human Performance and Workplace Electrical Safety, is included to provide guidance. NFPA 70E emphasizes the need to use the hierarchy of risk controls, by moving it from an informational note into the text of the Standard. NFPA 70E now explicitly states that the first priority must be the elimination of the hazard.

Other changes in this edition:

• A modified arc flash hazard identification table [Table 130.7(C)(15)(A)(a)] makes it easier to determine the likelihood that an arc flash could occur.
• Reorganized Article 120 presents the requirements for establishing an electrically safe work condition in a logical order of application of the program.
• Changes to Article 320 introduce voltage thresholds of 100 Vdc specifically for batteries and battery rooms to cover the unique situations in these locations.
• Extensively revised, Article 330 on lasers now focuses on safety-related maintenance issues rather than issues associated with laser use.
• Article 350 introduces an Electrical Safety Authority as a possible authority having jurisdiction for laboratories.

Bring your company's electrical safety program up-to-date and give employees critical knowledge.

If you're responsible for ensuring workers are protected from shock and arc flash hazards, use the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E along with NFPA 70, National Electrical Code (NEC) and NFPA 70B, Electrical Equipment Maintenance. Together, the "Big Three" help you protect your personnel and your company from tragic loss. NFPA 70E is a vital tool for contractors, risk managers, engineers, building managers, owners, and everyone concerned with ending electrical-related accidents, liability, and loss. (Print, 104 pp., 2018)