NFPA 70E, "Electrical Safety in the Workplace"

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The NFPA catalog describes 70E as covering “the full range of electrical safety issues from safety-related work practices to maintenance, special equipment requirements, and installation. In fact, OSHA bases its electrical safety mandates—OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K—on the comprehensive information in this important Standard.”

NFPA 70E emphasizes that equipment should be de-energized before performing work whenever possible. Proper lockout/tag-out procedures ensure that equipment is de-energized and safe.

The 2004 update to NFPA 70E provides updated PPE requirements, a requirement for field labeling, and a requirement for energized electrical work permits to ensure that people performing live work are properly trained and equipped.

The 2009 edition of NFPA 70E will include new requirements for arc flash labels on hazardous equipment. It is expected to require that one of two pieces of information appear on the labels: the available incident energy, or the required PPE. Combined with NEC Section 110.16, which specifies which equipment must be marked, the additions to NFPA 70E will provide complete guidelines for arc flash labels.

Graphic Products provides a variety of label printers and supplies that can be used to make NFPA 70E-compliant labels and signs. Please call the number at the top of the page for more information.

NFPA 70E also requires employers to conduct an arc flash hazard study to identify and assess electrical hazards, set protection boundaries, and determine appropriate PPE for each job. This study requires the assistance of qualified engineering professionals, and is used to generate the information that appears on arc flash labels.

Finally, NFPA 70E requires employers to provide, and workers to use, appropriate PPE and voltage-rated, non-conducting tools. The following table shows the PPE required for various levels of arc flash risk:

Hazard Levels and Required PPE

Hazard Class	Incident Energy (cal/cm²)	Required PPE
0	Under 2	Non-flammable clothing
1	2-4	FR shirt and pants
2	4-8	FR shirt and pants, cotton underwear
3	8-25	FR shirt and pants, FR coveralls, cotton underwear
4	25-40	FR shirt and pants, multi-layer FR flash suit, cotton underwear

A Canadian counterpart to NFPA 70E, named CSA-z462, is under development and is scheduled for release in late 2008 or early 2009. CSA-z462 is based on NFPA 70E and should be largely compatible with it, but modified for use with Canadian regulations. We will provide more information as it becomes officially available.