Standardfor Electrical Safety intheWorkplace
International Electrical Code'Series
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NFPA 70Ea
Standard for
Electrical Safetyin theWorkplace
2024 Edition
Technical Committee on Electrical Safety in the Workplace and released by the Correlating This editin ofNFPA Sr frEliclSty in W was prepare by thwith an effective date of May 13 2023 and supersedes allprevios editims. s dy uo speps q pns smap e e uo
This edition of NFPA 70Ewas approved as an American National Standard on May 13 2023.
Foreword to NFPA 70E
responsibilities that would still be fully consistent with the NEC An offer of assistance was submitted It became apparent that a need existed for a new standard tailored to fulill OSHA'sinMay 1975to theAsistantSecretary of Laborfor OSHAhoreponded as follow:The concept procedures ad scope f the ffort discssed ith mstaff for preparing the subject standard appeartohavegreatmeritandanapparenteed exissforthis proposed consensusdocument which OSHA could consider for promulgation under the provisions ofSection5(b) of the Act OSHA doesSandad CouilftheatonalFireProtecionAsciationannounced theformalappintmentf have anintrest in thiseffortandbelieves the proposed standadwould serveauseful purpose.Tha new electrical standards development mittee on January 7 1976. The Committee on Electricalsafety standard that would serve OSHA's needs and assist in plying with the requiremens ofSection 6(b) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The standad wasvisualized as consisting offour major parts: Part I Insallation SftyRequirements and Part IVfty Requirements foSpecial Equpment Each part was recogize as Requirements; Part II Safet- Related Work Practices Part II Safety-Related Maintenancebeinganmprtantastflrical sfein hworklabthartse sfciy independent of each other to pemit their separate publication.The fist edition of NFPA 70E SandfElricSaty Rasr Emplk waspblishd in 979 a includ only Part I Installation Safety Requiremens.
The second edition published in 1981 included Part II Safty-Related Work Practices. In 1983 the third edition added Part III Safety-Relased Maintenance Requirements. In 1988 the fourth edition was published with only minor revisions.
The conceps oimits of approachandestablishment ofan arwere introducedin Part II.In The 1995 edition included major revisions to Part I to conform to the 199S edition of the NECRequirements forSpecialquipmenPart Iontinued fousnestablishingflashprotetion 2000 the sixth edition included an update of Part I to the 1999 NEC as well as Part IV Safetyboundarieand theseofpersonal protetiveequpment(PPE)Charts wereaded oarII t asist in appling appropriate protetive clothing and PPE for mon task.
The 2004 edition presented several significant changes. The tile was changed to Siemdard forElectriclSafety in e Workpl Major changes emphasized safe work practices Clarity and usability of thedoumentwereenhancedThedocumentwsrefomatted to plwiththeNtionaEleirelated work practices relocated to the front of the document followed by safet-related Code Sy MarlThe xisting pars wererenamed aschapters andwere reorganized with the safetrequiremntsThechaptensaerelaed workpacticsasrenganized tmphasizethat maintenance reqrements saety requireens frecialqument and safe-related istallatinworking on live parts is the last alternative work practice. An energized electrical work permit and related requirements were incorporated into the document.
Chapter 4 Specific Purpose Equipment and Installations was updated to correlate with the 2002 edition of the NEG butrequirmentsotdireclysciatdwithmloee safewerenotinledhECsintened aplicatiisbthose desistall adet lical allAthehehand ted bm mland OSHA.
Requirements wereupgraded throughout the 2009 edition.Chapter4 was dlted becaseit was a duliate of NECinstallation requirement Article 350 was added for R&D facilities. Other changes included significant revisions to Annex D Annex F and Annex J and the addition of Annex M Annex N and Annex O.
The 2012 edition continued to evolve to meet the elecurical safety needs of employers and employees New and revisedrequirements adressed the electrical hazards encountered by employees in curremt workplaces Expanded or clarifed requirements inclusion of technical material not previously covered and removal of requirements related to the safeconceps of hazardideniicatinandrsk asemnt wererevised to clarify th conceptsAresionoAnexF providedextensive coerage of this topic to asss users with mplementing effective hazard identification and risk assement procedures. Annex P on aigning NFPA 7OEimplementation with occupational health and safeymangement standards wasadded.
e Many changes occured in Chapter 1. Article 105 Application of Safety-Related Work Practices was added as wereernaisthazaskablasmfhriruitrrnaaringe fash boundary infomation ere incled in the hzadrisk category tablesAnotherrevision nclue changinglame r() o () )
The 2015 edition incorporated a majorshif in ho stakeholders ealuate electrical risk Throughout the document changes weremade for clarity such as changing hr alis to risl m These global changes provided consistency between NFPA 70Eand other standards that adress hazards and risk. Other major revisions included the following
(1) An electrical safety program must consider condition of maintenance.
(2) New requirements clarified where normal operation of electric equipment is permitted.
required. (3) A new taslbsed able bined the previously separate ac and dc tables used to detemine when arc flash PPE is
(4) Equipmenbased ables were added for determining the arc flash PPE category for ac sstems and for dc sstems.
PerfomanendWrklaclericSaewasdrdguidanisarePAxliciystattat The 2018 edition addresed risk asessment and introduced human factors as part of that assessment. Annex Q Humanpriority must be the elimination of th electric hazardThe tables and text that specifed PPE sandards weremoved to informatnlothischange didt alethemlesreponibilty forerfingthatapprpriatis g employees.
applicationorderrticle20introucedvoltgethresholdf50Vaand100Vdctoadressthunique siationsfo Article 120 was rearrangedo present the requiremens for establishing an clectricall safe work condition in a logicalbatteriandrmiclsresdaddeltdmitasuaanssd with laseuse. Aticle 5ntroued n elecrical safet uthority as a poible authrityhavingurisdictin for laboratores.
rogamptiesan pres frmthaicrti60SfyRla equirmns frCapaitrsndx For the 2021 edition Article 110 was revised to incorporate the general requirements for clectrical safetyrelated workIncident Energy and Arc Flash Boundary Calculation Methods was revised to reference IEEE-1584-2018 as a method of RWorkinwihaciwad tadresic licalyrequrmnqutacixcalculation.
Revisios to the 2024 edition were r lrification frusabity and to ml with the til Eletricl ode Sy Mul