2021 Edition
Access the latest criteria and stay up to date on electrical workplace safety with NFPA 70E®, 2021 edition.
While the number of workplace electrical injuries has declined in recent years, the risks of shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast remain a significant health and safety concern. Each week nearly three workers die, and annually thousands are injured by electrical hazards. Many of these incidents could have been prevented through compliance with the latest safety codes and standards.
NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®, is the quintessential resource for helping companies and employees reduce exposure to risks and reduce occupational injuries and fatalities. It was created to provide a document that meets the need of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and is entirely consistent with the NEC and other applicable publications.
The electrical industry is always changing. Make sure you have access to the information you need to prepare for the challenges of the modern electrical workplace.
NFPA 70E provides provisions that help comply with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K. This essential standard for anyone with interest in ending electrical-related accidents, liability, and loss offers expert information on subjects ranging from safety-related work practices to special equipment and maintenance requirements. Informative Annexes provide in-depth coverage of personal protective equipment (PPE), developments in electrical design, risk assessment and control, human performance and electrical safety, and many other critical topics.
The new 2021 edition features extensive changes, including:
- Revisions to Article 110 to incorporate the general requirements for electrical safety-related work programs, practices, and procedures from other articles
- References to arc-resistant switchgear in Tables 130.5(C) and 130.7(C)(15)(a) changed to arc-resistant equipment to address the use of other types of arc-resistant equipment
- Addition of Article 360, Safety-Related Requirements for Capacitors, and Annex R, Working with Capacitors, to address specific electrical safety requirements unique to capacitors
- Edits to Annex D, Incident Energy and Arc Flash Boundary Calculation Methods, to reference IEEE-1584-2018 as a method of calculation
Help make sure everyone on the job gets home safe. Give your team the knowledge required to help put your safety program on the cutting edge.
Electricians, contractors, risk managers, engineers, building managers, owners, and others at risk or with responsibilities maintaining an electrically safe workplace rely on NFPA 70E, along with NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code®, and NFPA 70B, Electrical Equipment Maintenance. Get up to date with the most current requirements by placing your order for the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, 2021 edition, today.
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)
2015 Edition
NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace reduces the risk of death or injury due to electrical hazards.
Used correctly, the safe work practices in NFPA 70E can stop workplace electrical accidents before they happen by reducing exposure to major electrical hazards. Originally developed at OSHA's request, NFPA 70E helps companies and employees avoid workplace injuries and fatalities due to shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast, and assists in complying with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K. Each edition of NFPA 70E builds on the next, incorporating the latest research and "lessons learned" from the field.
The 2015 edition NFPA 70E, Electrical Safety in the Workplace introduces a major change in how stakeholders evaluate electrical risk -- so that owners, managers, and employees can work together to ensure an electrically safe working area and comply with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K.
2012 Edition
The 2012 edition of NFPA 70E is updated to help users reduce the risk of electrical injuries and fatalities on the job. Revised rules and Annex F clearly differentiate between "risk assessment" and "hazard identification." Added text explains when the energized work permit (EWP) is required and what it should contain. This edition also includes a new shock protection boundary, hazard/risk table, and incident energy calculation for direct current systems. Revised Article 320 focuses on safe work practices for stationary batteries and battery rooms, such as those used by alternative energy systems.
2009 Edition
The 2009 NFPA 70E introduces an easier way to calculate incident energy -- the first step in determining PPE -- with revised Annex D that consolidates equations, adds tables, and provides alternatives to making detailed calculations. Other changes in this edition recognize a broader array of hazards and help reduce safety gaps. To further reduce the risks for second-degree thermal burns, cotton outerwear is no longer permitted for energy levels below 2 cal/cm2. An expanded Table in Article 130 covers added tasks such as thermographic imaging, and new equipment including arc-resistant switchgear. New Article 350 offers the Standard's first requirements for the protection of electrical personnel in R&D labs. New recordkeeping requirements for training and safety program audits respond to OSHA's need for records.
2004 Edition
The 2004 NFPA 70E improves compatibility with the NFPA 70: National Electrical Code (NEC) with a new format featuring corresponding provisions. Installation criteria correlate with the 2002 NEC. To reduce the potential for errors, Safety Related Work Practices are prioritized to provide more specific safety guidance, and revised PPE requirements help minimize unsafe exposures. A new provision for a signed authorization for energized electrical work further reduces the likelihood of electrical accidents. New language concerning multi-employer relationships requires all contractors on a project to be aware of hazards, PPE, safe work practices, and emergency evacuation procedures. Definitions clarify electrical safety issues such as arc rating, incident energy, and restricted approach boundary.
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