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Both the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) have written standards and regulations that build on one another and help keep all workers safer from electrical hazards in the workplace. In this case, the OSHA regulations and NFPA standards work so well together it’s been said that OSHA provides the "shall" while NFPA provides the "how".
In 2009 the NFPA published a major update to its electrical safety codes. They called it NFPA 70E. The standard covers the full range of electrical safety issues, including safety-related work practices, maintenance, special equipment requirements and installation.
OSHA bases its electrical safety standards (found in Subpart S part 1910 and Subpart K part 1926) on the comprehensive information found in NFPA 70E. It focuses on protecting people and identifies requirements that are considered necessary to provide a workplace that is free of electrical hazards.
Here's an example of how clearly the OSHA regulations and NFPA 70E standards work together. OSHA mandates that all services to electrical equipment be done in a de-energized state. "Working live" can only be done under special circumstances. NFPA 70E defines those special circumstances and sets rigid safety limits on voltage exposures, work zone boundary requirements and PPE necessary. (See NFPA 70E Article 130 and OSHA Subpart S part 1910333(a)(1) for complete details).
Personal Protective Clothing RatingsBuilding an electrical safety Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) list for workers begins with selecting the right clothing. Flame retardant clothing is assigned an ATPV rating by the manufacturer. The ATPV value represents the amount of incident energy that would cause the onset of second-degree burns. It also signifies the amount of protection the clothing provides when an electrical arc comes in contact with the fabric.
Most people working with electricity only require clothing that meets Category 1 or 2 protection characteristics. NFPA 70E standards are aimed more towards those workers who work in Category 3 or 4 hazard situations. Their clothing must meet APTV rating minimums throughout the life of the garment. In other words, each piece of clothing must also be designed to withstand a cleaning process to remove soils and then be returned to service without damage to the fabric.
| Hazard/Risk Category | Clothing Description | APTV Rating Cal/cm2 | Lab Safety Supply Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Untreated Cotton, Wool, Rayon, Silk, or Blend. Fabric weight >4.5oz/Yd2 (1 layer) | N/A | See Catalog |
| 1 | FR* Shirt and FR Pants or FR Coverall (1 layer) | 4 | 25270, 105037, 105041 |
| 2 | Cotton underwear plus FR shirt and FR pants (1 or 2 layers) | 8 | 105131, 92492, 105396 |
| 3 | Cotton underwear plus FR shirt and FR pants plus FR coverall, cotton underwear plus two FR Coveralls (2 or 3 layers) | 25 | 92496, 105398 |
| 4 | Cotton underwear plus FR shirt and FR pants plus multilayer flash suit (3 or more layers) | 40 | 92501, 105401, 105199 |
* FR = flame retardant
** To obtain all the clothing options available that meet the NFPA 70E Standard, or if you have any other questions regarding protective clothing please contact Lab Safety Supply’s Technical Department at 1-800-356-2501 or via e-mail at techsvc@labsafety.com. We carry a complete line of garments that meet each risk category of this standard.
There are several sources that can help make sure you purchase clothing that meets your hazard category APTV levels beginning with the label of the garment itself. To meet OSHA regulations and NFPA 70E, the label on the garment must contain the following information: tracking ID number, meet ASTM spec F1506, name of manufacturer, size and care instructions, ATPV rating, and must meet ASTM spec f1506.
For help determining what PPE to use based on the risk factors in your workplace, there is a website that utilizes an arc calculator to help determine what PPE to use. There is a fee charged for the use of this calculator. It can be found at www.arcadvisor.com. Lab Safety Supply is not affiliated with www.arcadvisor.com and is referring to this website as a reference only.
Labeling Electrical HazardsOSHA only allows work on live electrical parts under two special circumstances: (1) when continuity of service is required, and (2) when de-energizing equipment would create additional hazards. In all other cases, lockout/tagout is the law.
Electrical Safety Training Aids are available
Employers are also responsible for complying with the 2008 NEC 110.16 Labeling Requirements. This requires all switchboards, panel boards, industrial control panels and motor control centers to be field marked. Any equipment installed after 2002 needs to be labeled. For equipment installed before 2002, labeling must be applied if ANY modifications or upgrades take place. Some of the labels listed below require boundary distances calculated in Article 130 of the standard. Examples of labels offered by Lab Safety Supply that meet this requirement are:
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In 2009, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) created the 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace based on the NFPA 70 (NEC) Code first published in 2004. There are significant differences between the two documents.
The original NEC Code was written primarily for those who design, install and inspect electrical installations (electricians by trade). Its technical content, complexity and scope are specific to the needs of that group and include provisions that have nothing to do with employee safety. OSHA’s responsibility, on the other hand, is to ensure its regulations on Electrical Safety pertain to employers/employees across industry lines.
The NFPA 70E was created to fulfill OSHA requirements while remaining consistent with original NEC Code. It is drawn largely from the original code, but also from other documents to make it more understandable and usable across the board.
Here are highlights of changes from the 2004 NEC Code to the 2009 NFPA 70E Standard:
- Updated to correlate with the latest NEC code – 2008
- Chapter 4: Installation Safety Requirements was removed entirely because it was duplicate of the NEC installation requirements. Since the NEC and NFPA 70E are on different revision cycles there was always the risk that the contents of Chapter 4 were not up to date with the NEC.
- Article 350 was added for R&D facilities
- Significant revisions to Annex D, E, F, and J
- Annex D: Sample Calculation of Flash Protection Boundary
- Annex E: Electrical Safety Program
- Annex F: Hazard/risk Evaluation Procedure
- Annex J: Energized Electrical Work Permit
- Added Annexes M, N and O (All Non-Mandatory)
- Annex M: Layering of Protective Clothing and Total System Arc Rating
- Annex N: Example Industrial Procedures and Policies for Working Near Overhead Electrical Lines and Equipment
- Annex O: Safety-Related Design Requirements
- Editorial changes to aid the reader like highlighting and gray shading within sections
- Where deletions were made from the previous edition (2004) of more than one complete paragraph it is indicated by a bullet symbol
- The index now has dictionary-style headers with helpful identifiers at the top of every index page
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has two different types of regulations, general and specific, which apply to emergency shower and eye wash station equipment designed to promote eye safety under certain work conditions. The first is a general requirement for emergency showers and eye wash stations. The second is specific to certain industries.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q. How do I determine what level of protection I need for my job task?
A. First, reference Table 130.7(C)(9)(a) of the NFPA 70E 2009 edition. This will determine the hazard category of your job task (0¬–4). Second, consult Reference Table 130.7(C)(10) of the standard to determine what clothing and equipment is required based on the hazard/risk category that was determined. Third, Reference Table 130.7(C)(11) will determine what ATPV rating is necessary. Once you have determined the ATPV rating, simply find the ATPV rating on the garment (required on tag) that meets or exceeds your requirement.
Q. What if my job task is not listed in Table 130.7(C)(9)(a) of NFPA 70E Standard?
A. A flash hazard analysis must be done. The Duke Power Flux Calculator meets this requirement.
Q. Is Compliance with NFPA 70E mandatory?
A. No, NFPA 70E is a national consensus safety standard published by NFPA primarily to assist OSHA in preparing electrical safety standards. Federal OSHA has not incorporated it into the Code of Federal Regulations.
Q. Can I be cited for not complying with NFPA 70E?
A. Yes, the employer must assess the workplace for electrical hazards and the need for PPE under 29CFR 1910.335(a)(1)(i). Details on how to comply with this standard are left up to the employer. The employer is expected to use the best means available to comply with this requirement, and that is done through consensus standard NFPA 70E. Compliance with 70E will assure compliance with this OSHA requirement. In the event of an injury or death due to an electrical accident, if OSHA determines that compliance with 70E would have prevented or lessened the injury, OSHA may cite the employer under the general duty clause. In 2003 "Standards Interpretation" letter OSHA stated 70E can be used as evidence of whether the employer acted reasonably.
ResourcesSources for More Information
NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces, National Fire Protection Association, 1-617-770-3000.
ASTM F1506 Standard, American Society for Testing Materials, 1-610-832-9585.
Duke Power Flux Calculator. Available at Oberon:
http://www.arcflash.com/
