Application Note

3 Fluke Corporation Who sets the rules for electrical testing and safety?
NFPA establishes stan-
dards through consensus
Outside government, a key player
in establishing electrical safety
practices is the nonprofit National
Fire Protection Association. The
NFPA sets and updates more than
300 safety codes and standards,
covering everything from build-
ing construction to connectors for
fire hose. NFPA standards are set
through consensus, developed
by more than 200 committees of
volunteers from industry, unions
and other interest groups.
For electrical workplace
safety, the key NFPA standard is
NFPA 70E, Standard for Electri-
cal Safety in the Workplace.
The 2009 edition was issued
by the NFPA Standards Council
and approved as an American
National Standard in September
2008. NFPA 70E is written to
correlate with the National Elec-
trical Code (NEC), which many
jurisdictions adopt as part of local
building codes and regulations.
But NFPA 70E focuses on such
issues as safety-related work
practices, maintenance of safety
equipment, safety requirements
for special equipment and safety-
related installation requirements.
NIOSH: Helpful
information
While OSHA sets the rules, and
sometimes levels penalties,
NIOSH provides useful safety
information. A good example
is a new 88-page electrical
safety handbook, Electrical
Safety —Safety and Health
for Electrical Trades Student
Manual, available for download-
ing in portable document format
(PDF) at http://www.cdc.gov/
niosh/docs/2002-123/2002-
123a.html. The NIOSH web site
also provides a number of elec-
trical safety alerts, reports and
links to other electrical safety
resources.
Key Point:
•
NIOSH is a valuable source
of electrical safety informa-
tion, but is not a regulatory
agency.
It is intended for use by employ-
ers, employees, and OSHA.
NFPA 70E uses six categories
of hazard and risk for electri-
cal work, from minus one up to
four. As the work environment
and the type of job become more
hazardous, the need for protec-
tion increases. The standard
makes it clear that test equip-
ment is an integral part of the
PPE electrical workers must use
on the job and must be inspected
before each shift. In addition,
test equipment must be rated
and designed for the circuits and
environments where it will be
used. To clarify what this means,
the 2009 Edition of NFPA 70E
now refers users to ANSI/ISA-
61010-1 (82.02.01)/UL 61010-1,
the standard first established as
IEC 61010.
The NFPA 70E standard
provides extensive information
on what it takes to work safely,
and to run an effective electrical
safety program. It provides guid-
ance on employee training, work
planning and procedures (includ-
ing lockout/tagout) and use of
PPE. Whether you’re a profes-
sional electrician, an apprentice
or a supervisor, NFPA 70E is must
reading. And don’t forget, OSHA
also refers to NFPA 70E.
Key Points:
•
NFPA 70E is a key resource for both
employers and employees. It contains
detailed instructions on PPE and safe
work procedures required for specific tasks.
•
This standard specifically defines test
equipment as part of PPE.
ANSI sets standards for
equipment
The American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) also plays a role
in electrical safety. This private,
nonprofit organization admin-
isters and coordinates the U.S.
voluntary standardization and
conformity assessment system.
And it represents the U.S. in
international standards organiza-
tions, such as the International
Organization for Standardization
(ISO) and the IEC.