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ManualsBrandsPanduit ManualsAbsence of Voltage TestersAbsence of Voltage Tester, 2' System Cable, 10' Sensor Leads

Update To The

NFPA 70E Standard

The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

Adds Provisions for Absence of Voltage Testers

WHITE PAPER

The numerical designation 70E

, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

and the NFPA logo are

registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 02169

Summary of content (7 pages)

PAGE 1
Update To The NFPA 70E Standard The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace Adds Provisions for Absence of Voltage Testers ® Reprinted with permission from NFPA 70E-2018, copyright © 2018 National Fire Protection Association, all rights reserved.
PAGE 2
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a trade association that develops and maintains various standards and codes designed to prevent injury and economic loss caused by fire and electrical related hazards. The organization published NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace and updates the standard every three years. One change in the latest version, NFPA 70E 2018, includes new language in Article 120.5 (7) about absence of voltage verification.
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More Meaningful Connections Updated Method of Checking for Absence of Voltage Prior to NFPA 70E 2018, the process electrical workers would use to verify the absence of voltage in a panel or other electrical equipment required the use of an “…adequately rated test instrument…”1, which was typically interpreted as a hand-held voltage tester. NFPA 70E, Article 120.5, Process for Establishing and Verifying an Electrically Safe Work Condition, has always contained a step to verify the absence of voltage.
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More Meaningful Connections Part of the motivation for including Exception 1 was to stimulate original solutions and development of new technology for safety applications and make testing for an absence of voltage safer and more efficient. For example, when performing the traditional method of using a hand-held voltage tester to check for an absence of voltage in a control panel, the door must be open to conduct the test. This exposes the electrical worker to potentially lethal voltages.
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More Meaningful Connections Voltage Indicator A voltage indicator is an installed device that illuminates when voltage is present; however, a voltage indicator can be unreliable. When lights on the indicator are off, there could still be voltage if there is a hardware failure, such as the indicator functioning abnormally or if the LEDs fail.
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More Meaningful Connections Table 1. Side-by-Side Comparison of Devices and Capabilities. Exception 1, Subsection: It is permanently mounted and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. A It tests the conductors and circuit parts at the point of work.
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