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What You Need to Know about NFPA 70E: 2012  

Carol J. Robinson, CIH, CSP, STC Principal  & Vice President, Oakland, CA

Gerald (Jerry) Reid, STC Program Director, Paradise, CA

 

NFPA 70E: Standards for Electrical Safety in the Workplace provides essential guidance on assessing electrical hazards and implementing controls. While NFPA 70E-2012 is not explicitly referenced by OSHA electrical standards, OSHA has stated that "industry consensus standards, such as NFPA 70E, can be used by OSHA and employers as guides in making hazard analyses and selecting control measures."1

  

The latest edition of NFPA 70E, released in September 2011, includes some significant changes from the 2009 edition, particularly in Chapter 1, "Safety-Related Work Practices." This article summarizes the major changes in NFPA 70E-2012 that these authors feel are most important; not all changes in the standard are discussed.  The table included at the end of this article presents these selected important changes by section referenced in the standard.

  

Arc Flash Study 

 

Most guidance for arc flash studies remains the same in NFPA 70E-2012. Studies must determine the arc flash boundary, incident energy at working distances, and personal protective equipment that should be used when working within the arc flash boundary.

  

Arc Flash Labels

  

The 2012 edition increased specificity in regard to equipment labels. The label must include the following three pieces of information:

  • At least one of the following:
    • Available incident energy and the corresponding working distance
    • Minimum arc rating of clothing
    • Required level of PPE
    • Highest Hazard/Risk Category (HRC) for the equipment
  • Nominal system voltage
  • Arc flash boundary

Energized Work Permit

  

Under the energized electrical work permit section of Article 130, NFPA has clarified when an energized work permit is required by including work "within the limited approach boundary or arc flash boundary of exposed" energized electrical conductors or circuit parts that are not placed in an electrically safe work condition.

  

Changes in Personal Protective Equipment Requirements (PPE)

  

NFPA 70E-2012 changes a number of personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements. Probably the most significant changes are to the PPE used to protect personnel from arc flash hazards. In past editions, this equipment was designated as flame-resistant (FR) PPE; in the 2012 edition, this equipment is now designated as arc-rated (AR). The change was made to ensure arc flash protective clothing and equipment meet required testing for exposure to an electrical arc flash and not just an open flame.

  

Other significant changes to PPE requirements include the following:

  •  In the general PPE use section, NFPA has added a requirement to wear appropriate PPE when working within the restricted approach boundary. In past editions, this section required employees working within the arc flash boundary to wear appropriate protective clothing and other PPE.
  • NFPA has added a requirement to wear hearing protection whenever working within the arc flash boundary.
  • NFPA's discussion of selecting arc-rated clothing includes the additional statement: "Garments that are not arc rated shall not be permitted to be used to increase the arc rating of a garment or of a clothing system." This added statement prohibits the layering of non-arc-rated clothing to increase the overall arc-rating value.
  • For head protection, NFPA now requires an arc-rated balaclava along with an arc-rated face shield when the back of the head is within the arc flash boundary. NFPA does allow the use of an arc-rated hood as an alternative to the face shield and balaclava.
  • For hand protection, NFPA added that heavy-duty leather gloves or arc-rate gloves are to be worn when working within the arc flash boundary; past editions specified only leather gloves or FR gloves. The standard defines heavy duty leather gloves as gloves made entirely of leather, with a minimum thickness of 0.03", and with either no lining or a lining of nonflammable, non-melting fabrics.
  • Face protection now must include face shields with a wraparound guarding to protect the face, chin, forehead, ears, and neck.
  • Hazard/risk category "2*" has been has been combined with category "2" and therefore eliminated from the "Protective Clothing and Personal Protective Equipment" table and from the "Hazard/Risk Category Classification and Use of Rubber Insulating Gloves and Insulated and Insulating Hand Tools" tables.

Equipment and work practice changes

  

One of the more significant equipment-related changes to the 2012 standard is the addition of hazard/risk category Table 130.7(C)(15)(a)for direct current equipment . Past editions only included a table for alternating current equipment. The alternating current version of Table 130.7(C)(15) has been updated to include short-circuit current, fault clearing times, and potential arc flash boundary information in each major equipment category.  In previous editions, the arc flash boundary for any equipment operating between 50 volts and 600 volts was established at 4.0 ft as long as the available bolted fault current did not exceed 100 kA cycles; now a specific potential arc flash boundary is provided for each equipment category.

  

A new section of Article 110.4, "Use of Equipment," requires ground-fault circuit-interrupter (GFCI) protection when an employee is outdoors and operating or using cord- and plug-connected equipment supplied by 125-volt and 15-, 20- and 30-ampere circuits. NFPA also clarified that only qualified persons are to perform tasks such as testing, troubleshooting, and voltage measuring within the limited approach boundary of energized electrical conductors or circuit parts operating at 50 volts or more or where an electrical hazard exists.

  

A new introduction to Article 130 for work involving electrical hazards states that energized equipment is to be put into an electrically safe work condition if either of the following conditions exist: (1) the employee is within the limited approach boundary of an exposed conductor; or (2) the employee interacts with equipment where conductors or circuit parts are not exposed, but an increased risk of injury from an exposure to an arc flash hazard exists. Exceptions to this requirement include the operation of disconnecting means or isolation equipment. The new material highlights the hazards from an arc flash even if the work doesn't expose the worker to a shock hazard.

  

Compliance

  

A number of new requirements ensure that work practices are known and followed. The 2012 edition requires employers to determine through regular supervision or annual inspections that each employee is complying with safe work practices. Employee refresher training must be provided at least every three years. Finally, employers must audit their electrical safety programs at least every three years.

  

The 2012 edition of NFPA 70E is intended to provide a safe work area for employees that guards against electrical hazards. By understanding and implementing NFPA 70E-2012, including the new changes, employers will meet that goal.

  

  

Table 1 Significant Differences between 2009 and 2012 Editions of NFPA 70E*

*Note: This table does not include all changes between the two editions.

  

Electrical Table  

  

Carol Robinson, CIH, CSP, and STC Vice President, is located in Oakland, CA. She has over 30 years experience in EHS management and consulting for a wide range of industries including biotech, chemical, high tech, personal care, and petrochemical companies. Carol assists clients with EHS management systems implementation, standards and procedures development, and auditing programs. She has developed registries of requirements, performed hazard and exposure assessments, and conducted compliance and management system audits to provide clients with the data needed to understand their compliance status. She has also helped clients identify and implement practical corrective and preventive actions. As head of corporate EHS programs at JDS Uniphase and Helene Curtis, Carol developed corporate objectives, metrics, policies, and strategic direction. Her experience managing non-EHS groups-including engineering, facilities, corporate security, and TSCA compliance-has exposed her to a diverse range of business issues and backgrounds, enabling her to provide focused, understandable, and actionable guidance and training.

 

Gerald (Jerry) Reid,STC Program Director, is located in Paradise, CA.  Jerry has over 25 years of professional experience in the development and implementation of environmental, health and safety (EHS) programs.  His experience includes EHS compliance in the chemical intensive field of semiconductor manufacturing, developing EHS programs in the aluminum fabrication industry, as well as managing environmental compliance at a US Air Force installation. He has provided clients with EHS program development and review, and developed numerous training presentations including electrical safety, lock-out/tag-out, cranes and hoists, confined space entry, fall protection, excavation safety, and scaffold safety; as well as provided hands-on training on topics including cranes and hoists, hazardous waste management, confined space entry, and hazard communication. Jerry's experience also includes development of toxic gas compliance programs, fire code compliance, development and implementation of emergency response programs, and management of radiation and laser safety programs. He is an ISO 14000 Lead Auditor and has conducted EHS compliance and management systems audits throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Singapore and Malaysia.

 

For more information about this article and STC's electrical safety experience, contact Carol Robinson at (510) 495-6070; [email protected] or Jerry Reid at (530) 876-8565; [email protected].

 


  

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