2015 NFPA 70E: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace

NFPA 70E® compliance saves lives, reduces liability, and helps avoid unexpected downtime and revenue loss.

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).

The 2015 NFPA 70E helps you assess electrical risks on the job, making users more aware of the potential for devastating loss.

The 2015 edition of NFPA 70E 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.

• Key changes throughout the Standard replace the phrase “hazard analysis” with “risk assessment” to enable a shift in awareness about the potential for failure.
• Change in naming from “Hazard Risk Category” to “Arc Flash PPE Category.”
• Elimination of Hazard Risk Category 0.
• Requirement added for proper maintenance of electrical equipment for both energized and de-energized maintenance.
• Updated tables add clarity to requirements, such as the restricted approach boundary dimensions in Table 130.4 (D)(a).
• New requirement 320.3 (A)(1) covers risk assessment associated with battery work.
• New subsection in 130.2 (A)(4) provides requirements where normal operation of electric equipment is permitted.
• Informative Annex E has updated text to correlate with the redefined terminology associated with hazard and risk. This annex provides clarity and consistency about definitions as well as risk management principles vital to electrical safety.