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What Is NFPA 70E?
NFPA 70E requirements for safe work practices protect personnel by reducing exposure to major electrical hazards. Originally developed at OSHA's request, NFPA 70E helps companies and employees avoid workplace injuries and fatalities due to shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast, and assists in complying with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K.
What does NFPA 70E address?
Provisions encompass safety-related work practices, safety-related maintenance requirements, and safety requirements for special equipment. The Standard includes guidance for making hazard identification and risk assessments, selecting appropriate PPE, establishing an electrically safe work condition, and employee training.
The Bureau of Labor Statics tells us that more than 2,000 people each year are injured in arc flash accidents. This means that every one of these persons was admitted to the hospital for at least 24 hours with serious burns.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has mandated; with few exceptions that all employers perform an arc flash hazard analysis of their electrical system.
What is an arc flash?
An arc flash is the instantaneous release of massive electrical energy that is the result of an electrical fault. Temperatures of 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit can be generated. If people are near this explosion, they can be badly injured or even killed by the fire, electric shock, shrapnel and blast.