Construccion

NFPA 70E
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
2007 EDITION

Safety directors, electrical contractors, maintenance electricians, linemen, owners, managers, supervisors who work directly with energized electical equipment, or oversee those who do.

NFPA 70E COMPLIANT

HOW DO I COMPLY?

“Flame Resistant protective apparel can mean the difference between minor survivable burns and major lifethreatening injuries.” » NFPA 70E - STANDARD FOR ELECTRICAL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS FOR EMPLOYEE WORKPLACES
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard 70E, 2004 Edition, became effective February 11, 2004. This American National Standard addresses electrical safety requirements for employees who install, maintain, or repair electrical systems. This standard covers virtually all aspects ofworkplace electrical safety, recognizing hazards associated with the use of electrical energy, and taking precautions so that hazards do not cause injury or death. The 2004 Edition added significant sections on Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Part II of this standard addresses electrical safetyrelated work practices for employees who work on or near exposed energized electrical conductors or circuitparts. These employees must be qualified to perform the work and trained to understand the associated hazards. When working within a defined “flash protection boundary”, they must wear flame resistant protective clothing matched to the expected exposure. Non flame-resistant clothing is not acceptable because it is made from fabric that will ignite and burn.

For More Information on 70E visit:www.nfpa.org

» WHAT EMPLOYERS NEED TO KNOW
NFPA 70E is a national consensus standard that establishes “best practices” for protection from electric arcs. Employers must conduct both shock and flash hazard analysis to establish a flash protection boundary. If live parts operating at 50 volts or more are not placed in an electrically safe work condition, written authorization by an energizedelectrical work permit is required. The employer is responsible for the safety and training of employees. Employees must be qualified to do the work and trained to understand the specific hazards and potential injury associated with electrical energy. Flame resistant clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) must be worn based on the incident energy associated with the specific task asdetermined by: • Flash hazard analysis • • Review of the requirements for the task from the PPE Matrix (Table 130.7(C)(9)(a)), OR Using the simplified approach to select appropriate clothing based on whether the task requires “everyday work clothing” or “electrical switching clothing” (Annex H)

Three Steps to Compliance with NFPA 70E:
» » » Conduct both shock and flash hazard analysis to determineincident energy potential within the flash protection boundary. Determine PPE required based on incident energy associated with the specific task. Select PPE matching the hazard to the arc rating of the garments.

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THREE STEPS TO COMPLIANCE WITH NFPA 70E

» Conduct both a shock and flash hazardanalysis
Employers are required to conduct a hazard analysis to determine the “flash protection boundary.” Inside the flash protective boundary, exposure to an electric arc is predicted to cause a second-degree burn injury and PPE is required. Required FR clothing and other PPE is based on the specific hazard present. The severity of the arc hazard is defined as incident energy in calories percentimeter squared (cal/cm2). It may be determined by three methods. Method A estimates the incident energy based on knowledge of the electrical systems and work practices; Method B estimates the incident energy by determining hazard risk category classifications from tables of common work tasks; Finally, Method C lays out a simplified two-category FR clothing system that provides two PPE clothing...