NEC
and Worker Safety
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NEC AND WORKER SAFETY |
by Thomas A. Domitrovich
T
he National Electrical Code (NEC) is a document that seeks the practical safeguarding of
persons and property from hazards arising
from the use of electricity. We all too often forget
about how important the NEC is to those working on,
in and around electrical equipment. I have, unfortunately, attended many State Code adoption hearings
where discussions of delaying adoption of the NEC
occurred and too often hear discussions of the cost of
the provisions within these requirements or even the
cost of buying new books and conducting training
as excuses for ignoring safety. The most disappointing experiences, in my book, are the discussions
that never happen as states drag their feet and take a
casual approach to NEC adoption — yet another way
to achieve, indirectly, a delayed adoption of requirements that are there to save lives and property.
The stimuli for today’s topic are those code adoption hearing meetings I’ve attended which were consumed with these discussions of delayed adoption of
the NEC. In combating this effort, we naturally raise
the benefits of the solutions contained within the
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Photo 1. Workspace: designing adequate work space into the project is important to ensure those who come later, that
have to work on equipment, are afforded the space needed to ensure work is performed safely. It is also important
that owners keep the space clear of clutter.
document, using AFCIs, GFCIs, tamper- resistant
receptacles, and labeling as examples of the safety
provisions of the code that work to save lives. What
we tend to overlook are all of those examples where
the NEC works to ensure safety for those who work
in and around electrical equipment. Some of these
requirements don’t require electrical products such
as those listed above but rather address such relatively
simple steps that need to be taken for safety including
but not limited to the layout of a room for emergency
egress and ensuring panic hardware on doors for exit.
The NEC offers a lot more than reduced property
damage and safety of those that reside is a structure;
the NEC offers value to those who work on electrical
systems. The NEC is an installation code that includes
provisions from which the electrical contractor and
inspector benefit. These provisions exist in the system
for years after the structure is built and in operation.
Because most of us live in the world of codes and
standards, when it comes to electrical safety for the
worker, we automatically migrate to NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, but that’s
not where we should stop. As noted above, the NEC
includes many provisions important for the electrical
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NEC AND WORKER SAFETY |
worker and complements the efforts of NFPA 70E.
Let’s explore this a little further to understand how
these documents complement each other.
Installation Code vs. Work Practice
First, let’s talk a little about the differences between
NPFA 70 (NEC) and NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.
NFPA 70E is a “standard” that addresses electrical
safety related work practices for employee workplaces
that are necessary for the practical safeguarding of employees relative to the hazards associated with electrical energy during specific activities, which include but
are not limited to installation, inspection, operation,
maintenance, and demolition of electrical conductors
and equipment. This standard is not an installation requirement. NFPA 70E is not enforced by the electrical
inspection community but rather more often than not
is enforced, after the fact, by OSHA.
This is where the NEC plays a complementary
role in this safety picture. The NEC is a “code” that is
enforced and addressed in the design and installation
phases of the structure. The NEC seeks to provide
the practical safeguarding of persons and property
from hazards arising from the use of electricity
through provisions that are considered necessary for
safety. As I noted earlier, the Code is enforced at the
time of installation; a fact very important to grasp.
Lockout/tagout is a good area to explore to illustrate the potential of how these two documents can
and do work together. NFPA 70E includes practices
around lockout/tagout with great detail necessary to
help the worker ensure equipment is de-energized
before work is conducted and to assure it remains in
that state while work is being conducted. The NEC
complements this practice as you will see below, with
installation requirements providing for hardware that
is ready to receive lockout/tagout equipment such as
locks. The requirements here ensure that the provision on the disconnecting means is present even
when the lock is not in place.
The following discussion identifies areas of the
NEC that help to provide safety for those who work
in and around electrical equipment. This list is by no
means an exhaustive research into this subject but
rather offered as discussion points with examples to
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help in the understanding of this important relationship between the NEC and NFPA 70E. I have elected
to break this discussion into the following categories:
• Working Space and Guarding
• Signs, Labels and Markings
• Making Safe
• Arc Flash and Shock Protection
Let’s explore this topic further.
Working Space and Guarding
Having space to perform the work is fundamental
when it comes to safety. When appropriate space is not
afforded for the electrical worker, accidents are more
likely to occur. The NEC recognizes this fact. Article
110, Requirements for Electrical Installations, is a great
place to start when it comes to understanding requirements around working space. The following sections of
the NEC address working space in Article 110.
110.26,
110.32,
110.34,
110.72,
110.73,
110.75,
110.76,
Spaces about Electrical Equipment
Work Space About Equipment
Work Space and Guarding
Cabling Work Space
Equipment Work Space
Access to Manholes
Access to Vaults and Tunnels
These sections have seen changes over the years
and will continue to see changes in the years to come.
Unfortunately, changes are not being made because
injuries, and near-miss experiences are non-existent.
NEC 2014 did not disappoint this past cycle with
changes to 110.26 that acted to expand personnel door requirements by lowering the threshold
from 1200 amps to 800 amps as part of changes to
110.26(C)(3), Personnel Doors. Panic hardware was
also addressed, in this same section, to ensure that
the panic hardware used is listed equipment designed
and tested for the purpose. When an emergency
occurs, and the electrical worker must exit the work
area, it is important that he/she is afforded the ability
to do so.
A few other sections that arguably fall under this
category of working space and guarding can be found
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in Article 225, Outside Branch Circuits and Feeders,
where clearances are addressed for overhead conductors and cables and from buildings. The following
sections, in my opinion, help get dangerous conductors out of the contractor’s way.
225.18, Clearance for Overhead Conductors and Cables
225.19 , Clearances from Buildings for Conductors of Not over 1000 Volts, Nominal
Addressing working space when equipment is
first installed and in the design phases of every
project is important for those who come years
later to service the electrical equipment. Space is
not important just for those times when justified
energized work is performed; it is important any
time work is performed.
Signs, Labels and Markings
Over the years, I have heard remarks about the sheer
volume of labels, signs and markings present in our
industry. No matter where your head is at on this
topic, we cannot deny the facts that brought their
existence into being. Safety is at their core; they are
there for all of us — especially those who are about
to interact with equipment.
The NEC incorporates many places where markings,
labels and signs are required, all of which an electrical
worker should take advantage. In addition to UL standards that products must adhere to, the NEC works
to ensure consistency in this area. NEC 2014 took
another step forward to help make that happen with
changes made in Section 110.21(B), Field-Applied
Hazard Markings. This section now includes language
that brings in a reference, through an Informational
Note, to ANSI Z535.4-2011, Product Safety Signs and
Labels. This document provides guidelines for suitable font sizes, words, colors, symbols, and location
requirements for labels. This section addresses words,
colors, symbols; addresses how they should be placed,
and the durability of the label.
Photo 2. Labels: Labels are important for safety and very informative for those who service equipment. Ensuring
equipment is labeled appropriately also helps when trying to correlate such documents as one-lines and short circuit
studies to the equipment. Labeling is essential for safety.
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NEC AND WORKER SAFETY |
Photo 3. Lockout/Tagout: Equipment like circuit breakers can be equipped with hardware that stays with the
breaker, ready to receive locks to meet lockout/tagout requirements from NFPA 70E, the main reference for safe work
practices.
In addition to the what and how, the NEC also
addresses all of the wheres when it comes to this
topic: from arc-flash hazard warning labels on gear
(Section 110.16 Arc-Flash Hazard Warning) to
cable tray labels (230.44 Cable Trays) and the cables
themselves [210.5(C) Identification of Ungrounded
Conductors]. The sections I provide here are merely
examples as there are many more throughout the
NEC on labels and markings. The labels and markings are there to raise awareness and to ensure that
you are working with the correct equipment. Hazards that you may not be aware of are brought to
light as demonstrated in Section 404.6, Position and
Connection of Switches, where the awareness that
load-side terminals may be energized is brought forth
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through the requirement for a label with the following language “WARNING — LOAD SIDE TERMINALS MAY BE ENERGIZED BY BACKFEED”.
Make It Safe
As with any electrical project, ensuring a safe work
condition is essential; working de-energized should
be priority one. The NEC includes important provisions to help you increase safety on the job site
through requirements for disconnecting means to be
made available when needed, as well as to help ensure all conductors are de-energized when the circuit
is turned off. The NEC caps off the installation with
provisions around illumination.
Disconnecting means are peppered throughout
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the NEC. Notable sections include 110.25 where the
part of the NEC for quite some time. Ground-fault
NEC puts in place the provisions to affix the lock-out
circuit interrupters (GFCIs) afford protection that
tag-out tools highlighted by NFPA 70E. This section
saves lives. The NEC works to ensure that workers are
of the Code requires that where a disconnecting means protected from shock in various portions of the NEC.
is required, it must be lockable in the open position.
The most notable location in the Code focuses on temThe provision in this section of the NEC, which is new porary power, Article 590 for temporary installations.
for NEC-2014, is such that the provisions for locking
Shock protection provisions are included as part of
must remain in place with or without the lock installed. Section 590.6, Ground-Fault Protection for Personnel.
A good example of disconnecting means provisions
Again, these are only small examples of how the
can be found in Article 430 where a disconnecting
NEC works to ensure worker safety. There are many
means must be provided for motors as part of Section
other sections that could be used as examples, as well.
430.102(B). There are other areas in the NEC that
Closing Remarks
provide requirements around disconnecting means.
Electrical safety is more than just applying a product
All of these types of provisions are there to facilitate
or sitting through a training class; it’s a regimen of
working de-energized.
training and procedures implemented in combinaIn addition to disconnects, seeing what you are
tion with technology that saves lives. The NEC and
working on is also very important; the NEC is not
NFPA 70E work together to help you in your quest
shy about requirements in this arena. Right up front
for safety, but remember we can be very knowlin Section 110.26, where spaces about electrical
edgeable
and have all of the best safety solutions
equipment are discussed, 110.26(D), Illuminaemployed in our facility and yet still not achieve
tion, requires that illumination be provided for all
our
goals for safety. We may even have the best that
working spaces around service equipment, switchPPE has to offer hanging in a closet or in a bag that
boards, switchgear, panelboards, or motor control
is readily accessible. If you don’t make the first move
centers installed indoors. This section also requires
and flex all of this horsepower, that investment is all
that this lighting is NOT controlled by automatic
for
naught. You must get moving and work to make a
means only. You must be able to ensure the light
safe
environment for you and those around you. Be
does not automatically turn off just when you need it
an advocate of safety by, at least, doing the bare minithe most. Another area of the code that expands on
mum
— share your knowledge with those around
this requirement includes battery locations. Section
480.9(G), Illumination, for example, includes similar you. Be that mentor who makes a difference in an
provisions to that in 110.26 to ensure working spaces apprentice’s life. Spread your knowledge; it just may
save a life or keep someone out of the hospital.
where battery systems are located are illuminated.
As always, keep safety at the top of your list and ensure you and those around you live to see another day.
Arc Flash and Shock Protection
If you have any tips or ideas you would like to share,
Incident energy and electric currents can kill. The
please feel free to send them to me at thomasadomitroNEC includes provisions to help mitigate the effects
vich@eaton.com. I look forward to your input to these
of both for the electrical worker. Prior to NEC 2011,
articles and guidance for future articles.
the NEC addressed the arc flash problem via a label
Thomas Domitrovich, P.E. is a national application engineer with Eaton
requirement in Section 110.16. NEC 2011 introCorporation in Pittsburgh PA. He has more than 20 years of experience as an
duced Section 240.87 to provide methods that act to electrical engineer and is a LEED Accredited Professional. Thomas is active in
various trade organizations on various levels with the Independent Electrical
reduce the level of incident energy. Justified enerContractors (IEC), International Association of Electrical Inspectors (IAEI),
gized work, unfortunately, has to happen at times.
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), National Electrical
When this work is conducted, methods to reduce
Manufacturer’s Association (NEMA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Thomas is involved with and chairs various committees for
incident energy are critical for safety. The NEC now
NEMA and IEEE, and is an alternate member on NFPA 73. He is very active
has provisions to do just that.
in the state-by-state adoption process of NFPA 70, working closely with review
committees and other key organizations in this effort.
Shock protection, on the other hand, has been a
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