Harmonizing Electrical Installation
Requirements
110 Years, 50 Editions
Origin of the National Electrical
Code
• First meeting held on March 18-19, 1896 in
New York City
• 23 persons in attendance
– American Society of Electrical Engineers
– American Institute of Architects
– National Street Railway Association
Origin of the National Electrical
Code
• The International Association of Fire
Engineers
• Underwriters Laboratories
• Factory Mutual
• AT&T
• General Electric
Origin of the National Electrical
Code-Perspective
• Wright Brothers would not fly for 7 more
years
• Henry Ford had invented his horseless
carriage three years earlier, but he still
worked for the Edison Illuminating
Company as a Mechanical Engineer
• Some Limited train service, stage coaches
and horses
Origin of the National Electrical
Code-Perspective
• Edison had introduced the incandescent
lamp 17 years earlier
• Alexander Graham Bell had invented his
telephone only 20 years earlier
Insurance Perspective
• Associated Factory Mutual Insurance
Companies’ losses-electrical fires in 65
insured textile mills in New England
• Large part of the problem-no standards.
The workmen frequently created standards
as they worked and no two workmen
thought alike.
Electrical Codes in Use
• There were 5 electrical codes in use in the
USA in 1896
• Manufacturers were unable to standardize
products where there could be 5 variations
of the product.
Development Approach
• Take the best requirements from
–
–
–
–
The five electrical codes
The Electrical Code of Germany
The Rules of the British Board of Trade
The Phoenix Rules
• The rules had to be safe as well as practical
• The document was developed and circulated
around the USA and Europe to 1200 experts
The First Edition
Issued in 1897 by the National
Conference on Standard Electrical
Rules
National Fire Protection
Association
• Assumed sponsorship in 1910
• Published annual and biennial editions until
1959
• Has published triennial editions since 1959
• Published 42 of the 50 editions
Guiding Principles
• No one individual or industry segment
possessed all of the answers.
• Broad consensus of all affected industry
segments necessary
1927 1943 1959 1962 1968 1984
1985 1992 1993 1994
1896
• First Meeting of the National
Electrical Code Committee
1927 1943 1959 1962 1968 1984
1985 1992 1993 1994
1896
• NFPA Founders include
Canadian Underwriters
Association
1927 1943 1959 1962 1968 1984
1985 1992 1993 1994
1910
• NFPA Becomes the sponsor
of the National Electrical
Code
1896
1943 1959 1962 1968 1984
1985 1992 1993 1994
1927
• First record of NEC published
in Spanish (NEC-E)
1896
1943 1959 1962 1968 1984
1985 1992 1993 1994
1927
First record of NEC published
in Spanish (NEC-E)
• New Canadian Electrical Code,
first part based on NEC
1896
1927
1959 1962 1968 1984
1943
• NEC-E
published in
New York
1985 1992 1993 1994
Trade Agreements
• Canada/US Free Trade Agreement
• North American Free Trade Agreement
Code Harmonization
• Binational Correlating Committee on the
Electrical Installation Codes
– Canada
– USA
• Correlating Committee on the Electrical
Installation Codes of North America
– Canada
– USA
– Mexico
Code Harmonization
• Studies to identify differences that affect
products
– CSA
– NEMA
• Low voltage wire and cable
• Elevator
• General Solicitation of input
Code Harmonization
• Since Mexico uses NEC as basis for their
code, the major differences involved the
Canadian Electrical Code
• Changed focus back to the Binational
activity with Canada
Code Harmonization
• Conductor Ampacity
• Many proposals to Canadian Electric Code,
Part 1 use use NEC requirements as
substantiation
Electrical Safety System
Infrastructure
For the
United States of America
US Electrical Safety
• The system covers established risks for fire
and electric shock
• The system handles approximately 3.1
trillion kWh of electricity annually
• Common practice and principles across the
entire country
• Key standardizing bodies have existed for
over 100 years
The US Electrical Safety System
Installation
Codes
National Electrical Code
Product
Standards and
Certification
Inspection and
Enforcement
(verification)
UL IEEE
Safe Products and Safe
Installations
National Electrical Code
• Importance
–
–
Directs the safe installation of products and
systems
Helps to ensure use of safe products
• Tie to other parts of the safety system
–
Influences requirements in product standards
Product Standards
• Importance
–
–
product standards set design, performance,
construction, and certification requirements for
products
provides basic requirements for “safe products”
• Tie to Other Parts of the Safety System
–
–
certified compliance with standards indicates
suitability for installation and use in accordance
with the installation Code.
inspectors rely on compliance to products
standards to approve a particular product for
installation
• The standards are voluntary and not
regulated
Inspection/Enforcement
• Importance
–
–
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–
inspector verifies that installation complies with
Code
provides for systematic checks and balances in
the system
uniform interpretation of the installation code
products that do not comply with required
standards will most likely not be used
• Tie to Other Parts of the Safety System
–
–
certified compliance with standards is evidence
for the inspector that a product can be safely
installed and used in accordance with the
installation code
enforcer of the installation code
Providing electrical safety since
1897