5 Ways to Tell if

Your Company is

NFPA 70E Compliant

David Paoletta, CSP

Bay Area Safety Symposium 2020

David@NewDimensionsInSafetyLLC.co

m

Agenda

The Five Aspects of 70E Compliance

Quick review of Arc Flash Concepts & Hazards

(1) Do You Have a Plan?

(2) Are your Workers “Qualified” and “Authorized”?

(3) Do You Have the Right Tools for the Job?

(4) Do Your Electrical Work Areas Look Like This?

(5) Walk the Talk: Program Audits and Permits

Conclusion & Questions & Answers

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Introduction

NFPA 70E (the Standard for Electrical Safety in the

Workplace) and OSHA regulations require using

electrical safety practices that reduce the risk of injury

to personnel to an acceptable level for equipment

installed IAW the NEC and maintained IAW NFPA 70B.

Electrical workers, according to NFPA 70E, are

workers who:

work inside the limited approach boundary, or

who perform zero energy verification as part of a

lockout/tagout procedure.

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Limited Approach Boundary (arc + shock)

151 – 750 V = 3 ft. 6 in.

Flash Protection Boundary Calculated-can range from <1” to >10’600V Class nominal voltage ~ 5 ft.(Table 130.7(C)(15)(A)(b)

Restricted Approach Boundary (shock)

151 – 750V = 1 ft.

Critical Definitions/Concepts

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Two Primary Electrical Hazards

Shock – injury from contact with energized electrical conductors and circuit parts Electrocution is death by electricity

Arc Flash – the passage of substantial electrical current through air Flash

Blast

Burns

Electrical Hazards to

Personnel

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Electrical Hazards: Shock

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Effects of Short Contact

For contact <0.1 second and with currents of several

amperes, ventricular fibrillation can occur

For contact >0.8 second and with currents just

greater than 0.5 A, cardiac arrest can occur

For contact >0.8 second with currents of several

amperes, burns and death are probable

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Electrical Hazard: Arc Flash

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Electrical Hazard: Arc Flash

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Three Factors Affecting Arc Energy

Available short circuit current: (Amperes)

High may be worse – large amounts of energy

released

Low may be worse – longer to protective actions

Duration of the arc: (Cycles)

Long time to protective action (fuse blow or breaker

trip) is worse

Distance from the arc: (Ft. and In.)

Nearer to the arc is worse – the blast zone can

extend to beyond 10 feet from the initiating event

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Introduction

Typical 1st & 2nd

Degree burns

from arc-flash

event.www.NewDimensionsInSafetyLLC.com 11

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Hazard Analysis

Shock or Arc Flash?www.NewDimensionsInSafetyLLC.com 13

Shock or. Arc Flash?

Hazard Analysis

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Shock or. Arc Flash?

Hazard Analysis

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Shock or. Arc Flash?

Hazard Analysis

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#1: Do You Have a Plan?

Assessment Points:

Does the facility have a written Electrical Safety

program?

Does the facility perform a documented self-

assessment periodically (not greater than 3 years)?

Does the facility conduct pre-job briefing/planning for

electrical work?

Does the facility utilize a permit system (EEWP) for

live work?

Have qualified electricians received documented

training for the tasks they perform?

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Electrical Safety Program Requirements

The employer’s electrical safety program needs to address all

situations that can lead to the potential exposure of an employee

to an electrical hazard.

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Electrical Safety Program Requirements

• Electrical Safety Risk Assessment

• Shock and Arc Flash Hazard Analysis

• Qualified Worker Training

• Electrical Safe Work Procedures

• PPE, Insulated Tool and Rubber Goods Program

• Requirements for Authorizing Energized Work

• Program Auditing

• Recordkeeping

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Equipment Labeling – the Electrician’s

Friend

Switchboards, panel boards, industrial control panels,

motor control centers that are likely to require

examination, adjustment, servicing or maintenance shall

be marked with a label containing all the following:

Nominal system voltage

Arc flash boundary

Available incident energy and working distance OR the

arc flash PPE category –

Site specific level of PPE

Minimum arc rating of clothing

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#2: Do You “Qualify” Your

Electrical Workers?Assessment Points:

Have qualified electricians received documented

training for the tasks they perform?

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What is a Qualified Electrical Worker?

QUALIFIED PERSON:

One who has demonstrated skills and knowledge

related to the construction and operation of electrical

equipment and installations and has received safety

training to identify the hazards and reduce the

associated risk.

(NFPA 70E Article 100)

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Qualified Electrical worker

• Can demonstrate

safe work practices

• Understands

electrical hazards

• Able & Capable of

performing electrical

work

• Knows methods of

release

• Able & Capable of

performing CPR,

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Qualified Electrical Worker

• Able to anticipate

hazards

• Knowledgeable @

equipment

construction &

operation

• Ability to recognize

and avoid hazards

• Proper use of

electrically safe

procedures; PPE;

test equipment

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Lets Get To Work!Task:

Access the white LCD

controller and run a

diagnostic test-

Is this electrical work?

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Lets Get To Work!Task:

Perform LOTO verification

on this panel after opening

the upstream supply

breaker-

Is this electrical work?

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#3: Are You Using The Right

Tool For The Job?

Assessment Points:

Does the facility provide the tools and test equipment that are required to be used by the Qualified Person?

Are voltage rated gloves provided that adequately protect against equipment voltages that are present?

Are rated insulated gloves field-tested for damage and pinhole leaks before each use?

Are rated insulated gloves, mats and rubber goods electrically tested before issue and not greater than 12 months thereafter?

Are rated insulated gloves, mats and rubber goods date stamped to indicate when the equipment needs to be tested?

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Arc Flash PPEArc Rated Face Shield / Arc Thermal Protection Value (APTV): 8 cal/cm2

Standards & Approvals: ANSI Z87.1 tested to ASTM F2178 specifications.

AR Coverall:

Arc Rating / Arc Thermal

Protection Value (APTV): 8

Fabric: UltraSoft

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Shock PPE

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Glove Testing

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Shock PPE Testing

Testing requirements are from ASTM D120-09, Standard Specification for Rubber Insulating Gloves; and 29 CFR 1910.137 Table I-5.

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Contact vs. Proximity ➔ Purpose

Zero energy verification – must include a contact meter

Other uses – proximity tester is ok

Ensure meters are rated for circuit

TEST the meter before and after zero energy

verification on known source to ensure safety

Selection and Use of meters

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Selection and Use of meters

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#4: Do Your Electrical Work

Areas Look Like This?

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Electrical Work Area

• Electrical sources and

approach boundaries

known

• Area posted & secured

• Electrically safe work

condition

• Worker in arc & shock PPE

• Observer trained in: /First

Aid/CPR/AED/Contact

Release

• Test equipment inspected

• Work procedure

• Pre-job briefingwww.NewDimensionsInSafetyLLC.com 35

Electrical Work Area

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Electrical Safety Program: Verify that the principles and

procedures are in compliance with the standard. Not to

exceed 3 years

Field Audits: To verify that the ESP requirements and

work procedures are being followed.

All audits shall be documented

Completed risk assessments & Energized Electrical

Work Permits (EEWP) saved for 5 Years.

Corrective action tracking documented w/completion

dates

#5: Walk The Talk

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Work Planning: Risk Assessment

The shock hazard analysis shall determine:

The voltage the worker will be exposed to

The boundary requirements

PPE

Must assess all exposed voltages within the limited approach boundary for type (AC, DC, RF etc.) and quantity (frequency and voltage)

The highest voltage determines the boundary limits

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Work Planning: Risk

Assessment Arc Flash Analysis must determine:

The arc flash boundary

The incident energy at the working distance

The appropriate PPE required inside the arc flash boundary

Determination of this information may require assistance from an Electrical Engineer (requires panel and equipment-specific information to be properly calculated)

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Work Planning: Risk

Assessment Energized electrical conductors and circuit parts must be put

into an electrically safe work condition before an employee

performs work within the Limited Approach Boundary.

Energized work is permitted if you can demonstrate that de-

energizing creates additional hazards. There are 3

justifications:

1. Equipment operating < 50 Volts

2. De-energizing introduces additional hazards or increased

risks

De-energizing is unfeasible due to equipment design or

operational limitations

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#5: Show Me Your Plan Reviews & Permits!

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Review

Five Key Aspects of NFPA-70E Compliance:

1. Written Electrical Safety Program

2. Process to Train and authorize Qualified Electrical Workers

3. Appropriate Shock and Arc Flash PPE (including test meters and instruments)

4. QEWs use correct ESW procedures

5. Program audits and work process reviews

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Q & A

For complete NFPA 70 E and Electrical Safety

Program support:

- Program Writing -Program Implementation

- NFPA 70E Training - Program Assessments

- Hazard Analysis - Energized Electrical Work

Permits - Compliance Assistance

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