Changes in NFPA Terminology

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has performed a range of valuable services in

promoting safety across a wide range of industries, particularly the construction sector. The

success of the NFPA in this endeavor can be traced to the series of safety standards that it

publishes and updates according to a regular schedule; the best known of these is the National

Electrical Code, which is also called the NFPA 70. This safety standard lays down rules—which

have been widely adopted—governing the installation of electrical wiring. NFPA guidelines

undergo periodic overhauls to ensure that they keep pace with developments in technology and

safety requirements. With that in mind, we’ll take a closer look at recent changes in NFPA

terminology, as it is important to keep up to date with new jargon and category names in order to

ensure that these potentially life-saving rules are to be properly understood.

These new terms can be found in The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA

70E), which has been recently updated. This standard is intended to address procedures

pertaining to electrical safety. Its purpose is to enable workers to optimize their productivity

while benefiting from a safe environment. The NFPA 70E features a number of changes to

established terminology, the most important of which can be found below.

Risk Assessment – This term has officially replaced “hazard analysis” as the preferred term in

NPFA publications; e.g., “arc flash hazard analysis” is now “arc flash risk assessment.” The

NFPA defines risk assessment as a process undertaken by personnel to identify hazards, the

dangers posed by these, and the likelihood that these will cause injury or compromise health. The

risk assessment process concludes by recommending measures to negate this threat, if necessary.

PPE Category – This term has officially replaced “hazard/risk category” (HRC). As a result,

HRC 0, 1, 2, & 3 have been replaced with, respectively, PPE Category 1, 2, 3, & 4. The

applicable Arc Ratings are unchanged: 4, 8, 25, & 40.

“Coverage” – The NFPA has more precisely defined its standards for coverage that any clothing

worn in work areas must provide. In essence, clothing should cover exposed areas of the body as

comprehensively as possible to provide maximum protection against workplace hazards.

Therefore, sleeves must be fastened at the wrists; shirts must be tucked into the pants; and any

shirts, jackets, and coveralls, such as those provided by Prudential Overall Supply, must be

closed around the neck.

Arc Rated (AR) – This term has replaced flame resistant (FR) in several sections of the new

NFPA 70E. The change has been made to dispel confusion over the proper use of the FR rating.

In the past, there were reports of protective garments available on the market that had been

widely held to be arc rated despite having been tested only for flame resistance. This practice

could place workers at serious risk of danger, as flame-resistant clothing cannot be guaranteed to

provide protection from electric arcs. With this change, workers in areas where they are at risk of

exposure to electric arcs are required to wear clothing that has been assigned an arc rating.