Making sense of NFPA 70E

A proactive approach to maintaining your electrical assets
January of 2018 saw the most recent update to 70E — the workplace electrical safety standard developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). While the standard itself is not a law, it was developed at the request of OSHA, which uses much of its language when assessing organizations for compliance. Many organizations also follow 70E to comply with specific OSHA regulations.

While 70E is already two-thirds of the way through its latest revision cycle, the 2018 update brought three changes that have made compliance challenging for many organizations due to their cost, the time needed to address them effectively, and the fact that all three are ongoing practices as part of an overall safety program. We will cover the three updates but will explore the third in-depth, as it is perhaps the most difficult — and costly — to satisfy.

Three 70E update changes:

1. PPE Declarations
2. Job Safety Plans
3. Equipment Condition and Maintenance

Four key electrical inspections for equipment maintenance

1. Physical/Visual Inspection
2. Infrared Thermography
3. Vibration Testing
4. Ultrasound Testing

Read the rest on ISHN here.