5 Ways to Tell if
Your Company is
NFPA 70E Compliant
David Paoletta, CSP
Bay Area Safety Symposium 2020
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,
AED & First Aidwww.NewDimensionsInSafetyLLC.com 23
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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