Safety & Health Effects of Shift Work - ASSE Members

ELECTRICAL SAFETY
BY MICHAEL KOVACIC
NFPA 70E: Fact, Fiction or Fad
Knowledge, and
the desire and
ability to implement
that knowledge,
saves lives
and prevents injury.
Afew months ago, I was giving several short sessions
on NFPA 70E at a national safety conference.
One of the attendees, whom I have known
for years, saw me outside the conference room
in between sessions and said, “Are you still talking about
70E” I quickly responded, “Of course! Employees are
still being injured and killed by electricity, aren’t they”
But I thought about that comment for weeks . . . what
did he mean, still talking about it And then, a comment
from a customer a few weeks ago put it into the perspective
I was missing: “I wish we would get over this 70E
fad already!”
I realized that “NFPA 70E” and “arc flash” have
become such buzz words that many employers and
employees who do not understand the
core of what NFPA 70E is trying to
accomplish see it as simply the latest
safety fad. And some people even
promote “fiction” in an effort to sell
more product or services. So, what
are the basic facts about NFPA 70E
Fact: NFPA 70E is not a new
standard; the first NFPA 70E committee
was established in 1976 and
the first edition of NFPA 70E was
published in 1979. The primary focus of what NFPA
70E is, electrical safety-related work practices, made an
entrance with the 1981 edition 30 years ago.
If you do not currently own NFPA 70E, it is time to
get a copy. If you have never looked at NFPA 70E, the
National Fire Protection Association has the text available
to view (you cannot copy or print from the viewer)
on its website.
Fact: Arc flash and arc blast are not new electrical
hazards made up by sales people to sell PPE. The book,
Electrical Injuries—Their Causation, Prevention and
Treatment, by Charles A. Lauffer, M.D., was first published
in 1912. The first chapter discusses the cause, prevention
of and treatment of arc flash injuries. So, arc
flash hazards have been discussed for at least 100 years.
Numerous statistical and research organizations have
produced various studies about workplace injuries over
the last few years, but they all conclude the same general
information. Between five and 10 arc flash incidents
occur in electrical installations in the U.S. every day, representing
a significant number of injuries and fatalities
each year. Workplace electrical injuries represent a significant
cost to employers each year, and lockout/tagout
and electrical regulations continue to make OSHA’s top
ten most cited regulations each year.
Fact: OSHA has not adopted NFPA 70E. Sections
1910.331-.335 of Subpart S of the OSHA regulations
essentially mirror NFPA 70E. In many ways, Subpart S is
the “protect your workers” regulation,
and NFPA 70E is the how-to
guide. OSHA does, and will continue
to, reference and enforce
NFPA 70E in its compliance and
consultation activities, so if you
have been waiting for OSHA to
adopt NFPA 70E before you start
implementation at your facility,
you can stop waiting and start
implementing.
UNDERSTANDING & IMPLEMENTING
NFPA 70E FOR A SAFER WORKPLACE
Chapter 1 of NFPA 70E, titled “Safety-Related Work
Practices,” addresses the electrical safety-related work
practices and procedures necessary to safeguard employees
from hazards arising from the use of electricity in the
workplace. The chapter provides a progressive guide to
implementing safe work practices in your workplace.
KNOWLEDGE IS KEY
Knowledge, and the desire and ability to implement
that knowledge, saves lives and prevents injury. OSHA
documentation shows that it is often unsafe work practices
that lead to electrical injury and death, while additional
investigation data indicate that employees who
used unsafe work practices often did not have knowledge
of safety-related work practices.
Chapter 1 of NFPA 70E addresses employee training
requirements quickly. Section 110.6, titled “Training
Requirements,” outlines the need for training “employees
who face a risk of electrical hazard not reduced to a safe
level by the applicable installation requirements [National
Electrical Code and OSHA 1910.301-.308].” As almost
every workplace uses electricity, this one simple statement
tells employers that all employees need a level of training
adequate to understand the “specific hazards associated
with electrical injury,” the relationship between electrical
hazards and possible injury,” and the “safety-related work
practices and procedural requirements necessary to provide
protection from those electrical hazards.”
The section also addresses the specific training necessary
for “qualified” persons and provides a basis for
establishing who actually is qualified. One of the most
important changes to the 2009 edition was the addition
of Section 110.6(D)(1)(e), which requires that persons
considered “qualified” be able to demonstrate the appropriate
use of a voltage detector. The added requirement
helps clarify that additional and specific skills and
knowledge are necessary for an employee to be considered
“qualified.”
This section of NFPA 70E closely corresponds with
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Safely Made www.asse.org 2011