NFPA 70E

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), established in 1896, is an international nonprofit organization working to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

The world's leading advocate of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety, NFPA has developed, published, and disseminated more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.

NFPA 70E is a voluntary standard developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the world's largest organization focused on preventing death and injury from fire and burns. This standard addresses electrical hazards in the workplace and supplements the National Electric Code (NEC) by focusing on protecting the worker from common electrical hazards. Serious injuries, resulting from voltages far below those experienced by electric utilities, occur daily as workers install, maintain, and repair energized systems. The objective of this standard is to provide protection to workers based on the potential energy to which they could be exposed. 70E provides multiple methods by which the employer can calculate or estimate the hazard or risk.

View NFPA 70E Video

NFPA 70E also requires that Flame Resistant (FR) Protective Apparel be rated for protection from electric arcs so that the apparel can be matched to the appropriate hazard level. This is called "arc rating" and this arc rating, or ATPV, appears on the labeling of all FR Protective Apparel for easy reference. Matching the arc rating of the Flame Resistant apparel with the hazard rating maximizes worker protection against the chance of burn injury or death.

The standard requires that employees wear flame resistant (FR) protective clothing wherever there is possible exposure to an arc flash above the threshold incident-energy level for a second degree burn. [NFPA 70E (2009), 130.7(C)(5)]

Armorex FR work shirts, work pants, and coveralls meet NFPA 70E Hazard Risk Categories 0, 1, and 2 as single layer garments.

NFPA 70E Compliance
To reach the goal of establishing safety and health standards, OSHA often turns to national consensus standards like NFPA 70E. A national consensus standard is "a standard that is developed by the same persons it affects and then is adopted by a nationally recognized organization." [29 CFR 1910.2(g)]. Consensus standards are incorporated by reference in many OSHA regulations. When standards are identified as national consensus by OSHA they carry the same kind of "weight" as any other OSHA regulation. Use of the word "shall" or similar language generally represents mandatory requirements that an employer must follow.

• Hazard Risk Evaluation
• Establishing Safe Work Conditions
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Selection
• Safety Training & Documentation
• Implementation & Documentation of Electrical Safety Program

For informational purposes, NFPA 70E, 2009 Edition contains guidance for a simplified approach to
providing minimum PPE within Annex H Simplified, Two-Category, Flame Resistant (FR) Clothing
System.

Using continuous wear FR uniform programs that meet the requirements of NFPA 70E Hazard Risk Categories (HRC) 0, 1 and 2 as a single-layer can help safeguard workers who may otherwise not choose the proper level of protection. For a task-specific guideline chart to help with PPE selection, see NFPA 70E, 2009 Edition, Table 130.7(C)(9).

Why Comply with NFPA 70E?
Because protecting workers is the right thing to do. And because compliance can help limit your company’s potential liability associated with costly accidents. You’ll be sending the right safety message to all employees and they will appreciate your concern for their well being. And although this is a "voluntary" standard, the relationship between the OSHA Regulations and NFPA 70E has been clearly delineated by the US Department of Labor:

'… the consensus standard may be used as evidence of hazard recognition and the availability of feasible means of abatement. The general duty clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, is violated if an employer has failed to furnish a workplace that is free from recognized hazards causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm. The general duty clause is used where there is no standard that applies to the particular hazards involved.'

US Dept. of Labor, OSHA, Standard Interpretations Letter

For more information, visit the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org

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