NFPA 70E® training protects employees from electrical hazards in the workplace. Training is required for both “qualified persons” and “non-qualified persons.” However, many facility managers and line supervisors are uncertain or confused by these definitions.
In 2018 alone, there were 103,600 recorded incidents in commercial buildings. Electrical malfunctions are a leading cause of these events, and they cost businesses $373,400,000 in 2018.
Industrial worksites — like factories, power plants and warehouses — are often dangerous environments for workers. Large equipment and heavy objects, among other threats, pose severe safety risks.
According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), in 2018, nearly one in ten workplace electrical injuries were fatal, and more than half of these occurred in the construction industry.
Any organization utilizing electrical assets in their production environments or facilities will be aware of NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. This standard is what OSHA uses when assessing companies’ adherence to certain safety standards. However, NFPA 70E is further informed by the standard 1584-2018, which is developed by the IEEE.
Industrial fire safety is a necessary part of any industrial warehouse and manufacturing plant, though fires and explosions vary from causes and severity. As industrial fire protection standards improve each year, safety and health professionals want to ensure the best practices on how to prevent fires and explosions.
Human error - unsafe work procedures, maintenance mistakes, and mishandling tools, wires, and metal covers;
Negligent preventive maintenance - not checking for loose termination, allowing dust and debris build-up (critical in medium voltages and higher), and not testing stored energy (e.g., spring-operated bolted pressure switches); and
Q: If there is no date on arc flash labels, how does the site electrician ensure the label is within the 5-year review period or other review requirements as defined in NFPA 70E? (…especially since Electricians don’t typically carry the latest arc flash drawings (or report) with them.)
An OSHA letter of interpretation dated August 2015 answers a series of questions concerning the use of 29 CFR 1910.333(b). 1910.333 covers the Selection and Use of Work Practices for Electrical work (Subpart S).
Here, three of the questions and OSHA’s answers are included. Comments follow the second and third answers in purple italics.
