Nfpa 70e: Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace 2009

The 2009 NFPA 70E: St&ard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace is the solution to jobsite protection from electrical hazards. Shock, electrocution, arc flash & arc blast are responsible for one fatality every workday in the U.S. & some 8,000 workers are treated in emergency rooms for electrical contact injuries each year. Now NFPA 70E the Standard developed for OSHA is revised to address safety gaps & increase electrical worker protection, while helping companies comply with OSHA 1910 Subpart S & OSHA 1926 Subpart K. Major changes recognize new hazards & address safety gaps. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protects personnel & can significantly reduce the risk of injury in an arc flash. To help electrical engineers calculate incident energy the vital first step in determining the correct type of PPE for a given task revised Annex D consolidates all equations, adds new tables & offers more options to detailed calculations. Improved work practices reduce risks. To further reduce the risks for second-degree thermal burns, cotton outerwear is no longer permitted for energy levels below 2 cal/cm2. An expanded Table in Article 130 covers added tasks such as thermographic imaging & new equipment including arc-resistant switchgear. Added Article 350 provides first-time requirements for the protection of electrical personnel in R&D labs. A new exception verifies that 240 V & less power systems fed by a single transformer less than 125 kvs no longer require an arc flash hazard analysis. Expanded requirements for multi-employer relationships address potential areas of oversight. New recordkeeping requirements for training & safety program audits answer OSHA's need for records. Annexes expand knowledge about electrical safety.