Understanding NFPA 70E electrical safety requirements

There are numerous OSHA regulations, as well as consensus standards, that address the hazards of electricity and the work practices and personal protective equipment (PPE) required for the protection of employees. Over the last 10 to 15 years there have been significant revisions and additions to electrical safety standards and regulations, which were needed in order to increase the knowledge and understanding of the electrical hazards by employers and employees. The NFPA 70E-2004, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace [1] is the base consensus standard, used by OSHA to establish electrical safety regulations, and requires an electrical hazard analysis be performed prior to employees working on or near exposed energized electrical conductors and circuit parts operating at 50-volts or more. These requirements are especially critical if the circuits have not been placed in an electrically safe work condition (lockout/tagout).