Electrical Safety, Electrical Hazards, and the 2018 NFPA 70E: Time to Update Annex K?

Sharing the same goals and overlapping membership, IEEE and NFPA are committed to improving electrical safety in the workplace. Knowledge about electrical hazards, particularly arc flash hazards, has expanded greatly since the first 2002 edition of the IEEE Standard 1584, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc-Flash Hazard Calculations. In the NFPA 70E Standard, 2004 edition, the 1584 arc-flash hazard calculations were included in the recommended methods for quantifying the potential incident energy exposure. In 2004, IEEE and NFPA initiated the IEEE/NFPA Arc Flash Collaboration Project to conduct research and testing which would lead to a greater scientific understanding of the arc flash hazard. Presently, IEEE Standard 1584 is in the process of major revision. Subsequent editions of NFPA 70E - the 2009, 2012 and 2015 - have greatly expanded the coverage of the arc flash hazard. However, NFPA 70E Annex K, which addresses the general categories of electrical hazards, has changed little since the 2004 edition, except for the addition of a short paragraph on arc blast hazards in 2009. This paper suggests content for expanding the 2018 NFPA 70E Annex K.