Who sets the rulesfor electrical testing and safety?

Reprinted with permission from Fluke Corporation Alphabet soup.

There is no question that electrical safety is a key concern for electricians and engineers, their employers, unions and the government.

Every day, an average of 9,000 workers in the U.S. suffer disabling injuries on the job. Insurance industry estimates put the direct cost of workplace injuries in 1999 at more than $40 billion.

* With costs that high, no wonder so many government agencies and private groups hold pieces of the safety puzzle. *

Source: NIOSH
To maximize safety for yourself and your team, you need a solid understanding of the rules and standards that govern safe electrical work. This article will help you cut through the alphabet soup of safety organization names to see how each plays a role in safety.

We’ll check them out in two groups. First, we’ll look at the government agencies that oversee workplace safety, such as the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Then we’ll examine the independent safety and standards organizations, including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the International Electro- Technical Commission (IEC). Though they’re not part of government, they too help set the rules of the safety game.

The government agencies:

First, where did OSHA and NIOSH come from, and what do they do?
Both agencies were created by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. OSHA is in the U.S. Department of Labor and is responsible for developing and enforcing workplace safety and health regulations. In addition, many states have their own occupational safety agencies that work with OSHA and govern workplace safety on the state level.

NIOSH is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, established to help assure safe and healthful working conditions by providing research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health.

In other words, OSHA sets and enforces the rules, while NIOSH provides helpful information on workplace safety. Here are some examples:

Several OSHA regulations have an impact on electrical workplace safety. For instance:
29 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) 1910 Subpart I sets standards for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including eye and face protection, footwear and protection for electrical workers, such as insulating blankets, gloves and sleeves. The key electrical safety rules are part of 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S, including design safety standards for electrical systems, safe work practices, maintenance requirements and safety requirements for special equipment. This regulation also covers training requirements, sets guidelines for work on energized parts, outlines lockout/tagout procedures and provides rules for use of PPE in electrical work. The OSHA website provides other electrical safety resources. While OSHA sets the broad safety agenda, it leaves some details to others. For example, the OSHA electrical safety rules in 1910 Subpart S specifically refer the reader to NFPA and ANSI codes and standards for help in complying with OSHA. These include NFPA 70E (Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace), ANSI/NFPA 70 (National Electrical Code) and others.

Here’s an example of how the standards work together. OSHA’s safety-related work practice standards in Subpart S do not currently address flame-resistant (FR) clothing. However, OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.335 (a)(2)(ii) requires use of protective shields, protective barriers, or insulating materials to protect employees from shock, burns or other electrically related injuries while working near exposed energized parts or where dangerous electric heating or arcing might occur. Chapter 1 of NFPA 70E-2004 contains specific requirements and methodology for hazard assessment and selection of protective clothing and other personal protective equipment (PPE). Employers may follow NFPA 70E flash-hazard requirements as a way of meeting the OSHA standard.

The key distinction is this:OSHA 1910 Subpart S and other OSHA safety and health standards are law. Failure to follow these standards could result in a citation, a work shutdown, fines or other sanctions. The NFPA, ANSI and other standards OSHA refers to, on the other hand, are intended as guidelines to safety.

We’re pointing employers and employees to these documents as sources for additional information,” said David Wallis, director of the OSHA office of engineering safety. “For safe work practices there are some general type requirements in OSHA 1910 related to protection from electric shock and electric arc hazard. Employers can look toward NFPA 70E for more specific information about the kind of equipment they need to protect their employees.”

“There is another caveat I might explain,” Wallis continued. “Sometimes OSHA will have a specific requirement not contained in NFPA 70E, or where the 70E provision might not be quite as stringent. In that case, OSHA would expect employers to comply with the OSHA standard. Compliance with NFPA 70E would not automatically be considered adequate.”