Page 23 - Occupational Health & Safety, December 2017

It is worth noting that the process of de-energizing a system
is energized work. Until the absence of voltage is verified,
any work done is still considered energized and, therefore, requires appropriate hazard protections, such as arc-rated PPE.
er. The newly inserted informational note details host employer examples, which can include the owner, construction manager, general contractor, or employer.
Host contractors may be host employ- ers, which means they share in the re- sponsibility of advising, educating, and protecting contracted electrical workers in hazardous situations. If the work is done on a host employer’s work site, the designated host employer is responsible for sharing the work hazards a contractor may encounter. Proper communication among all parties involved is key.
Employee Responsibilities
Article 105: Application of Safety-Related Work Practices and Procedures
In creating employer and employee sec- tions of NFPA 70E, this means employees have specific responsibilities to uphold. Employees are required to comply with all safety-related work practices and proce- dures implemented by employers. While in theory employees have been following this from the start, the updated text now explic- itly states this.
Article 130: Work Involving Electrical Hazards
Employees, no matter their experience level, shall follow their employer’s electrical safety program in prioritizing de-energized work, which includes complying with ex- isting practices and procedures, attending training, and donning any PPE deemed necessary by risk assessments. While it is important that employers train employees on the definition of de-energized work, employees should note that, in accordance with their responsibility to comply with all procedures and practices, PPE must be worn during the de-energizing process.
PPE Manufacturer and Supplier Responsibilities
Article 130: Work Involving Electrical Haz- ards
The 2018 edition of NFPA 70E now re- quires PPE manufacturers and suppliers to demonstrate conformity with the standard in one of three ways:
■ Self-declaration with a Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity
■ Self-declaration under a registered quality management system and product testing by an accredited laboratory, in ad-
age is verified, any work done is still con- sidered energized and, therefore, requires appropriate hazard protections, such as arc-rated PPE.
The updated NFPA 70E can be explored through the lens of parties impacted. Through analyzing party responsibility, safety engineers and managers can make informed decisions to comply with the up- dated standard. A thorough understanding of the changes will also help guide various elements of any electrical safety program, including creating and documenting work procedures, training employees, eliminat- ing hazards, and implementing appropriate AR/FR PPE programs.
Employer Responsibilities
Article 105: Application of Safety-Related Work Practices and Procedures
This section clearly articulates respon- sibilities for both employers and the em- ployees. For employers, the updates state that all required work practices and proce- dures should be established, documented, and implemented. Employers will also be required to provide safety-related training for all employees.
The new article 105.4 Priority highlights an emphasis on the hierarchy of risk con- trols and clearly positions hazard elimina- tion as first priority in implementing any safety-related practices and procedures.
Article 130: Work Involving Electrical Hazards
As mentioned, an overarching theme of 2018 NFPA 70E stresses the hierarchy of risk controls. Updates reference de-ener- gized work and, from an employer stand- point, there are a few important consider- ations to incorporate into energized work practices and procedures.
When de-energizing is infeasible or creates an additional hazard, working en- ergized is an option and will require appro- priate arc-rated PPE. Section 130.5 provides new information regarding an arc flash risk assessment and includes new sections and tables to determine the likelihood of oc-
currence and the potential injury severity from an arc flash hazard. The Table 130.5 (C) uses a yes/no format to easily discern whether there is a likelihood of occurrence of an arc flash incident when working on certain tasks and equipment. An affirma- tive listing in the table leads to action re- quiring additional protective measures, which includes PPE use.
As in previous editions, one of the fol- lowing methods, but not both, shall be used for selecting arc flash PPE:
1. Incident Energy method: This meth- od selects arc-rated clothing and PPE us- ing Table 130.5(G): Selection of Arc Rated Clothing and other PPE.
2. Arc Flash PPE Category method: this method utilizes Table 130.5(C) and a series of tables in 130.7(C)(15) to determine arc flash PPE categories, arc flash boundary, and the minimum arc ratings needed for arc-rated clothing and PPE.
With emphasis on de-energizing and the continued use of the NFPA 70E tables for arc flash PPE selection, employers are more firmly positioned in mitigating elec- trical work hazards. Employers should set the tone for working completely de-ener- gized and implement guidelines to govern both de-energized and energized work practices and procedures.
A major change in the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E is the removal of mandatory compliance language specific to PPE stan- dards. The standard now states that PPE shall conform to applicable state, federal, and local codes and standards. It is up to the employer to determine the appropriate PPE performance standard. As there are no exist- ing—and no forthcoming—applicable state, federal, or local codes and standards for AR/ FR PPE, it is anticipated that the informa- tional note Table 130.7 (C) (14) will continue to serve as a reference for organizations.
Contractor Responsibilities
Article 110: General Requirements for Elec- trical Safety-Related Work Practices
Included in the 2018 NFPA 70E update is an expanded definition of a host employ-
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DECEMBER 2017 | Occupational Health & Safety 19