ELECTRICAL SAFETY CODES AND STANDARDS

1 Over 20,000 standards have been developed to reduce

the risk of electrical hazards. Except for OSHA
regulations most standards do not automatically become
law. However, they are often adopted by governmental
5 bodies and become law; enforced by the Authority
Having Jurisdiction (AHJ). Other standards are written
into manufacturing and construction specifications.
Whether law or not, applicable standards should be
followed to improve safety and reduce potential hazards.
10
Working on deenergized equipment
OSHA 29 Part 1910.333 covers selection and use of
(electrical) work practices. It defines and regulates such
things as working on or near energized or deenergized
15 parts, Lockout / tagout procedures, who is or is not
considered qualified to work on live circuits, approach
distances, use of personal protective equipment, and
other requirements. Paragraph 1910.333 (a)(1) reads:

20 “Deenergized parts.
Live parts to which an employee may be exposed shall
be deenergized before the employee work-s on or
near them, unless the employer can demonstrate that
deenergizing introduces additional or increased
25 hazards or is infeasible due to equipment design or
operational limitations. Live parts that operate at less
than 50 volts to ground need not be deenergized if
there will be no increased exposure to electrical burns
or to explosion due to electric arcs.”
30
To demonstrate the close relationship between OSHA
and NFPA 70E, here is what NFPA 70E Article 130.1 has
to say regarding the need for equipment to be
deenergized:
35
“Justification for Work.
Live parts to which an employee might be exposed
Electrical Safety Codes and Standards

shall be put into an electrically safe work- condition

before an employee work-s on or near them, unless
40 the employer can demonstrate that deenergizating
introduces additional or increased hazards or is
infeasible due to equipment design or operational
limitations. Energized parts that operate at less than
50 volts to ground shall not be required to be
45 deenergized if there will be no increased exposure to
electrical burns or to explosion due to electric arcs...”

When electrical equipment has been deenergized, OSHA

Part 1910.147 (c) and 1910.333 (b)(2) requires
50 Lockout/tagout procedures* be followed. Failure to
follow Lockout/tagout procedures is also consistently
listed as one of the top ten OSHA violations.

How to establish an electrically safe work condition

55 Equipment that has been deenergized and verified as
such is said to be in an electrically safe work condition.
Article 120.1 of NFPA 70E outlines 6 steps that must be
followed to insure that employees are working in an
electrically safe work condition. They are:
60
1. “Determine all possible sources of electrical supply
to the specific equipment. Check- applicable up-to-
date drawings, diagrams, and identification tags.
2. After properly interrupting the load current, open
65 the disconnecting device(s) for each source.
3. Wherever possible, visually verify that all blades of
the disconnecting devices are fully open or that
drawout-type circuit break-ers are withdrawn to the
fully disconnected position.
70 4. Apply Lock-out / tagout devices in accordance with
a documented and established policy.
5. Use an adequately rated voltage detector to test
each phase conductor or circuit part to verify
they are deenergized. Test each phase conductor or
75 circuit part both phase-to-phase and phase-
to-ground. Before and after each test, determine that

2
 Electrical Safety Codes and Standards

the voltage detector is operating satisfactorily.

6. Where the possibility of induced voltages or stored
electrical energy exists, ground the phase
80 conductors or circuit parts before touching them.
Where it could be reasonably anticipated that the
conductors or circuit parts being deenergized could
contact other exposed energized or circuit parts,
apply ground connecting devices rated for the
85 available fault duty.”

It is important to note that a safe work condition does

not exist until all 6 steps are complete. During the
process of creating the electrically safe work condition,
90 the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
must also be utilized.

Working on energized equipment

Although the best practice is to always work on
95 deenergized equipment, OSHA and NFPA do recognize
that in some circumstances it may create an additional
hazard or be infeasible to deenergize. OSHA 29 CFR
1910.333 (a)(2) states:

100 “Energized parts.

If the exposed live parts are not deenergized (i.e., for
reasons of increased or additional hazards or
infeasibility), other safety-related work- practices
shall be used to protect employees who may be
105 exposed to
the electrical hazards involved. Such work- practices
shall protect employees against contact with
energized circuit parts directly with any part of their
body or indirectly through some other conductive
110 object….”

Electrical tasks such as troubleshooting and testing for

the presence of voltage, current, etc., can only be done
while equipment is energized. In these instances, work
115 on energized equipment is allowed, but workers must

3
Electrical Safety Codes and Standards

follow safe work practices and use the appropriate PPE.

Other exceptions that allow work on energized
equipment include:

120 • Life-support equipment

• Emergency alarm systems
• Hazardous area ventilation equipment

Deenergizing these types of equipment could increase or

125 create additional hazards. A mistake often made is
confusing infeasibility with inconvenience. For example,
meeting a manufacturing production schedule does not
qualify as infeasible. It may be very inconvenient but it
still does not authorize working on energized equipment.
130 OSHA 29 CFR 1910.331-335 outlines the conditions for
working on energized circuits in much greater detail.
When work is to be performed on energized equipment,
extra care must be used and all applicable OSHA and
NFPA codes and standards followed. Electrical workers
135 must also be trained and specially “qualified” to work on
energized equipment, and the specific equipment to be
serviced.

Who is Qualified?
140 The definition of a “Qualified” person continues to
change and evolve. As a worker, you may be qualified for
some tasks and unqualified for others. Knowing the
difference may even save your life. It is no longer
sufficient for those who will install and/or maintain
145 electrical systems and equipment to be just “familiar”
with the hazards involved. Training is the key in
determining who is considered a qualified worker. All
personnel who may be exposed to electrical hazards
MUST receive documented training in order to become
150 qualified. OSHA 29 CFR 1910.333 (c)(2) states;

“Work on energized equipment.

Only qualified persons may work- on electric circuit
parts or equipment that have not been deenergized

4
 Electrical Safety Codes and Standards

155 under the procedures of paragraph (b) of this

section. Such persons shall be capable of work-ing
safely on energized circuits and shall be familiar with
the proper use of special precautionary techniques,
personal protective equipment, insulating and
160 shielding materials, and insulated tools.”

Article 100 of the National Electrical Code ® and

NFPA 70E also defines a Qualified Person as:

165 “Qualified Person

One who has skills and knowledge related to the
construction and operation of the electrical
equipment and installations and has received safety
training on the hazards involved.”
170
NFPA 70E Article 110.6 (D) Employee Training covers
the requirements for “Qualified” persons in more detail.
In addition to being trained and knowledgeable, qualified
persons must also be familiar with emergency
175 procedures, special precautionary techniques, personal
protective equipment, Arc-Flash, insulating materials
and tools, and testing equipment. In some instances,
employees receiving on-the-job training may be
considered “Qualified” for specific duties under
180 supervision.
Ultimately, a person can be considered qualified with
respect to certain equipment and methods but still be
considered unqualified for others. Unqualified persons
must also be trained in the risks they are exposed to
185 and the procedures that are necessary to ensure their
safety, however, they may not be considered “qualified”
to work on specific equipment. It is vital that unqualified
workers have an understanding of what tasks can only
189 be performed by Qualified workers.

Source:
Littelfus (2005). Electrical Safety Hazards Handbook. (pp. 22-
24). Disponible en:
https://lanl.gov/safety/electrical/docs/arc_flash_safety.pdf

5
Electrical Safety Codes and Standards

1. Seleccione V/F e indique en qué línea del texto basó su

respuesta:

V/F línea

a. Los más de 20.000 estándares desarrollados para reducir los

riesgos eléctricos se convirtieron en ley automáticamente.

b. Si un operario tiene que estar expuesto a partes activas, estas

deberá ser desenergizadas aunque esta acción implique más
riesgos.

c. Para que un equipo pueda considerarse en condiciones

operativas seguras, este deberá haber sido primero
desenergizado y verificado como tal.

d. No es necesario seguir estrictamente los seis pasos

mencionados para que un equipo sea considerado seguro.

e. Se contemplan otras prácticas relacionadas a la seguridad en

casos en que la desenergización sea inviable

f. Siempre que se realicen tareas de testeo y diagnóstico de

funcionamiento los equipos deben estar completamente
desenergizados.

g. Según las normativas, podemos entender “inviabilidad” como

sinónimo de “inconveniencia”.

h. Las excepciones a la obligación de desenergizar los equipos

incluyen equipos de soporte vital y sistemas de alarma de
emergencia.

i. Si alguien se considera “trabajador cualificado” eso significa

está habilitado para realizar cualquier reparación necesaria en
cualquier sistema que lo requiera.

j. Cuando se considera que están dadas las condiciones de

trabajo seguro no es necesario que los trabajadores utilicen
equipo de protección personal.

2. Dé un equivalente en castellano de las siguientes oraciones.

Live parts that operate at less than 50 volts to ground need

not be deenergized if there will be no increased exposure to
electrical burns or to explosion due to electric arcs. (r. 27-29)

Equipment that has been deenergized and verified as such is

said to be in an electrically safe work condition. (r. 55-56 )

6
 Electrical Safety Codes and Standards

Use an adequately rated voltage detector to test each phase

conductor or circuit part to verify they are deenergized. (r. 72-
74)

It is important to note that a safe work condition does not

exist until all 6 steps are complete. (r. 87-88)

Training is the key in determining who is considered a

qualified worker. (r. 146-147)

3. Dé un equivalente en castellano para las siguientes frases

nominales:
risk of electrical hazards (r. 2)
electrically safe work condition (r. 56)
documented and established policy (r. 71)
the proper use of special precautionary techniques (r. 158)
insulating materials and tools (r. 176-177)

4. Referentes textuales. Indique cuáles son los referentes

textuales de las siguientes palabras:
they (r. 4)
they (r. 59)
it (r. 96)
such persons (r. 156)

5. Explique qué indican (o cuál es la función de) los siguientes

conectores. Dé un equivalente en castellano.
However (r. 4)
Although (r. 94)
For example, (r. 126)
Ultimately (r. 181)
however (r. 186)