Fluke 375, 376, 381, 353 RMS 2000 A, 355 RMS 2000 Service Guide

Who sets the rules

for electrical testing

and safety?

Alphabet soup

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

Every day, an average of
4,700 workers in the U.S. suffer
disabling injuries on the job.
Insurance industry estimates
put the direct cost of workplace
injuries in 2005 at more than
$8 billion.* With costs that high,
no wonder so many government
agencies and private groups hold
pieces of the safety puzzle.

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).

Application Note

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.

* Source: Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety
Index, Winter 2008

From the Fluke Digital Library @ www.fluke.com/library

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 protec-

tion, 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 guide-

lines for work on energized

parts, outlines lockout/tagout

procedures and provides rules

for use of PPE in electrical

work. The OSHA web site

provides other electrical safety

resources at http://www.

osha.gov/SLTC/.

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. Subpart S was
updated in August 2007 and fur­ther amended in October 2008.

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-2009 contains specific
requirements and methodology
for hazard assessment and selec­tion of protective clothing and
other personal protective equip­ment. 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.”

Key Points:

Both employers and employees are responsible

•

to know and follow OSHA standards.

Citations and penalties may be imposed if

•

standards are not observed.

Other safety standards, including NFPA 70E,

•

provide guidance on safety measures and
procedures. They do not supplant OSHA.
In case of conflict, follow OSHA standards.

2 Fluke Corporation Who sets the rules for electrical testing and safety?