Most conversations I have regarding electrical safety in the workplace relate to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). And I usually begin my side of the conversation with two questions: Is the energized work justified? Have you preformed a risk assessment? The purpose of NFPA 70E is to provide a practical, safe workplace for employees, relative to the hazards arising from the use of electricity. By the use of the hierarchy of safety controls, as explained in NFPA 70E, Informative Annex P, the risks associated with the use of electricity in the workplace can be reduce to an acceptable level. The first control is “Elimination”. Creating an electrically safe work condition, as identified and defined in NFPA 70E, Article 120, is a form of elimination. By creating an electrically safe work condition the risks are reduced to an acceptable level and the potential inherent electrical hazards have been effectively eliminated. It is important to keep in mind that the use of PPE is considered the least effective of the safety controls and the last line of defense before an event happens. NFPA 70E is all about practical, accomplishable electrical safety and about the worker going home safe at the end of the day to his or her family. For more information on the Hierarchy of Safety Controls, See Informative Annex P.
The Hierarchy of Safety Controls