Reasons you should use NFPA 70E guidelinesįirstly, NFPA 70E guidelines are standardized and widely accepted among industry professionals. " Restricted Approach" indicates the distance within which there is an increased likelihood of electric shock."Limited Approach," which means the distance within which a shock hazard exists.Generally, you can use warning headers for voltage and incident energy lower than that. For arc flash labels, a good guideline is to use danger headings whenever there is voltage over 600 or incident energy over 40 cal/cm2. Warning headers alert employees to hazardous situations of lesser severity in comparison to situations that require danger headers. Danger headers on safety labels and signs typically indicate more serious and immediate hazards and require special precautions. Danger or warning headers alert employees to possible workplace hazards.Available incident energy and the corresponding working distance or the arc flash PPE category in Table 130.7(C)(15)(a) or Table 130.7(C)(15)(b) for the equipment but not both.Complete breakdown directly from NFPA 70E 130.5(H) Thirdly, the type of personal protective equipment (PPE) that should be used in order to prevent injury. Secondly, there is the "arc flash boundary." This is the farthest established boundary from an energy source where an employee could be exposed to curable second-degree burns during an arc flash. Firstly, the nominal system voltage (i.e., the value assigned to a system or circuit of a given voltage class for the purpose of convenient designation). Specifically, the NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace provides guidelines for what should be on arc flash labels.įollowing NFPA 70E guidelines, there are three things that should be on any arc flash label. If OSHA doesn't explain what "properly labeled" means, then how do you know what to put on an arc flash label? As previously mentioned, the NFPA is an organization devoted to safety, and thus their guidelines are widely accepted as industry standards. Here is an example of what to include on an arc flash label following NFPA 70E guidelines and general best practices. Indeed, OSHA itself has discussed the interpretations of these regulations in more depth. This is a prime example of a gray area you may encounter when interpreting OSHA regulations. You may be thinking that that is somewhat vague, and you're right. What are the OSHA rules on arc flash?įirstly, 1910.303(e) states that "Electrical equipment must be marked with descriptive markings as necessary (voltage, current, wattage, etc.)." Secondly, 1910.335(b) states that "Employers must use alerting techniques (safety signs and tags, barricades, attendants, etc.) to warn and protect employees from hazards that could cause injury due to electric shock, burns, or failure of electric equipment parts." ![]() While neither part specifies arc flash labels directly, two subparts discuss employer responsibilities for warning employees. To explain further, OSHA and 1926 cover requirements for electrical power generation, transmission, and distribution. In a nutshell: OSHA does require labeling for electrical safety, but it does not specify how to warn employees of specific hazards, for example by requiring arc flash labels. Asset Tracking: What You Need to Get Started Right Now.GHS Label Requirements for Safety and Compliance.To that end, we will break down exactly what the OSHA regulations state, the NFPA 70E guidelines for arc flash labels, the right label materials and sizes to use, how to print them yourself, and more. Like ANSI, the NFPA is not a government agency but rather a non-profit organization devoted entirely to safety.īecause of the gray area that surrounds arc flash labels, in this article we are answering important, frequently asked questions that can help clear up the confusion. However, organizations like ANSI, and in this case, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), do not have the same practical concerns. Often, when the latter is the case, employers choose to follow widely accepted standards anyway to help protect employees from harm and themselves from possible litigation.Īs we've mentioned before when discussing OSHA versus ANSI, OSHA must strike a balance between safety and practicality to make sure employers can realistically follow their regulations. Meanwhile, in other cases, OSHA may leave it up to employers to choose how to accomplish the goal. In some cases, an OSHA regulation may specifically cite standards developed by other organizations. This is because OSHA regulations often mandate that you must put a safety precaution in place but do not always specify exactly how you should do it. When it comes to arc flash labels, exactly what should be on them and what you need for OSHA compliance can be a bit of a gray area. OSHA requirements, NFPA 70E guidelines, and more
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