, IMPORTANT NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS CONCERNING NFPA® STANDARDS
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY CONCERNING THE USE OF NFPA STANDARDS
NFPA® codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”), of which the document
contained herein is one, are developed through a consensus standards development process approved by
the American National Standards Institute. This process brings together volunteers representing varied
viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on fire and other safety issues. While the NFPA administers
the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not
independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy of any information or the soundness of any judgments
contained in NFPA Standards.
The NFPA disclaims liability for any personal injury, property, or other damages of any nature
whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from
the publication, use of, or reliance on NFPA Standards. The NFPA also makes no guaranty or warranty as
to the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.
In issuing and making NFPA Standards available, the NFPA is not undertaking to render professional or
other services for or on behalf of any person or entity. Nor is the NFPA undertaking to perform any duty
owed by any person or entity to someone else. Anyone using this document should rely on his or her own
independent judgment or, as appropriate, seek the advice of a competent professional in determining the
exercise of reasonable care in any given circumstances.
The NFPA has no power, nor does it undertake, to police or enforce compliance with the contents of
NFPA Standards. Nor does the NFPA list, certify, test, or inspect products, designs, or installations for
compliance with this document. Any certification or other statement of compliance with the requirements
of this document shall not be attributable to the NFPA and is solely the responsibility of the certifier or
maker of the statement.
REVISION SYMBOLS IDENTIFYING CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS EDITION
Text revisions are shaded. A Δ before a section number indicates that words within that section were
deleted and a Δ to the left of a table or figure number indicates a revision to an existing table or figure.
When a chapter was heavily revised, the entire chapter is marked throughout with the Δ symbol. Where
one or more sections were deleted, a • is placed between the remaining sections. Chapters, annexes,
sections, figures, and tables that are new are indicated with an N .
Note that these indicators are a guide. Rearrangement of sections may not be captured in the markup,
but users can view complete revision details in the First and Second Draft Reports located in the archived
revision information section of each code at www.nfpa.org/docinfo. Any subsequent changes from the
NFPA Technical Meeting, Tentative Interim Amendments, and Errata are also located there.
See ALERT
ALERT: THIS STANDARD HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY A TIA OR ERRATA
Users of NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”) should
be aware that NFPA Standards may be amended from time to time through the issuance of a Tentative
Interim Amendment (TIA) or corrected by Errata. An official NFPA Standard at any point in time consists
of the current edition of the document together with any TIAs and Errata then in effect.
To determine whether an NFPA Standard has been amended through the issuance of TIAs or corrected
by Errata, go to www.nfpa.org/docinfo to choose from the list of NFPA Standards or use the search feature
to select the NFPA Standard number (e.g., NFPA 13). The document information page provides up-to-
date document-specific information as well as postings of all existing TIAs and Errata. It also includes the
option to register for an “Alert” feature to receive an automatic email notification when new updates and
other information are posted regarding the document.
ISBN: 978-145591671-9 (Print)
ISBN: 978-145591672-6 (PDF)
ISBN: 978-145591782-2 (eBook)
, ®
IMPORTANT NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS CONCERNING NFPA STANDARDS
ADDITIONAL NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS
Updating of NFPA Standards
Users of NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”) should be aware that these
documents may be superseded at any time by the issuance of new editions or may be amended from time to time through the
issuance of Tentative Interim Amendments or corrected by Errata. An official NFPA Standard at any point in time consists of
the current edition of the document together with any Tentative Interim Amendments and any Errata then in effect. In order
to determine whether a given document is the current edition and whether it has been amended through the issuance of
Tentative Interim Amendments or corrected through the issuance of Errata, consult appropriate NFPA publications such as the
National Fire Codes® Subscription Service, visit the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org, or contact the NFPA at the address listed
below.
Interpretations of NFPA Standards
A statement, written or oral, that is not processed in accordance with Section 6 of the Regulations Governing the
Development of NFPA Standards shall not be considered the official position of NFPA or any of its Committees and shall not
be considered to be, nor be relied upon as, a Formal Interpretation.
Patents
The NFPA does not take any position with respect to the validity of any patent rights referenced in, related to, or asserted in
connection with an NFPA Standard. The users of NFPA Standards bear the sole responsibility for determining the validity of
any such patent rights, as well as the risk of infringement of such rights, and the NFPA disclaims liability for the infringement
of any patent resulting from the use of or reliance on NFPA Standards.
NFPA adheres to the policy of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) regarding the inclusion of patents in
American National Standards (“the ANSI Patent Policy”), and hereby gives the following notice pursuant to that policy:
NOTICE: The user’s attention is called to the possibility that compliance with an NFPA Standard may require use of an
invention covered by patent rights. NFPA takes no position as to the validity of any such patent rights or as to whether such
patent rights constitute or include essential patent claims under the ANSI Patent Policy. If, in connection with the ANSI Patent
Policy, a patent holder has filed a statement of willingness to grant licenses under these rights on reasonable and
nondiscriminatory terms and conditions to applicants desiring to obtain such a license, copies of such filed statements can be
obtained, on request, from NFPA. For further information, contact the NFPA at the address listed below.
Law and Regulations
Users of NFPA Standards should consult applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. NFPA does not, by the
publication of its codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides, intend to urge action that is not in compliance with
applicable laws, and these documents may not be construed as doing so.
Copyrights
NFPA Standards are copyrighted. They are made available for a wide variety of both public and private uses. These include
both use, by reference, in laws and regulations, and use in private self-regulation, standardization, and the promotion of safe
practices and methods. By making these documents available for use and adoption by public authorities and private users, the
NFPA does not waive any rights in copyright to these documents.
Use of NFPA Standards for regulatory purposes should be accomplished through adoption by reference. The term
“adoption by reference” means the citing of title, edition, and publishing information only. Any deletions, additions, and
changes desired by the adopting authority should be noted separately in the adopting instrument. In order to assist NFPA in
following the uses made of its documents, adopting authorities are requested to notify the NFPA (Attention: Secretary,
Standards Council) in writing of such use. For technical assistance and questions concerning adoption of NFPA Standards,
contact NFPA at the address below.
For Further Information
All questions or other communications relating to NFPA Standards and all requests for information on NFPA procedures
governing its codes and standards development process, including information on the procedures for requesting Formal
Interpretations, for proposing Tentative Interim Amendments, and for proposing revisions to NFPA standards during regular
revision cycles, should be sent to NFPA headquarters, addressed to the attention of the Secretary, Standards Council, NFPA, 1
Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101; email: .
For more information about NFPA, visit the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at
no cost at www.nfpa.org/docinfo.
, Copyright © 2017 National Fire Protection Association®. All Rights Reserved.
NFPA 70E®
Standard for
®
Electrical Safety in the Workplace
2018 Edition
This edition of NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®, was prepared by the
Technical Committee on Electrical Safety in the Workplace and released by the Correlating
Committee on National Electrical Code®. It was issued by the Standards Council on August 1, 2017,
with an effective date of August 21, 2017, and supersedes all previous editions.
This document has been amended by one or more Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) and/or
Errata. See "Codes & Standards" at www.nfpa.org for more information.
This edition of NFPA 70E was approved as an American National Standard on August 21, 2017.
Foreword to NFPA 70E
The Standards Council of the National Fire Protection Association announced the formal
appointment of a new electrical standards development committee on January 7, 1976. The
Committee on Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces reported to the Association
through the Technical Correlating Committee on National Electrical Code® (NEC®). The committee
was formed to assist OSHA in preparing an electrical safety standard that would serve OSHA’s needs
and that could be expeditiously promulgated through the provisions of Section 6(b) of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act. OSHA found that in attempting to utilize the latest edition of
the NEC, it was confronted with the following problems:
(1) OSHA could only adopt or modify a standard through procedures that provide for public
notice, opportunity for public comment, and public hearings. The adoption of a new NEC edition by
these procedures would require extensive effort and application of resources by OSHA and others.
Going through the procedures might result in requirements substantially different from those of the
NEC, thereby creating a conflict between the two standards.
(2) The NEC is intended for use primarily by those who design, install, and inspect electrical
installations. Most of the NEC requirements are not electrical safety–related work practices, electrical
system maintenance, or directly related to employee safety. However, OSHA electrical regulations,
which address employers and employees in their workplaces, needed to consider and develop these
safety areas.
It became apparent that a need existed for a new standard tailored to fulfill OSHA’s
responsibilities that would still be fully consistent with the NEC. This led to the concept of a new
document that would extract suitable portions from the NEC and from other documents applicable
to electrical safety. This concept and an offer of assistance was submitted in May 1975 to the Assistant
Secretary of Labor for OSHA, who responded as follows: "The concept, procedures, and scope of the
effort discussed with my staff for preparing the subject standard appear to have great merit, and an
apparent need exists for this proposed consensus document which OSHA could consider for
promulgation under the provisions of Section 6(b) of the Act. OSHA does have an interest in this
effort and believes the proposed standard would serve a useful purpose." With this positive
encouragement from OSHA, the NFPA Electrical Section unanimously supported a
recommendation that the NEC Correlating Committee examine the feasibility of developing a
document for evaluating electrical safety in the workplace. With recommendations from the
Electrical Section and Correlating Committee, the Standards Council authorized the establishment
of a committee to carry out this examination.
The committee would develop a standard for electrical installations that would be compatible
with the OSHA requirements for employee safety in locations covered by the NEC. The standard was
visualized as consisting of four major parts: Part I, Installation Safety Requirements; Part II, Safety-
Related Work Practices; Part III, Safety-Related Maintenance Requirements; and Part IV, Safety
NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, NFPA, and National Fire Protection Association are registered trademarks of the National Fire
Protection Association, Quincy, Massachusetts 02169.
NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY CONCERNING THE USE OF NFPA STANDARDS
NFPA® codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”), of which the document
contained herein is one, are developed through a consensus standards development process approved by
the American National Standards Institute. This process brings together volunteers representing varied
viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on fire and other safety issues. While the NFPA administers
the process and establishes rules to promote fairness in the development of consensus, it does not
independently test, evaluate, or verify the accuracy of any information or the soundness of any judgments
contained in NFPA Standards.
The NFPA disclaims liability for any personal injury, property, or other damages of any nature
whatsoever, whether special, indirect, consequential or compensatory, directly or indirectly resulting from
the publication, use of, or reliance on NFPA Standards. The NFPA also makes no guaranty or warranty as
to the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.
In issuing and making NFPA Standards available, the NFPA is not undertaking to render professional or
other services for or on behalf of any person or entity. Nor is the NFPA undertaking to perform any duty
owed by any person or entity to someone else. Anyone using this document should rely on his or her own
independent judgment or, as appropriate, seek the advice of a competent professional in determining the
exercise of reasonable care in any given circumstances.
The NFPA has no power, nor does it undertake, to police or enforce compliance with the contents of
NFPA Standards. Nor does the NFPA list, certify, test, or inspect products, designs, or installations for
compliance with this document. Any certification or other statement of compliance with the requirements
of this document shall not be attributable to the NFPA and is solely the responsibility of the certifier or
maker of the statement.
REVISION SYMBOLS IDENTIFYING CHANGES FROM THE PREVIOUS EDITION
Text revisions are shaded. A Δ before a section number indicates that words within that section were
deleted and a Δ to the left of a table or figure number indicates a revision to an existing table or figure.
When a chapter was heavily revised, the entire chapter is marked throughout with the Δ symbol. Where
one or more sections were deleted, a • is placed between the remaining sections. Chapters, annexes,
sections, figures, and tables that are new are indicated with an N .
Note that these indicators are a guide. Rearrangement of sections may not be captured in the markup,
but users can view complete revision details in the First and Second Draft Reports located in the archived
revision information section of each code at www.nfpa.org/docinfo. Any subsequent changes from the
NFPA Technical Meeting, Tentative Interim Amendments, and Errata are also located there.
See ALERT
ALERT: THIS STANDARD HAS BEEN MODIFIED BY A TIA OR ERRATA
Users of NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”) should
be aware that NFPA Standards may be amended from time to time through the issuance of a Tentative
Interim Amendment (TIA) or corrected by Errata. An official NFPA Standard at any point in time consists
of the current edition of the document together with any TIAs and Errata then in effect.
To determine whether an NFPA Standard has been amended through the issuance of TIAs or corrected
by Errata, go to www.nfpa.org/docinfo to choose from the list of NFPA Standards or use the search feature
to select the NFPA Standard number (e.g., NFPA 13). The document information page provides up-to-
date document-specific information as well as postings of all existing TIAs and Errata. It also includes the
option to register for an “Alert” feature to receive an automatic email notification when new updates and
other information are posted regarding the document.
ISBN: 978-145591671-9 (Print)
ISBN: 978-145591672-6 (PDF)
ISBN: 978-145591782-2 (eBook)
, ®
IMPORTANT NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS CONCERNING NFPA STANDARDS
ADDITIONAL NOTICES AND DISCLAIMERS
Updating of NFPA Standards
Users of NFPA codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides (“NFPA Standards”) should be aware that these
documents may be superseded at any time by the issuance of new editions or may be amended from time to time through the
issuance of Tentative Interim Amendments or corrected by Errata. An official NFPA Standard at any point in time consists of
the current edition of the document together with any Tentative Interim Amendments and any Errata then in effect. In order
to determine whether a given document is the current edition and whether it has been amended through the issuance of
Tentative Interim Amendments or corrected through the issuance of Errata, consult appropriate NFPA publications such as the
National Fire Codes® Subscription Service, visit the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org, or contact the NFPA at the address listed
below.
Interpretations of NFPA Standards
A statement, written or oral, that is not processed in accordance with Section 6 of the Regulations Governing the
Development of NFPA Standards shall not be considered the official position of NFPA or any of its Committees and shall not
be considered to be, nor be relied upon as, a Formal Interpretation.
Patents
The NFPA does not take any position with respect to the validity of any patent rights referenced in, related to, or asserted in
connection with an NFPA Standard. The users of NFPA Standards bear the sole responsibility for determining the validity of
any such patent rights, as well as the risk of infringement of such rights, and the NFPA disclaims liability for the infringement
of any patent resulting from the use of or reliance on NFPA Standards.
NFPA adheres to the policy of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) regarding the inclusion of patents in
American National Standards (“the ANSI Patent Policy”), and hereby gives the following notice pursuant to that policy:
NOTICE: The user’s attention is called to the possibility that compliance with an NFPA Standard may require use of an
invention covered by patent rights. NFPA takes no position as to the validity of any such patent rights or as to whether such
patent rights constitute or include essential patent claims under the ANSI Patent Policy. If, in connection with the ANSI Patent
Policy, a patent holder has filed a statement of willingness to grant licenses under these rights on reasonable and
nondiscriminatory terms and conditions to applicants desiring to obtain such a license, copies of such filed statements can be
obtained, on request, from NFPA. For further information, contact the NFPA at the address listed below.
Law and Regulations
Users of NFPA Standards should consult applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. NFPA does not, by the
publication of its codes, standards, recommended practices, and guides, intend to urge action that is not in compliance with
applicable laws, and these documents may not be construed as doing so.
Copyrights
NFPA Standards are copyrighted. They are made available for a wide variety of both public and private uses. These include
both use, by reference, in laws and regulations, and use in private self-regulation, standardization, and the promotion of safe
practices and methods. By making these documents available for use and adoption by public authorities and private users, the
NFPA does not waive any rights in copyright to these documents.
Use of NFPA Standards for regulatory purposes should be accomplished through adoption by reference. The term
“adoption by reference” means the citing of title, edition, and publishing information only. Any deletions, additions, and
changes desired by the adopting authority should be noted separately in the adopting instrument. In order to assist NFPA in
following the uses made of its documents, adopting authorities are requested to notify the NFPA (Attention: Secretary,
Standards Council) in writing of such use. For technical assistance and questions concerning adoption of NFPA Standards,
contact NFPA at the address below.
For Further Information
All questions or other communications relating to NFPA Standards and all requests for information on NFPA procedures
governing its codes and standards development process, including information on the procedures for requesting Formal
Interpretations, for proposing Tentative Interim Amendments, and for proposing revisions to NFPA standards during regular
revision cycles, should be sent to NFPA headquarters, addressed to the attention of the Secretary, Standards Council, NFPA, 1
Batterymarch Park, P.O. Box 9101, Quincy, MA 02269-9101; email: .
For more information about NFPA, visit the NFPA website at www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at
no cost at www.nfpa.org/docinfo.
, Copyright © 2017 National Fire Protection Association®. All Rights Reserved.
NFPA 70E®
Standard for
®
Electrical Safety in the Workplace
2018 Edition
This edition of NFPA 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace®, was prepared by the
Technical Committee on Electrical Safety in the Workplace and released by the Correlating
Committee on National Electrical Code®. It was issued by the Standards Council on August 1, 2017,
with an effective date of August 21, 2017, and supersedes all previous editions.
This document has been amended by one or more Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) and/or
Errata. See "Codes & Standards" at www.nfpa.org for more information.
This edition of NFPA 70E was approved as an American National Standard on August 21, 2017.
Foreword to NFPA 70E
The Standards Council of the National Fire Protection Association announced the formal
appointment of a new electrical standards development committee on January 7, 1976. The
Committee on Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces reported to the Association
through the Technical Correlating Committee on National Electrical Code® (NEC®). The committee
was formed to assist OSHA in preparing an electrical safety standard that would serve OSHA’s needs
and that could be expeditiously promulgated through the provisions of Section 6(b) of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act. OSHA found that in attempting to utilize the latest edition of
the NEC, it was confronted with the following problems:
(1) OSHA could only adopt or modify a standard through procedures that provide for public
notice, opportunity for public comment, and public hearings. The adoption of a new NEC edition by
these procedures would require extensive effort and application of resources by OSHA and others.
Going through the procedures might result in requirements substantially different from those of the
NEC, thereby creating a conflict between the two standards.
(2) The NEC is intended for use primarily by those who design, install, and inspect electrical
installations. Most of the NEC requirements are not electrical safety–related work practices, electrical
system maintenance, or directly related to employee safety. However, OSHA electrical regulations,
which address employers and employees in their workplaces, needed to consider and develop these
safety areas.
It became apparent that a need existed for a new standard tailored to fulfill OSHA’s
responsibilities that would still be fully consistent with the NEC. This led to the concept of a new
document that would extract suitable portions from the NEC and from other documents applicable
to electrical safety. This concept and an offer of assistance was submitted in May 1975 to the Assistant
Secretary of Labor for OSHA, who responded as follows: "The concept, procedures, and scope of the
effort discussed with my staff for preparing the subject standard appear to have great merit, and an
apparent need exists for this proposed consensus document which OSHA could consider for
promulgation under the provisions of Section 6(b) of the Act. OSHA does have an interest in this
effort and believes the proposed standard would serve a useful purpose." With this positive
encouragement from OSHA, the NFPA Electrical Section unanimously supported a
recommendation that the NEC Correlating Committee examine the feasibility of developing a
document for evaluating electrical safety in the workplace. With recommendations from the
Electrical Section and Correlating Committee, the Standards Council authorized the establishment
of a committee to carry out this examination.
The committee would develop a standard for electrical installations that would be compatible
with the OSHA requirements for employee safety in locations covered by the NEC. The standard was
visualized as consisting of four major parts: Part I, Installation Safety Requirements; Part II, Safety-
Related Work Practices; Part III, Safety-Related Maintenance Requirements; and Part IV, Safety
NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, NFPA, and National Fire Protection Association are registered trademarks of the National Fire
Protection Association, Quincy, Massachusetts 02169.
