Ecmweb 7513 Nfpa70e Bookmrepngcropdisplay1
Ecmweb 7513 Nfpa70e Bookmrepngcropdisplay1
Ecmweb 7513 Nfpa70e Bookmrepngcropdisplay1
Ecmweb 7513 Nfpa70e Bookmrepngcropdisplay1
Ecmweb 7513 Nfpa70e Bookmrepngcropdisplay1

Tip of the Week: Play it Safe with a Divide and Conquer Strategy

June 22, 2015
Devote the time needed to gain an in-depth understanding of NFPA 70E.

If you try to use NFPA 70E as a quick reference on a job-by-job basis rather than take the time to understand it, you could be headed for serious trouble. But it has so much information! How can you possibly grasp it all? Apply the same principle you use to isolate the cause of a problem when troubleshooting. Divide it into discrete areas.

This standard is composed of three chapters. Chapter 1 (35 pages) provides the general principles of working safely, along with foundational information for understanding and applying those principles. It starts with a fairly comprehensive glossary; take the time to learn these terms; you won’t be sorry you did.

The next three Articles (105, 110, and 120) are fairly short; they focus on an employer’s responsibilities in establishing safety-related work practices and a safe work environment.

Article 130 takes up more than half of Chapter 1. Its focus is on assessing risks and protecting against them. If your work involves electrical hazards, make a point of becoming very familiar with Art. 130. That isn’t easy, as this Article contains several pages of tables and is fairly heavy reading.

Break it down into daily study; spend 15 minutes each day reading a few subsections until you’ve worked your way through it. Then repeat that process a few times. You will easily become Art. 130-proficient.

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.

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