In an attempt to clear up the confusion over the “neat and workmanlike manner” requirement in the NEC, the Alabama Electrical Contractors Board has approved the use of National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS) for regulator purposes. The NEIS are a series of quality standards for electrical construction, published by NECA and ANSI that take the subjectivity out of the neat and workmanlike requirements.
“What this action means is that counties throughout the state now have the ability to adopt NEIS standards for electrical construction within their jurisdiction,” says Alabama Electrical Contractor Board chairman, David Carpenter. “This means they’ll be able to inspect jobs to the workmanship requirements of the NEIS, in addition to safety requirements of the NEC.”
Because the NEIS are quality standards, they contain additional requirements that go beyond NEC safety minimums. Among the supplemental material are the following:
Receiving and storing material on site.
Proper handling and lifting procedures.
Seismic bracing of electrical equipment.
Installation procedures, such as conduit bending.
Testing, lamp burn-in, and other project close-out procedures
“There are a lot of benefits to using NEIS, and it’s up to us to inform Alabama Code officials and inspectors all about them,” says Carpenter.