NFPA 70E identifies the key requirements for job safety planning and the job safety briefing in 110.5(I)(1) and (2), respectively. The responsibility for conducting both falls on the employee in charge of the job, and they are required before starting a job that involves electrical hazards.
The job safety plan must be documented. No particular format is required, nor is there a requirement that it be done via software, though such an approach would be more efficient than having each job safety planner free-form it in longhand on paper.
That said, the job safety plan must contain these five elements [110.5(I)(1)(a) through (e)]:
- A description of the job and of the individual task. These descriptions are best kept brief so they are easy to grasp. For example, “We are replacing Breaker XYZ and the major steps are ….”
- Identification of the electrical hazards associated with each task. Make this brief, but specific. Perhaps there are no electrical hazards because you will use lockout/tagout to eliminate them; in that case, this step is done.
- A shock risk assessment for tasks involving a shock hazard. Use the detailed methodology of 130.4 when conducting the assessment.
- An arc flash risk assessment for tasks involving an arc flash hazard. Use the detailed methodology of 130.5 when conducting the assessment.
- Identification of the applicable work procedures, special precautions, energy source controls.
The job safety plan is the basis for the job briefing. The main point of the job briefing is to communicate the job safety plan. If an energized electrical work permit is required, that also must be covered during the job briefing [110.5(I)(2)].
If there’s a change of scope during the course of work and it could affect job safety, update the job safety plan and brief everyone on what has changed [110.5(I)(3)].21248182
