Test & Measurement

Tip of the Week: NFPA 70E

Feb. 4, 2015

Tips on why to own a copy of this standard

Become familiar with the 2015 edition of NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. This began as a weak standard, but that is no longer the case. Of all the electrical standards produced by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), only the NEC outsells NFPA 70E.

The NEC is officially known as NFPA 70, National Electrical Code; it and NFPA 70E should be used together. NFPA 70 is the first in a series of standards bearing NFPA 70 in the title. NFPA 70B provides the recommended practices for maintaining electrical equipment. NFPA 70C covers classifying hazardous locations.

Just as the NEC confuses many people, so does NFPA 70E. A key to clearing the NEC fog is understanding how the NEC is laid out and what that layout means. This also works for NFPA 70E. With the 2015 edition, Chapter 4 from the 2009 version was removed.

In future tips, we’ll look at what was included.

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.