Test & Measurement

Tip of the Week: The Basics of NFPA 70E

Aug. 17, 2015

Chapter 3 provides safety-related information for specific kinds of equipment.

Chapter 3 of NFPA 70E consists of six Articles. The first is the introduction, and each of the remaining five applies to a specific type of equipment.

Article 300 (the introduction) consists of three small sections:

Scope. For certain equipment, Chapter 3 modifies the general requirements of Chapter 1.
Responsibility. The employer must provide and train employees in safety-related work practices. Employees must follow those practices.
Organization. This tells you what’s in each of the six Articles.

The five equipment Articles are:

Article 310 — Safety-Related Work Practices for Electrolytic Cells. Two important hazards to protect against are electric shock hazard and arc flash hazard.
Article 320 — Safety Requirements Related to Batteries and Battery Rooms. Two important hazards to protect against are electric shock hazard and contact with the electrolyte (acid).
Article 330 — Safety-Related Practices for Use of Lasers. About half of the Article consists of definitions; strong emphasis on knowing this equipment.
Article 340 — Safety-Related Work Practices: Power Electronic Equipment. Examples include arc welders, high-power radio transmitting towers, industrial radio frequency induction heaters, and motor drives.

Article 350 — Safety-Related Work Requirements: Research and Development Laboratories. The shortest of these Articles, 350 emphasizes that only competent people using listed (or field-evaluated) equipment should work in these labs.

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.