# NFPA 70E question



## wheels (Feb 16, 2011)

Hello,

I am new to the electrical safety field so bare with me. I have read the NFPA 70E 2009 edition and have a couple of questions. 

- When working on anything live under 50 volts do you need to fill out an energized electrical work permit? (I know tasks related to testing, troubleshooting, voltage measuring, etc. you do not need a permit) 

- What is best way to determine the proper PPE when I have an Arc Flash Analysis complete? Am I able to take the incident energy and match it with table 130.7(C)(10)?

Thank you


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

wheels said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am new to the electrical safety field so bare with me. I have read the NFPA 70E 2009 edition and have a couple of questions.
> 
> - When working on anything live under 50 volts do you need to fill out an energized electrical work permit? (I know tasks related to testing, troubleshooting, voltage measuring, etc. you do not need a permit)


Usually no, but look at 130.1(A)(3)



wheels said:


> - What is best way to determine the proper PPE when I have an Arc Flash Analysis complete? Am I able to take the incident energy and match it with table 130.7(C)(10)?


Another good question, and something that is being clarified in the 2012 edition. You have some flexibility here, unlike using the tables and HRC's. You need to be sure all parts of the body inside the AFB are covered with PPE rated at an ATPV > the Ei. Using table 130.7(C)(10) is helpful but you are not held to the HRC's. For example if you have a specific area with a 10cal/cm2 Ei using the HRC's would require 25cal/cm2 stuff, but you have calculated the hazard and there fore can use any PPE >10 cal/cm2.


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## wheels (Feb 16, 2011)

Thank you Zog. I am sure I will have more questions as I go.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

wheels said:


> Thank you Zog. I am sure I will have more questions as I go.


You have good questions, not to knock this forum, but arc flash is not the strong point here. You will find some real guru's here. http://arcflashforum.com/


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## 5volts (Jan 11, 2008)

Good info Zog. I just went to a class on the 2009 NFPA 70 E and found out you are supposed to be wearing voltage rated gloves when testing a 120 volt receptacle outlet. That just blew me away. And the fact that the employer is supposed to be providing us with fire rated clothing because when we are troubleshooting a 480 volt panel we need to be suited with balaclava, appropriate ATV suit, face shield, ETC. The employer is not following this and have not provided us with the proper PPE. Although its mostly for machines such as vfd's etc we are supposed to be performing a HRC and suiting up.

As a suggestion to this site a NFPA 70E and a arcflash forum should be added.


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## Zog (Apr 15, 2009)

p_logix said:


> Good info Zog. I just went to a class on the 2009 NFPA 70 E and found out you are supposed to be wearing voltage rated gloves when testing a 120 volt receptacle outlet. That just blew me away.


The instructor is wrong, that is what pisses me off, there are a lot of yahoos out there trying to cash in on this 70E stuff that have no idea what they are talking about. You are required to wear voltage rated gloves when you cross the RAB, which is "avoid contact" for 120V. With gaurded probes on your meter being used on things like an outlet or external test points you can safely "avoid contact". There is even an example related to this in the handbook. 



p_logix said:


> And the fact that the employer is supposed to be providing us with fire rated clothing because when we are troubleshooting a 480 volt panel we need to be suited with balaclava, appropriate ATV suit, face shield, ETC. The employer is not following this and have not provided us with the proper PPE. Although its mostly for machines such as vfd's etc we are supposed to be performing a HRC and suiting up.


Well he got that part right, OSHA requires the employer to provide you with the PPE required to protect you from the hazards associated with your job.


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