NFPA Journal - July/August 2013 - (Page 38)
>>ELECTRICAL SAFETY
NEC, NFPA 70E, ANd morE
jeffrey sargent
Staying Current
I
n August, after three years of
work by the code-making panels
and NFPA staff, NFPA will issue
the 53rd edition of the National Electrical Code® (NEC®). The 2014 edition
represents yet another milestone for
the country’s most widely recognized and adopted safety code for the
built environment.
While the logical next step is for
the code to become the law of the
land through state and local adoption,
some may question the necessity of
adopting the 2014 NEC when the 2011
THERE ARE MANY reasons
why using the most up-todate version of the code is
the best and safest route.
edition is, to their thinking, “good
enough.” My response is that there
are numerous reasons why using the
most up-to-date version of the code is
always the best and safest route.
Like its predecessors, the 2014
edition of the NEC contains requirements covering a wide range of new
38
NFPA JOURNAL JULY/AUGUST 2013
and emerging topics. Technology
development and product innovation
are dynamic processes, and safety
codes and standards such as the NEC
are continually revised so that their
requirements enable, rather than
preclude, the safe integration of new
products into the electrical infrastructure of homes and businesses.
A good example from the 2014
edition is the new Article 393, “LowVoltage Suspended Ceiling Power
Distribution Systems.” These systems distribute low-voltage AC or
DC power that is integrated into the
suspended-ceiling grid network commonly installed in office, mercantile,
and institutional occupancies. These
systems may be supplied by an
alternative energy source, such as a
photovoltaic or wind power system,
to supply equipment above, below,
or within the ceiling.
Another example of the way the
NEC has evolved to meet emerging
safety concerns is the way it addresses
photovoltaic (PV) installations. Recent
federal and state incentives, as well
as the maturation of the industry,
have resulted in thousands of
new PV installations that, in
turn, may have unintended
consequences for those
responding to emergencies at rooftop
installations. That’s
why the 2014 edition of
the NEC includes a new
requirement that addresses
the rapid shutdown of PV
systems installed in or
on buildings, providing
first responders a way
to quickly lower the
voltage on PV system
conductors. This is one more way
the NEC addresses important safety
concerns without obstructing the
implementation of a proliferating
energy source.
Hand-in-hand with evolving
code requirements is the need to
train qualified installers and inspectors on these new technologies to
ensure that the installations and
those who service them are safe.
Training programs for electricians
and inspectors based on the 2014
edition of the NEC will be provided
throughout the United States by a
number of different organizations.
So is the previous version of the
code really “good enough”? Absolutely, for the period of time when
it was current. As these examples
illustrate, however, the electrical
world is dynamic and fastmoving, and the only way to keep
pace safely is by using the most upto-date safety requirements. Older
codes can actually be a barrier to
implementing new technology
and methods that, in many cases,
provide economic benefits for electrical consumers.
The subject matter experts
brought together by NFPA have
done their part to make the NEC as
current as possible, and now it’s up
to those responsible for adopting
safety codes to do theirs. That
means making sure the requirements covering new products and
methods hit their intended target
and protect people and property
from the hazards that naturally
arise from the use of electricity.
jeffrey sargent is a regional
electrical code specialist for NFPA.
Illustration: Rob Dunlavey
Why it’s so important to use the most recent edition of the NEC
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - July/August 2013
NFPA Journal - July/August 2013
Contents
First Word
In a Flash
Perspectives
Firewatch
Research
Heads Up
Structural Ops
In Compliance
Buzzwords
Outreach
Electrical Safety
Wildfire Watch
Loud + Clear
Allied in Safety
Front Burner
Firefighter Fatalities in the United States, 2012
Fire Analysis + Research
Section Spotlight
What’s Hot
Looking Back
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