NFPA Journal - Summer 2022 - 65

Cable Terminations, formerly Article 311
in the 2020 NEC, includes recommendations
of several modifications.
Safeguarding people
As it states in section 90.1, the purpose
of the NEC is " the practical safeguarding
of persons and property from
hazards arising from the use of electricity. "
It should come as no surprise that
several changes are being proposed
that align specifically with that safety
goal.
Anyone who has serviced electrical
equipment is aware of the additional
risk posed by working on an uneven
platform or ground. Sections 110.26(A)
(6) and 110.34(A) include proposed revisions
that would require that working
space for electrical equipment provide
a floor, platform, grade, or similar
working surface that is as flat and level
as practicable for the entire depth and
width of the working space. CMP-01
concluded in the panel statement for
the first revision that " having a flat level
working space is vital to the safety of
personnel working on the equipment. "
Proposed 2023 NEC changes not only
seek to assist anyone working directly
on electrical systems, but also anyone
working near or using electrical systems.
During the 2020 NEC cycle, new section
230.85 was added to address emergency
disconnects in one- and two-family
dwellings. The original change was
brought about to assist first responders
in safely removing power from the structure
before performing such actions
as battling a fire or checking for gas
leaks. For the 2023 NEC, section 230.85
received 21 public inputs that sought
to add clarity to the structure of the
section and further improve upon the
safety requirements provided. Revisions
are recommended by the CMP to further
clarify requirements on the location,
rating, grouping, identification, and
marking of emergency disconnects.
Another suggested change to the 2023
NEC around safeguarding of persons
is the addition of the new Informative
Annex K Use of Medical Electrical
Equipment in Dwellings and Residential
Board-and-Care Occupancies. While
Informative Annexes are included for
informational purposes and are not
enforceable parts of the code, the addition
of Informative Annex K is intended
to raise awareness of electrical safety
needs related to using medical electrical
equipment (MEE) in dwellings and
assisted living residences. The aim for
adding Annex K to the 2023 NEC is to
improve upon safety for individuals as
it becomes more common for in-home
medical care, and associated MEE, to be
incorporated into private and semi-private
residences.
SELECTED
CONFERENCE
SESSIONS
Believe in Safety-An Arc-Flash
Survivor's Perspective
Monday, June 6, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Brandon Schroeder
Developing a Comprehensive
Electrical Safety Program-
Nine Key Components
Monday, June 6, 10:30 a.m.-noon
David Rewitzer and
Jonathan Dawe, Patterson &
Dewar Engineers
NFPA 70E and Electrical Risk
Assessment: The Human Factor
Tuesday, June 7, 9:15-10:15 a.m.
Paul Zoubek, Zoubek Consulting
Are Your Qualified Electrical
Workers Truly Qualified?
Tuesday, June 7, 2-3 p.m.
Doug Tellin, Electrical Safety
Specialists
NEC 2023: Changes to the
National Electrical Code
Wednesday, June 8,
10:30-11:30 a.m.
David Williams, Delta Township,
Michigan; Thomas Domitrovich,
Eaton
Codes and Standards
for Electrical Installation-
Beyond the NEC
Wednesday, June 8, 2-3 p.m.
Corey Hannahs, NFPA
Marina Safety and the
2020 NEC
Wednesday, June 8,
3:15-4:15 p.m.
Donald Cook, Dewberry-
Edmonds; Robert Osborne, UL
Wiring and protection
After proposing the introduction of 14
AWG copper-clad aluminum conductors
during the 2020 NEC cycle-and
being unsuccessful at both the committee
level and on the floor of the NFPA
Technical Meeting-an appeal was submitted
to the NFPA Standards Council.
While the appeal was denied as part
of the final Standards Council Decision
#19-2, the ruling stated that " the
Council directs NFPA staff to establish
a bimetals task group of balanced interests
to review the proposed changes to
the 2020 edition of the NEC that relate
to copper-clad aluminum conductors
and recommend changes through a
tentative interim amendment and/or
provide public inputs for the next revision
cycle. "
After much work by the task group to
better understand the research behind
copper-clad aluminum conductors, as
well as how their implementation could
impact the landscape of the 2023 NEC,
15 public inputs were submitted by the
task group on 10 NEC articles. Because
14 AWG copper-clad aluminum conductors
are rated at 10 amperes, many
of the proposed public inputs focused
on implementation of the 10-ampere
rating into areas such as minimum
branch circuit rating, overcurrent protective
devices, receptacles, and AFCI
protection.
Ground-fault circuit-interrupter
(GFCI) protection is typically discussed
each cycle of the NEC, and
2023 has been no exception. The
" specific appliances " section in
210.8(D) has a proposed revision that
would require GFCI protection at
the branch circuit or outlet for any
of the following appliances that are
rated 150 volts or less to ground, 60
amperes or less, and single- or threephase:
automotive vacuum machines,
drinking water cooler and bottle fill
stations, high-pressure spray washing
machines, tire inflation machines,
vending machines, sump pumps,
dishwashers, electric ranges, wallmounted
ovens, counter-mounted
cooking units, clothes dryers, and
microwave ovens.
The substantiation for the public
inputs that were submitted sought
NFPA .ORG/JOURNAL * NFPA JOURNAL | 65
http://nfpa.org/journal
NFPA Journal - Summer 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - Summer 2022
