On Dec. 29, 1970 congress enacted The Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health act of 1970.  The OSHA act requires “that every employer covered under the act furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.“  Compliance with this regulation is enforced by the Department Of Labor.

OSHA adopted the 1968 NEC and then later the 1971 NEC.  OSHA’s goal is the protection of the employee, and the goal of the NEC is prevention of fire during the design and installation of electrical systems.  Effectively the protection of equipment not people. 

Therefore on January 7, 1976 OSHA Electrical Standards Committee requests the NFPA Standards Council create a new electrical standards committee entitled Committee on Electrical Safety Requirements for Employee Workplaces, NFPA 70 E. 

The 70E committee reported to the Technical Correlating Committee of the National Electrical Code.  The new standard was visualized consisting of four parts. 

• Part 1 – Installation Safety Requirements
• Part 2 - Safety-Related Work Practices
• Part 3 – Safety-Related Maintenance Requirements
• Part 4 – Safety Requirements for Special Equipment

 Three years later, 1979, part 1 of NFPA 70E was published.

On August 13, 2007, OSHA, for the first time since 1981, updated the general industry Electrical Standard 1910 subpart S.  NFPA 70E 2000 version Part 1 and the NEC 2002 version are now incorporated by reference.  

• 1970 OSHA Act of Congress Dec. 29, 1970
• 1971 OSHA Adopted 1970 NEC Electrical Installation Guide
• 1976 OSHA Electrical Standards Committee Request NFPA create 70E
• 1979 NFPA 70E Part 1 Published (Installation Safety Requirements)
• 1981 NFPA 70E Part 1-2 (2) Safety Related Work Practices
• 1988 NFPA 70E Part 1-3 (3) Safety Related Maintenance Requirements
• 1995 NFPA 70E Arc Flash recognized as hazard
• 2000 NFPA 70E Part 1-4 (4) Safety Requirements for Special Equipment
• 2000 NFPA 70E First Arc Flash work practices
• 2001 OSHA recognized Arc Flash as an industrial hazard
• 2002 NFPA 70 NEC 110.16 arc flash hazard labels required on Elec. Equipment
• 2007 OSHA Subpart S 1910.303 – 308 will incorporate by reference NFPA 70E 2000 Part 1

Since OSHA was created work-related deaths have decreased by approximately 62% and work-related injuries have decreased by 42%.”

NFPA 70E Designed at OSHA Request and Referenced in Subpart S

a) = chapter 4       b) = chapter 1      c) = chapter 2     d) = chapter 3