The employer is responsible for an electrical safety program that includes “elements to verify that newly installed or modified electrical equipment or systems have been inspected to comply with applicable codes and standards prior to being placed into service” [110.1(B)].
In practice, what does this mean?
Company A. There’s language in the program write-up, but there’s not much said about it otherwise. The assumption is people understand the NEC and won’t create Code violations. Whether other standards are applicable doesn’t come up in discussion.
Company B. The company has a checklist to cover basic NEC requirements such as all unused openings being closed and whether the equipment has a laboratory marking.
Company C. Rotated into the regular safety training is a module on inspecting equipment to ensure it complies with all applicable codes and standards. Among other things, that module addresses how to determine which codes and standards apply.
Company C has an electronic library of as many codes and standards as it can get in electronic form and all electricians have access via company-issued tablet computers (all properly licensed, no pirating). With each installation, electricians follow equipment-specific checklists on their tablets; each completed list is sent wirelessly to a central database. The asset number is automatically supplied in each checklist.
At Company C, equipment that should have a listing or label but does not is sent back to the supplier rather than provided to the installing electricians.
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.