NFPA 70E: Reducing and eliminating electrical hazards through electrical equipment design considerations

This paper uses the National Fire Protection Association 70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA 70E) as a guide for designing safer and smarter electrical equipment, in particular large horsepower motor starters under 600 volts. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and NFPA 70E continuously raise the standard for electrical safety in the work place; as such, fundamentally changing how employers keep their employees safe and how employees interact with their electrical equipment. It is the employer´s responsibility to abide by these safety standards; however, these standards should inspire better electrical designs that ease the employer´s burden by reducing or eliminating employee exposure to electrical hazards - the latter should be the main goal of any electrical design. We can accomplish much of this goal by providing employees with maintenance and troubleshooting tools on the outside of energized equipment by using Human Machine Interface touch screens that communicate with internal intelligent components, by isolating power and control components, using permanent electrical safety devices (PESDs) and electric door interlocks. This allows employees to troubleshoot, collect data, and configure motor starter components while it is energized and also eliminates and/or minimizes their exposure to electrical hazards.