NFPA 70e Hazard catagory 0 Ear plugs

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I just got to ask this question. I was reading the NFPA 70e 2012 and 2009 edition and apparently they require 'ear inserts, (ear plugs) when you are operating a breaker with the covers on. This includes a 120/208 volt 20 amp branch circuit breaker!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for safety and I'm the first to say something when something is not right and there are some good practices in the NFPA 70e that I use. However I do believe the ear plug requirement is overboard for the resetting of 20 or 15 amp breakers with the covers on.

Now everyone has to admit that most of the time when they turn on or reset a 20 or 15 amp branch circuit breaker without taking any of the covers off they are not wearing ear plugs.

Maybe I'm reading the NFPA 70e wrong, at least I hope so about this issue. This issue came up when a friend of mine told me about his boss (who is not an electrician and has no electrical experience and trying to read the NFPA 70e)wanting them to wear the ear plugs during a task like this. The Probelm was it created more problems then helped, because now one of the older workers/journeyman was having trouble hearing his foreman call for him LOL funny!
Of course all the other workers are iritated by this too.

What is your take on this??
 

LEO2854

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I just got to ask this question. I was reading the NFPA 70e 2012 and 2009 edition and apparently they require 'ear inserts, (ear plugs) when you are operating a breaker with the covers on. This includes a 120/208 volt 20 amp branch circuit breaker!

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for safety and I'm the first to say something when something is not right and there are some good practices in the NFPA 70e that I use. However I do believe the ear plug requirement is overboard for the resetting of 20 or 15 amp breakers with the covers on.

Now everyone has to admit that most of the time when they turn on or reset a 20 or 15 amp branch circuit breaker without taking any of the covers off they are not wearing ear plugs.

Maybe I'm reading the NFPA 70e wrong, at least I hope so about this issue. This issue came up when a friend of mine told me about his boss (who is not an electrician and has no electrical experience and trying to read the NFPA 70e)wanting them to wear the ear plugs during a task like this. The Probelm was it created more problems then helped, because now one of the older workers/journeyman was having trouble hearing his foreman call for him LOL funny!
Of course all the other workers are iritated by this too.

What is your take on this??

It looks great in the Book but it is not going to happen much in the real world.:D


Why is it That an Electrician has to do this but a home owner doing the same thing in his home does not.?:eek:
 
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