bobby ocampo
Senior Member
Is there a part in the NEC that mentioned NFPA70B? If there is what part? Thanks in advance
NFPA 70B
- Thread starter bobby ocampo
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luckylerado
Senior Member
- Location
- Lake of the Ozarks
I see it refereed to in 708.6 and 708.8 informational notes and again in Annex G.
"Informational Note: For testing and maintenance procedures, see NFPA 70B..."
That is it as far as I can tell.
bobby ocampo
Senior Member
Why do you think NFPA70B is not mentioned often in the NEC?
- Location
- Illinois
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- retired electrician
Because the NEC is an installation code. The information in 70B is outside the scope of the NEC.
bobby ocampo
Senior Member
Why is it not referred more often since Code says that Compliance therewith and PROPER MAINTENANCE will result in an installation that is essentially free from hazard....
Should the code emphasize PROPER maintenance in all the electrical equipment and refer to NFPA 70B?
Should the code emphasize PROPER maintenance in all the electrical equipment and refer to NFPA 70B?
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Historical sequencing?
Same reason the New Testament is not mentioned much in the Old Testament.
Same reason the New Testament is not mentioned much in the Old Testament.
- Location
- Mission Viejo, CA
- Occupation
- Professional Electrical Engineer
Don already expressed the primary difference. I will expand on that a bit. The NEC primarily focuses on installations that are intended to be visually inspected before some form of approval to energize. The fact that it doesn't always (or even usually) happen is irrelevant. Maintenance is rarely inspected by an enforcing authority after the initial permission to energize. Only subsequent failures warrant their attention, usually by State or Federal OSHA, a Fire Marshal, or Insurance Agency.
Second, NFPA 70B is only a "Recommended Practice" and, by NFPA general rules/regulations, is not intended to be adopted by AHJs, local or otherwise. See Part 2.4 of the NFPA Manual of Style.
BIG NOTE: OSHA agencies can and will enforce 70B after the fact under its General Duty Clause where failure to properly maintain is a "recognized hazard" by the industry involved.
Second, NFPA 70B is only a "Recommended Practice" and, by NFPA general rules/regulations, is not intended to be adopted by AHJs, local or otherwise. See Part 2.4 of the NFPA Manual of Style.
BIG NOTE: OSHA agencies can and will enforce 70B after the fact under its General Duty Clause where failure to properly maintain is a "recognized hazard" by the industry involved.
bobby ocampo
Senior Member
If Maintenance greatly improves safety, Why not require periodic test and inspection of electrical wiring to be submitted to the AHJ? Test results may be required by AHJ if proposed in the Code or at least refer NFPA 70B to be the guide for PROPER maintenance.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Periodic safety inspections of wiring are in fact done is some european countries, so it is not unworkable. But adding that additional structure and expense to our system would not be a simple transition. And, of course, somebody would have to produce a study showing that the safety benefits justify the additional cost to society.
bobby ocampo
Senior Member
What is the major cause of fire in the US? Is it Electrical In Nature?
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Not even close....electrical fires cause between 11 and 13% of the fires in the US. For dwelling units, cooking and cooking equipment account for about 40% of the fires.
luckylerado
Senior Member
- Location
- Lake of the Ozarks
AHJ's do not have the time for something like that nor are the funded for such an obligation. Proper maintenance is the responsibility of the owner and needs to be done IAW the manufactures instructions. I have not seen 70B but it is my educated guess that it is full of "according to manufactures instruction" language.
- Location
- Mission Viejo, CA
- Occupation
- Professional Electrical Engineer
It is important to recognize the National Electrical Code isn't enforced nationally. The closest is FedOSHA and its "Final Rule" is based on the 2002 NEC; it doesn't generally include residential occupancies either.
Local enforcement is up to State or various municipal adoptions. Even then, the latest edition is not necessarily adopted and several local adoptions include amendments that may even remove requirements.
One of the most common reasons for rejecting Public Input (Proposals or Comments) is, "How will this suggestion be enforced?".
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