NFPA News Release

[bphgravity]

Latest edition of the National Electrical Code? adopted by numerous states
Provisions in the 2005 NEC? already strengthening public safety across the U.S.

August 9, 2005 ? Jurisdictions throughout the United States are moving quickly to adopt the 2005 edition of NFPA 70, National Electrical Code? (NEC?). Since the 50th edition of the code was issued by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) late last year, it has been adopted and used on a statewide basis in 14 states.

Previous editions of the NEC have been used throughout the U.S. and around the world as the blueprint for electrical safety. Many state and local governments update their electrical code adoptions in conjunction with the three year NEC revision cycle.

?The quality of the 2005 NEC is what led us to make this decision,? said Don Offerdahl, executive director of North Dakota?s Electrical Board. ?We know that the added provisions in the 2005 NEC have strengthened public safety in our state.?

?Our focus is on providing the safest electrical requirements possible,? said Bill Laidler of the Massachusetts Board of Fire Prevention Regulations. ?The fact is the 2005 NEC provides the best set of safety requirements ever found in an electrical code.? Joining North Dakota and Massachusetts in using the 2005 NEC are the following states: Colorado, Idaho, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Many other states have already started the process of updating their current NEC adoption to include the 2005 edition.

The NEC has long been the world?s most widely adopted safety code. The 2005 edition of the code offers additional safety requirements to protect people and property against fire and shock hazards associated with the use of electricity.

Specifically, the 2005 NEC offers:

Stronger protection against electric shock: The 2005 NEC expands requirements for ground-fault-circuit interrupters (GFCIs), calling for the devices to be used more extensively in homes, businesses, and public places.
Greater protections against fire: The 2005 NEC requires the use of the latest in arc-fault-circuit interrupter (AFCI) technology.

New safeguards for electrical workers: The 2005 NEC contains new provisions that are designed to minimize shock and burn hazards faced by those who install and service electrical systems.

Increased reliability of emergency systems: The 2005 NEC requires that building emergency systems intended to provide occupant safety in the event of fire or other disaster include operational safeguards that will increase the reliability of these important public safety systems.

?We wanted to have those and other electrical safety provisions in place in our state, and that is why we worked quickly to adopt and begin using the 2005 NEC,? said Offerdahl.

Since 1911, NFPA has been the developer of the NEC. The NEC is part of a full set of codes for the built environment developed by NFPA and its partners. The 300 NFPA technical committees responsible for developing and updating codes and standards include 6,000 volunteers, representing enforcing authorities, installation and maintenance, labor, research and testing, insurance, special experts, consumers, and other users.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

 

[paul32]

Not sure how they count. Minnesota isn't listed as one of the 14 states, but the 2005 NEC was official in MN as of July 1, 2005.

And, why did you post a year old press release?

 

[celtic]

And, why did you post a year old press release?

...becuase it's bad news that travels fast.

Provisions in the 2005 NEC? already strengthening public safety across the U.S.

This is "good news"

 

[Cavie]

Bryan, when is Florida going to adopt and why does it alwasy take so long?

 

[bphgravity]

Bryan, when is Florida going to adopt and why does it alwasy take so long?

November 1st, 2006.

The Glitch Code Amendment cycle that occurs each year to update the building code took much longer than expected when the change was taking place from the 2001 to 2004 FBC. During the process, it was deceided by the Florida Building Commission that there was not enough time for the review of the 2005 NEC when the 2004 FBC was being adopted last October.

It was decided at that time adoption of the NEC would have to take place the next year Glitch code cycle which has also been delayed one month to November.

The result is that every time the FBC gets updated to the new version, it follows one year following the most recent ICC version of the same code. The problem is the NEC is on a different 3 year cycle which will continue to delay the adoption of the NEC at least a year from the time of its publication. So the 2007 FBC will be adopted one year from the release of the 2006 ICC. Since the NEC doesn't fall into that schedule, it will be adopted late every code change.

Even more concering is that the Florida Building Commission is considering skipping the 2008 NEC so that the 2011 NEC can be adopted at time of its release and put the state back on a regular schedule. This means the 2005 will be enforced until then and the 2008 may never be adopted before the 2011 is released.