+---
+title: Electrical Safety Program
+category: Electrical
+toc_depth: 3
+description: >
+ When to use: Establishing a facility-level written electrical safety program governing all work on or near energized equipment (50 V and above, from 120 V branch circuits through 15 kV distribution) on commercial, institutional, industrial, and infrastructure projects. Covers arc flash risk assessment methodology, arc flash and approach boundary labeling, energized electrical work permits, lockout/tagout, PPE selection, qualified-person work boundaries, training, and the program review cycle. Addresses both owner-furnished programs under NFPA 70E and contractor-submitted safety program submittals.
+ Not intended for: Arc flash incident energy and short-circuit calculations themselves (see [[sync/arc-flash-study]] and [[sync/short-circuit-study]] which produce the labels and PPE assignments this program consumes); general equipment warning-label graphics, fonts, and materials (see [[sync/equipment-labeling]]); pre-energization and commissioning acceptance tests (see [[sync/electrical-acceptance-testing]]); healthcare essential electrical system design (see [[sync/healthcare-essential-electrical-systems]]); kitchen exhaust electrical interlocks (see [[sync/kitchen-exhaust-systems]]); and metal building grounding and bonding (see [[sync/metal-building-systems]]).
+---
+
+# Scope {toc}
+
+## This standard specifies a written Electrical Safety Program (ESP) governing all work performed on or near energized electrical conductors and circuit parts, and the safety-related work practices that program enforces.
+
+## The program applies to electrical equipment and circuits operating at 50 V or more, alternating or direct current, from 120 V branch circuits through 15 kV distribution. {note}
+
+## NFPA 70E sets 50 V as the threshold below which a written electrical safety program and the associated shock and arc flash protection requirements are not triggered. Above that threshold the full apparatus of risk assessment, boundaries, permits, and PPE applies, scaling in rigor with voltage and available fault current rather than switching on only at high voltage. {note}
+
+## The program covers hazard identification and arc flash risk assessment methodology, boundary and incident-energy labeling, energized electrical work permit (EEWP) procedures, lockout/tagout (LOTO), PPE selection, qualified-person work boundaries, training, and the program review cycle. {note}
+
+## This program consumes the output of the arc flash study; it does not specify the engineering calculation methodology. {note}
+
+## Incident energy, available fault current, clearing time, and the resulting PPE category for each piece of equipment are produced by the short-circuit study, the protective device coordination study, and the arc flash calculation. Those analyses are owned by [[sync/arc-flash-study]] and [[sync/short-circuit-study]]. This standard governs how that output is labeled, who may work inside the resulting boundaries, what permits and PPE are required, and how the program is maintained. {note}
+
+## Owner-furnished and contractor-submitted programs are both within scope. {note}
+
+## On many construction projects the Owner maintains a facility electrical safety program and each electrical contractor must either work under it or submit an equivalent program for review. This standard defines the content both must contain and the equivalency review that reconciles them, so that site-wide safety coverage has no gaps where one contractor's procedures fall short of the Owner's. {note}
+
+# Referenced Standards {toc}
+
+## Work, equipment, and documentation shall comply with the latest adopted edition of each of the following unless a specific edition is cited.
+
+## Where referenced standards conflict, the more stringent requirement shall govern unless the Authority Having Jurisdiction or the Owner's electrical safety authority directs otherwise in writing.
+
+| Standard | Title |
+|----------|-------|
+| NFPA 70E-2024 | Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace |
+| NFPA 70 (NEC) 2023 | National Electrical Code (Article 110.16) |
+| IEEE 1584-2018 | Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations |
+| OSHA 29 CFR 1910 Subpart S | Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices (General Industry) |
+| OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147 | The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) |
+| OSHA 29 CFR 1926.417 | Lockout and Tagging of Circuits (Construction) |
+| OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K | Electrical Safety (Construction) |
+| ANSI Z535.4-2011 (R2017) | Product Safety Signs and Labels |
+| NFPA 70B-2023 | Recommended Practice for Electrical Equipment Maintenance |
+
+## The NFPA 70E 2024 edition (effective May 13, 2023) shall be the governing edition for this program.
+
+## The 2024 edition introduced the requirement for a second qualified person during all justified energized work under a permit, and a hearing-protection mandate within the arc flash boundary. Programs still written to the 2021 edition omit both. The edition is named explicitly here so that submittals cannot satisfy this standard by citing a superseded edition. {note}
+
+# Submittals {toc}
+
+## The Contractor shall submit the following action submittals for review and approval before any work on or near energized equipment begins:
+- Written Electrical Safety Program document, or a written statement electing to work under the Owner's program
+- Energized Electrical Work Permit (EEWP) form template
+- Lockout/Tagout written procedure, including group lockout provisions
+- PPE program identifying arc-rated clothing and equipment stocked by PPE category
+- Qualified-person roster with documented training and credentials
+
+```datasheet
+label: Action Submittals
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Electrical Safety Program document (or election to use Owner program)
+ - EEWP form template
+ - Lockout/Tagout written procedure (with group lockout)
+ - PPE program by category
+ - Qualified-person roster with training records
+default: []
+```
+
+## The Contractor shall submit the following informational submittals:
+- Arc flash and shock risk assessment results, where the Contractor performs or updates the study
+- Arc flash label schedule keyed to equipment identification
+- Manufacturer arc rating (ATPV or EBT) certification for each arc-rated garment and hood
+- Insulating rubber glove and insulated-tool test certificates
+
+```datasheet
+label: Informational Submittals
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Arc flash and shock risk assessment results
+ - Arc flash label schedule keyed to equipment IDs
+ - Arc rating (ATPV/EBT) certification for arc-rated PPE
+ - Insulating glove and insulated-tool test certificates
+default: []
+```
+
+## The Contractor shall submit the following closeout submittals before project completion:
+- Final arc flash study report reflecting as-built system configuration
+- Training records for all electrical workers, with retraining dates
+- Periodic LOTO inspection records for the construction period
+
+```datasheet
+label: Closeout Submittals
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Final as-built arc flash study report
+ - Training records with retraining dates
+ - Periodic LOTO inspection records
+default: []
+```
+
+# Quality Assurance {toc}
+
+## The electrical safety program shall be administered by a designated electrical safety authority responsible for the program's content, currency, and enforcement.
+
+## All work on or near energized conductors operating at 50 V or more shall be performed only by qualified persons as defined in this program.
+
+## The arc flash and shock risk assessment shall be performed by, or under the direct supervision of, a licensed professional engineer.
+
+## Qualified persons shall be trained in and demonstrate the skills and techniques required to distinguish exposed energized parts, determine nominal voltage, and identify the approach distances corresponding to that voltage.
+
+## NFPA 70E and OSHA 1910.332 define a qualified person by demonstrated ability, not by job title or seniority. The definition is task- and equipment-specific: a worker qualified on 480 V panelboards is not automatically qualified on 15 kV switchgear. The program's roster must therefore record the equipment classes and voltage ranges each person is qualified for, not a blanket designation. {note}
+
+## Unqualified persons shall not cross the limited approach boundary unless continuously escorted by a qualified person and protected from contact with energized parts.
+
+# Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment {toc}
+
+## Before any work that exposes a worker to an electrical hazard, the qualified person shall perform a shock risk assessment and an arc flash risk assessment for the task.
+
+## The risk assessment is the gate that decides whether work proceeds energized or de-energized, what boundaries apply, and what PPE is required. It is performed for the specific task and equipment condition (covers on versus removed, doors open versus closed), not once for the facility. The facility arc flash study supplies the incident energy and boundary numbers; the task-level assessment applies them to the work actually being done. {note}
+
+## The default condition for all work shall be an electrically safe work condition established by de-energizing and applying lockout/tagout; energized work shall be performed only when justified under an EEWP.
+
+## The PPE selection method governing this program shall be specified so that field workers do not mix methods on the same equipment.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Arc Flash PPE Selection Method
+type: radio
+options:
+ - Incident Energy Analysis Method (IEEE 1584-2018)
+ - PPE Category Method (NFPA 70E Table 130.5(G))
+default: Incident Energy Analysis Method (IEEE 1584-2018)
+```
+
+## Where the incident energy analysis method is used, PPE shall be selected from the incident energy (cal/cm²) at the working distance, not from a category number.
+
+## The PPE category number (1 through 4) and the incident energy value in cal/cm² are not interchangeable. When a study reports incident energy, the field selection is made against the actual calculated value at the labeled working distance. Treating a 12 cal/cm² result as "Category 2 because it is over 8" misreads the methods and can under-protect the worker. {note}
+
+## The PPE category method shall not be applied to any task or equipment not covered by NFPA 70E Table 130.5(G).
+
+## The category table covers a defined set of equipment types, voltages, available fault currents, and clearing times. Tasks or equipment outside those parameters - including many medium-voltage configurations and any equipment whose fault current or clearing time exceeds the table's stated limits - have no valid category entry. Such tasks require the incident energy analysis method. Defaulting the whole facility to the category table without checking coverage is a common and dangerous error. {note}
+
+## Tasks with calculated incident energy exceeding 40 cal/cm² shall not be performed energized.
+
+## The available incident energy threshold shall be defined consistently with the arc flash boundary, the distance at which incident energy equals 1.2 cal/cm².
+
+## 1.2 cal/cm² is the onset of a second-degree burn on unprotected skin. The arc flash boundary marks where a worker without arc-rated protection would receive that exposure during an arc event, and is calculated per IEEE 1584-2018 for each equipment location. {note}
+
+# Approach Boundaries and Labeling {toc}
+
+## Each piece of equipment likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized shall bear an arc flash warning label.
+
+## Arc flash labels shall display all of the required fields so that the worker can select boundaries and PPE without consulting the study report at the equipment.
+
+## NEC 110.16(B), added for industrial occupancies in the 2023 NEC, makes the label more prescriptive than the prior general-warning-only requirement. The label must carry the data the worker needs at the point of work: nominal voltage, the arc flash boundary, the incident energy or required PPE, the working distance the incident energy was calculated at, the available short-circuit current, and the protective device clearing time. A label missing the working distance is non-compliant because the incident energy is only valid at that distance. {note}
+
+## Arc flash labels shall include the fields configured below at minimum.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Arc Flash Label Required Fields
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Nominal system voltage
+ - Arc flash boundary distance
+ - Incident energy (cal/cm²) or PPE category
+ - Working distance
+ - Available short-circuit current
+ - Protective device clearing time
+ - Limited approach boundary
+ - Restricted approach boundary
+default:
+ - Nominal system voltage
+ - Arc flash boundary distance
+ - Incident energy (cal/cm²) or PPE category
+ - Working distance
+ - Available short-circuit current
+ - Protective device clearing time
+ - Limited approach boundary
+ - Restricted approach boundary
+```
+
+## Arc flash labels shall conform to ANSI Z535.4 signal-word, color, and format conventions.
+
+## The arc flash boundary, the limited approach boundary, and the restricted approach boundary shall all be established for each energized work task.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Approach Boundaries Established Per Task
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Arc flash boundary
+ - Limited approach boundary
+ - Restricted approach boundary
+default:
+ - Arc flash boundary
+ - Limited approach boundary
+ - Restricted approach boundary
+```
+
+## The limited approach boundary is the distance from an exposed energized conductor within which a shock hazard exists. {note}
+
+## Unqualified persons shall not cross the limited approach boundary unescorted.
+
+## The restricted approach boundary is the distance within which shock protection techniques and equipment are required. {note}
+
+## Only qualified persons are permitted inside the restricted approach boundary.
+
+## Arc flash labels shall not be finalized or installed until the short-circuit study, protective device coordination study, and arc flash calculations are complete.
+
+## A label can only be printed once the incident energy and boundaries are known, and those depend on the upstream studies in [[sync/arc-flash-study]] and [[sync/short-circuit-study]]. Installing placeholder or pre-study labels creates a false sense of compliance and exposes workers to wrong PPE selections. Label production is therefore sequenced after the study, not concurrent with equipment delivery. {note}
+
+## Arc flash labels shall be replaced whenever the arc flash study is revised.
+
+## Labels derived from a superseded study are non-compliant the moment the study changes, because the incident energy, boundary, or clearing time the worker relies on no longer matches the installed system. The program must tie label replacement to the study update cycle so a system change never leaves stale labels in service. Label graphics, fonts, and materials beyond arc flash content are governed by [[sync/equipment-labeling]]. {note}
+
+# Energized Electrical Work Permit {toc}
+
+## Energized work shall be performed only under an approved Energized Electrical Work Permit, except for the limited testing, troubleshooting, and voltage-measurement tasks that NFPA 70E permits without one.
+
+## An EEWP shall be justified only where de-energizing introduces additional or increased hazards, or is infeasible due to equipment design or operational limitations; convenience shall not be accepted as justification.
+
+## NFPA 70E 130.2 sets a strict justification standard. "It would take too long to shut down" or "the schedule does not allow an outage" are not acceptable. The justification must be safety- or feasibility-based: interrupting life-support or critical ventilation, a continuous process that cannot be interrupted without greater hazard, or equipment that genuinely cannot be tested de-energized. The permit forces that justification to be written down and approved before work, not asserted after. {note}
+
+## A second qualified person shall be present for all justified energized work performed under an EEWP.
+
+## The 2024 edition of NFPA 70E requires a second qualified person for energized work under a permit, both to assist with the task and to be positioned to release emergency response if an incident occurs. Programs written to earlier editions omit this and must be updated. The second person is a permit condition, not a discretionary addition. {note}
+
+## The EEWP shall document the scope of work, the justification, the results of the shock and arc flash risk assessment, the boundaries, the required PPE, and the approvals required before work begins.
+
+```datasheet
+label: EEWP Required Content
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Description and scope of energized work
+ - Justification for energized work
+ - Shock and arc flash risk assessment results
+ - Approach and arc flash boundaries
+ - Required PPE by category or incident energy
+ - Job briefing completed and documented
+ - Authorizing signatures
+default:
+ - Description and scope of energized work
+ - Justification for energized work
+ - Shock and arc flash risk assessment results
+ - Approach and arc flash boundaries
+ - Required PPE by category or incident energy
+ - Job briefing completed and documented
+ - Authorizing signatures
+```
+
+## A job briefing covering the hazards, procedures, special precautions, and emergency response shall be conducted and documented before energized work begins.
+
+# Lockout/Tagout Program {toc}
+
+## The program shall include a written lockout/tagout procedure establishing the energy control steps required to place equipment in an electrically safe work condition.
+
+## LOTO is the default path to safe work and the alternative the EEWP justification is measured against. The written procedure defines, for each equipment category, where energy is isolated, how it is locked and tagged, how stored energy is released, and how the absence of voltage is verified before work. NFPA 70E Article 120 and OSHA 1910.147 both require a written, equipment-specific procedure rather than a generic notice. {note}
+
+## The construction-phase LOTO procedure shall reference OSHA 29 CFR 1926.417, not only the general-industry 1910.147 requirements.
+
+## The construction standard differs from general industry. 1926.417 requires circuits to be rendered inoperative and tagged at all points of energization during construction work; its requirements are not identical to 1910.147. A specification that copies general-industry LOTO language verbatim without the construction citation leaves a gap during the build phase, when much of the energized-adjacent work actually occurs. {note}
+
+## The written LOTO procedure shall, at minimum, establish the energy control elements configured below.
+
+```datasheet
+label: LOTO Procedure Elements
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Equipment categories covered
+ - Sequence of isolation steps
+ - Stored-energy release and verification
+ - Absence-of-voltage test before contact
+ - Individual lock and tag application
+ - Group lockout procedure for multi-craft work
+ - Lock and tag removal and re-energization steps
+default:
+ - Equipment categories covered
+ - Sequence of isolation steps
+ - Stored-energy release and verification
+ - Absence-of-voltage test before contact
+ - Individual lock and tag application
+ - Group lockout procedure for multi-craft work
+ - Lock and tag removal and re-energization steps
+```
+
+## The program shall include a group lockout procedure for work in which more than one worker or more than one craft is on the same equipment simultaneously.
+
+## A single-person LOTO procedure is insufficient when several contractors work the same equipment at once, because any one worker removing a lock could re-energize the circuit on the others. Group lockout - a lockout box or hasp that holds every affected worker's individual lock, with no single person able to release the energy alone - is required wherever multi-craft or multi-contractor work overlaps on one piece of equipment. {note}
+
+## The absence of voltage shall be verified with an adequately rated, tested instrument before any worker contacts a conductor presumed de-energized.
+
+## The voltage-testing instrument shall be checked against a known energized source immediately before and after the absence-of-voltage test.
+
+## Periodic inspection of the energy control procedure shall be performed at least annually.
+
+## OSHA 1910.147(c)(6) requires the employer to inspect each energy control procedure at least annually to verify that workers are following it and that the procedure remains adequate. The inspection is documented and identifies the procedure, the workers included, and the inspector. On long-duration construction this falls within the project; the program must schedule it rather than assume the facility's annual cycle covers project-specific procedures. {note}
+
+```datasheet
+label: LOTO Periodic Inspection Interval
+type: select
+options:
+ - Annually (OSHA minimum)
+ - Semiannually
+ - Quarterly
+default: Annually (OSHA minimum)
+```
+
+# Personal Protective Equipment {toc}
+
+## Arc-rated PPE shall be selected for each task from the incident energy at the working distance or, where the category method applies, from the required PPE category.
+
+## All garments and equipment specified as arc protection shall carry a documented arc rating; flame-resistant clothing without an arc rating shall not be accepted as arc protection.
+
+## Arc-rated and flame-resistant (FR) are not synonyms. All arc-rated clothing is FR, but not all FR clothing has been tested and assigned an arc thermal performance value (ATPV) or breakopen threshold (EBT). Specifying "any FR clothing" without a minimum arc rating per category permits garments that have never been arc-tested. Each garment must carry a documented cal/cm² rating meeting or exceeding the category minimum. {note}
+
+## PPE shall be stocked by category so that the minimum arc rating required for each category is available before work begins.
+
+```datasheet
+label: PPE Categories Stocked On Site
+type: checkbox
+options:
+ - Category 1 - minimum 4 cal/cm² arc rating
+ - Category 2 - minimum 8 cal/cm² arc rating
+ - Category 3 - minimum 25 cal/cm² arc rating
+ - Category 4 - minimum 40 cal/cm² arc rating
+default:
+ - Category 1 - minimum 4 cal/cm² arc rating
+ - Category 2 - minimum 8 cal/cm² arc rating
+```
+
+## Category 1 PPE shall provide a minimum arc rating of 4 cal/cm², comprising arc-rated shirt and pants or coverall, safety glasses, hearing protection, hard hat, and leather gloves.
+
+## Category 2 PPE shall provide a minimum arc rating of 8 cal/cm², adding an arc-rated balaclava and face shield or arc flash hood.
+
+## Category 2 is the most common configuration for commercial panelboard and MCC work. {note}
+
+## Category 3 PPE shall provide a minimum arc rating of 25 cal/cm², comprising an arc flash suit jacket and pants, arc flash hood, and insulating rubber gloves with leather protectors.
+
+## Category 4 PPE shall provide a minimum arc rating of 40 cal/cm², comprising a multi-layer arc flash suit, full arc flash hood, and Class 0 or Class 00 insulating rubber gloves with leather protectors.
+
+## All personnel within the arc flash boundary shall wear hearing protection.
+
+## The 2024 edition of NFPA 70E requires hearing protection for everyone inside the arc flash boundary, recognizing that the acoustic energy of an arc blast can cause hearing damage independent of the thermal hazard. This applies to observers and assistants within the boundary, not only the worker on the equipment. {note}
+
+## Insulating rubber gloves shall be tested and certified at intervals not exceeding the configured period.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Insulating Glove Test Interval
+type: select
+options:
+ - 6 months
+ - 12 months
+default: 6 months
+```
+
+## Arc-rated flame-resistant clothing shall be laundered in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions; processes or additives that degrade the arc rating shall not be used.
+
+## Chlorine bleach, fabric softeners, and high-temperature industrial laundering can strip or mask the flame-resistant treatment of arc-rated garments, reducing the arc rating without any visible change. The program must specify laundering that preserves the rating and prohibit consumer additives that compromise it. {note}
+
+## Voltage-rated insulated hand tools conforming to IEC 60900 (1000 V AC) shall be used for any task requiring contact with or proximity to energized conductors.
+
+## Voltage testers and clamp meters shall be rated CAT III or CAT IV per IEC 61010 for the circuit on which they are used.
+
+# Training {toc}
+
+## Every qualified person shall complete documented electrical safety training before being assigned work on or near energized equipment.
+
+## Training shall cover hazard recognition, the boundaries, the risk assessment procedure, the selection and use of PPE, LOTO, and emergency response including release of energized victims and CPR.
+
+## OSHA 1910.332 and NFPA 70E both make training the foundation of qualified-person status. The content must be specific to the hazards the worker faces and the equipment worked, and must include emergency response, because the person best positioned to act after an arc or shock incident is the trained co-worker already on site. {note}
+
+## Workers shall be retrained at intervals not exceeding the configured period, and whenever the program changes, an audit reveals deficiencies, or new equipment or procedures are introduced.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Retraining Interval
+type: select
+options:
+ - 1 year
+ - 2 years
+ - 3 years
+default: 3 years
+```
+
+## Training records shall document each worker's name, the training content, the dates of training and retraining, and the means used to verify competency.
+
+## Training records shall be retained for the configured period and made available on request.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Training Record Retention
+type: select
+options:
+ - Duration of employment plus 3 years
+ - Duration of employment plus 1 year
+ - 3 years
+default: Duration of employment plus 3 years
+```
+
+# Program Review and Maintenance {toc}
+
+## The arc flash study and the labels and PPE assignments derived from it shall be reviewed at intervals not exceeding the configured period, or whenever a system change affects available fault current or protective device clearing time, whichever occurs first.
+
+```datasheet
+label: Arc Flash Study Review Interval
+type: select
+options:
+ - 5 years (NFPA 70E maximum)
+ - 3 years
+ - 1 year
+default: 5 years (NFPA 70E maximum)
+```
+
+## Any modification that changes available fault current, protective device settings, or clearing time shall trigger re-evaluation of the affected arc flash study results and replacement of the affected labels.
+
+## A new transformer, an upgraded service, a relay setting change, or a breaker replacement can move incident energy and boundaries up or down. The five-year interval is a ceiling, not a license to ignore changes within it. Equipment maintenance condition, addressed in NFPA 70B, also affects clearing time: a breaker that no longer clears in its rated time raises incident energy even with no design change. The program ties re-evaluation to the change, not only to the calendar. {note}
+
+## The overall electrical safety program shall be audited at intervals not exceeding three years to verify that the program is being followed and remains current with the adopted edition of NFPA 70E.
+
+## Contractor-submitted electrical safety programs shall be reviewed for equivalency with the Owner's program before the contractor performs energized-adjacent work.
+
+## An unreviewed contractor program creates a gap in site-wide coverage: the contractor may use different boundaries, different PPE assignments, or a weaker LOTO procedure than the facility requires. The equivalency review confirms the contractor's program meets or exceeds the Owner's on every element of this standard, or directs the contractor to work under the Owner's program instead. Acceptance testing and energization of the installed equipment remain governed by [[sync/electrical-acceptance-testing]]. {note}
+
+# Delivery, Storage, and Handling {toc}
+
+## Arc-rated clothing, hoods, insulating gloves, and insulated tools shall be stored in clean, dry conditions that protect them from contamination, ultraviolet degradation, and physical damage.
+
+## Insulating rubber gloves shall be stored in their protective bags and shall not be folded inside-out or compressed.
+
+## Insulating rubber gloves shall be inspected for damage before each use.
+
+## PPE that has been exposed to an arc event, contaminated, or damaged shall be removed from service and not returned to use until inspected and, where required, re-tested or replaced.
+
+# Spare Parts {toc}
+
+## The Contractor shall maintain spare arc-rated garments, hoods, and insulating gloves sufficient to keep the required PPE categories available while items are out for laundering, testing, or replacement.
+
+## Spare arc flash labels and label stock shall be retained so that labels damaged or made illegible in service can be replaced without delaying work.