Responsibilities

Arc flash safety precautions fall under the general responsibilities related to working with electrical equipment. Awareness of arc flash hazards and the means to reduce them should always be top priority in an organization because of the serious danger they present.

Arc flash safety is everyone's responsibility.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 Code of Federal Regulations Part 1910 Subpart S provides required standards that industries must follow regarding electrical safety. It was formed in cooperation with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), making the NFPA 70E standard the most certain way to ensure OSHA compliance. Concerns specific to arc flash events were prominent in the cooperatively developed 2015 edition of the NFPA 70E standard. The update to the 2018 NFPA 70E standard requires employees to comply with safety-related work practices and procedures provided by the employer.

The 2021 NFPA 70E standard also includes an informational note regarding multi-employer worksites. In such instances, more than one employer can be responsible for identifying hazardous conditions and creating safe work practices.

To learn more about Arc Flash Safety visit our OSHA Construction Arc Flash Safety Online Training web page.