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Equipment Labeling | Arc Flash Training

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Equipment Labeling
Written by: Brandon McLaren

The National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) has been the steward of the NFPA 70 also known as the Nationa
since 1911. The NEC has undergone many revisions since that time with the oversight of the NFPA Technical

standard is mainly focused on the design and installation of electrical systems. In the United States, complianc
mandated by OSHA and enforced by local jurisdiction.

Though the NEC is not a document focusing on safety from a procedural approach there are several safety asp
them being NEC Article 110.16, which reads:

Flash Protection Switchboards, panelboards, industrial control panels, meter socket enclosures, and motor con

dwelling occupancies, which are likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energize

to warn qualified persons of potential electric arc flash hazards*. The marking shall be located so as to be clearly vis
before examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance of the equipment.

A fine-print note (FPN) to Section 110.16 suggests that warning label design should comply with ANSI Z535.4, which specifies colors and signal words to be

direct reference to the most recent edition of the NFPA 70E at the time of print. These FPN give consistency to the look of the label as well as what inform
therein.
NFPA 70E 2015 requires that the following types of electrical equipment, in locations other than dwellings, be marked with an arc flash warning label:
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Switchboards
Panelboards
Industrial control panels
Meter socket enclosures
Motor control centers

Our practice is to label all three phase equipment, even items not shown in this list. Though this list is published as a guideline, it is considered the minimum
workplaces, and is not to be taken as an indicator where Arc Flash Hazards can only exist.

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The Labeling Requirements Changed in 2012

NFPA 70E 2015 requires arc flash labels to include Nominal Voltage, Arc Flash Boundary, and at least one of the following:
Available incident energy and the corresponding working distance
Minimum arc rating of clothing
Required level of PPE

The 2015 NFPA 70E also added a prohibition for applying labels with PPE categories (formerly Hazard Risk Categories) if an incident energy analysis was
that most labels made in 2015 and beyond will not have pipe categories of #1, #2, #3, and #4 which correspond to a certain level of PPE.

Labeling equipment with the requirements of the 2012 NFPA 70E and following safe work practices, does not ensure an electric arc event will not take pla
personnel with the knowledge and resources to properly protect themselves, mitigate, and some cases, eliminate injury.

Why not get in touch? We would love to hear from you! Contact us here.

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