Electrical Safety in the News
Electrical Safety Support During Curtailed Operations
March 16, 2020
While the Laboratory is in a state of Curtailed Operations, the Electrical Safety Group will reduce it’s on site presence to practice “Social Distancing”. Support of the Laboratory’s mission will continue to take place remotely. Requests that require on-site support will be prioritized and coordinated to ensure best use of limited resources. Response time may be delayed. For LOTO support requests click here For Non-NRTL (small chassis) equipment inspection support click here For Electrical Installation Inspection requests click here For Divisional electrical safety contacts or other requests click here
Line crew’s safety training saves infant’s life
March 4, 2015
“We go to CPR training every year, and we’re always told that we’ll use it more away from work than at work,” said Arty Mayfield of Vacaville, California. “This is what we do. This is what we’re trained to do.”…read more
Draft 2 of Chapter 8 and the Electrical Safety Manual Out for Review
January 23, 2015
The second draft of the proposed revisions to the Lab’s electrical safety program (PUB-3000, Chapter 8 and the Electrical Safety Manual) have been completed. Both documents are available for viewing. The initial drafts received close to 500 comments from across the lab. These comments were processed and voted on for resolution by an Electrical Safety Sub-Committee and have been incorporated into the current drafts. The next step will be a joint Safety Advisory Committee (SAC) and Electrical Safety Committee (ESC) effort in February to test the proposed electrical work categorization against the actual electrical work being performed in the labs. This has been a huge effort and is a big change from how we have conducted business in the past. By focusing on the electrical hazards that we may be exposed to or expose others to in the course of our work, their removal and/or mitigation, and the associated electrical safe work practices, we are confident that we can create a vibrant electrical safety culture that furthers our scientific mission. Want to get involved? Contact your Safety Advisory Committee representative for more information.
OSHA considering changes to NRTL program
January 22, 2015
Last fall, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) held a stakeholders’ meeting that attracted over 100 attendees from more than 50 organizations to discuss questions and options for changes to OSHA’s Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) program. The NRTL program is now over 25 years old and in need of updates to keep up with the changing demands of both manufacturers and employees, so OSHA is embarking on a multi-year plan to update and modernize the program. The stakeholders’ meeting was held to get input from vendors, customers and the NRTLs. Proposed changes include a common certification mark that would identify a device as NRTL-certified, regardless of which NRTL did the testing, as well as changes leveling the playing field between UL and competitor NRTLs. Article from OSHA Today OSHA information page about the NRTL Program improvement project
NFPA Certifications for Electrical Safety
January 21, 2015
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) now has two electrical safety certifications available: Certified Electrical Safety Compliance Professional (CESCP) and as of January 5, 2015 the Certified Electrical Safety Worker (CESW). Both certifications emphasize electrical safety in the workplace (NFPA 70E); however, from different perspectives. The CESW certification is for the electrician in the workplace. The CESCP certification is open to electricians, electrical engineers, or other professionals working in electrical safety. To differentiate the exams, we have provided each exam’s weighted criteria for the major domains covered. CESCP Certification test description 2012_70E CESW Certification test description