A Tale of Two Standards

The plot of Charles Dickens famous novel, A Tale of Two Cities, hinges on the resemblance between two of the main characters, Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. Yet, in other ways the two individuals are very different. Similarly, the two North American workplace electrical safety standards, NFPA 70E and CSA Z462, very much resemble each other, yet in other ways they are very different. This paper will explore the similarities, the differences, and the origins of each. It will discuss why both standards should be consulted by organizations wishing to optimize electrical safety performance.