Incorporating NFPA 70E at a Utility

In 2015, a hydro-electric power production facility experienced a 13.8 kV arc flash event that burned six people. This event opened the eyes on a severely deficient electrical safety culture in the power production side of the utility. When reviewing the applicable electrical safety standards for power production, the focus did not seem to address the hazards associated with the high energy switchgear that filled the production facility. After having a commercial nuclear facility come in to perform the Root Cause Analysis, it was identified that there was a severely deficient safety culture and lack of electrical safety practices.In 2017, the company adopted a new electrical safety program that was based on the practices described in National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace [1]. This paper will describe the process of shifting the safety culture, the challenges of applying safety practices, and the compliance requirements of multiple standards (NESC [2], OSHA [3], State codes [4], and NFPA 70E [1]).