If you work with electrical equipment, gaining NFPA 70E certification is a real game-changer for advancing your career. First up, NFPA refers to the National Fire Protection Association.
Having NFPA 70E certification shows you have the training to identify these hazards. While not currently required by OSHA laws, federal and state OSHA officials often reference 70E criteria when inspecting job sites. But what exactly does this certification entail, and why does it matter?
Understanding Electrical Hazards
A huge focus is identifying what situations pose a risk for arc flashes or arc blasts. These extremely intense electrical explosions can reach temperatures of 35,000 Fahrenheit! Workers with the NFPA 70E certification can recognize setups prone to such hazards and avoid them through safety protocols.
Establishing an Electrical Safety Program
CERT-qualified instructors walk you through measures that help identify and minimize hazards. These measures include labeling equipment, maintaining boundaries from live circuits, monitoring working spaces for flammable material buildup, and more. You’ll gain the knowledge to spearhead safety initiatives and create a safe electrical environment.
Selecting Personal Protective Equipment
Properly rated rubber gloves, fire-resistant clothing, face shields, and the like drastically reduce injury risk from arc flashes. NFPA 70E covers how to choose gear that aligns with danger levels in your unique working environment.
Understanding Risk Assessments
A key 70E component is conducting arc flash risk assessments to pinpoint hazards and make upgrades. With an NFPA 70E certification, you assign risk categories to equipment, select proper boundaries, calculate available heat energy levels, and apply incident energy analysis.
Applying Emergency Response Principles
While prevention is ideal, accidents still happen. NFPA 70E training prepares you for electrical crisis scenarios by establishing emergency plans, understanding first aid basics, and more. Quick, correct responses can save lives if something goes haywire.
Who Can Benefit From NFPA 70E Certification?
If you interact with electrical infrastructure as part of your job, ramping up your safety knowledge is always a good idea. Electrical engineers, contractors, technicians, facilities managers, and construction workers find 70E useful for safeguarding lives.
For skilled workers seeking careers maintaining high-voltage equipment in settings like utility plants or transportation centers, NFPA 70E skills are desirable to hiring managers. They know 70E-certified employees already have safety at the top of their minds.
What’s more, attaining NFPA 70E certification checks the legal boxes for organizations needing documented worker training programs. Individual workers also establish attention to safety diligence future employers will appreciate.
Achieving NFPA 70E Certification
While NFPA offers resources to study independently, most opt for taking instructor-led classes to ensure a complete understanding. Most trainers provide 2-4 day courses covering all key 70E criteria. Only expert-certified electrical safety trainers lead 70E training. They even handle administering the certification exam.
During class sessions, you’ll gain hands-on experience with gear like arc-flash protective equipment so you know how to operate it.
Key Takeaway
For workers regularly dealing with high-voltage equipment, NFPA 70E certification takes your career opportunities up a notch. That’s not all. They also save lives through enhanced electrical safety knowledge.
Connect with leading NFPA 70E program providers to lock in the credentials and peace of mind that come with proper training.
