What Is NFPA 70E? Electrical Safety Standard Guide

NFPA 70E is the standard that most workplaces rely on to keep employees safe around electrical hazards like shock and arc flash. If your job puts you anywhere near energized equipment, understanding this standard is a good first step toward safer work practices.

In this guide, we'll cover what NFPA 70E is, what it covers, how it relates to OSHA, who typically needs training, and how workers can start learning safe electrical work practices through a NFPA 70E safety course .

Important : This guide provides general educational information about NFPA 70E and workplace electrical safety. It is not a substitute for the NFPA 70E standard, OSHA regulations, your employer's electrical safety program, hazard or risk assessments, or required job-specific training. Always follow your employer's safety procedures and verify applicable federal, state, and local requirements before performing electrical work or enrolling in training.

Table of Contents

• What Is NFPA 70E? 
• What Does NFPA 70E Training Cover? 
• What Is the Relationship Between OSHA and NFPA 70E? 
• Who Needs NFPA 70E Training? 
• NFPA 70E vs. NEC 
• Start NFPA 70E and Arc Flash Training Online 

What Is NFPA 70E?

NFPA 70E is the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, published by the National Fire Protection Association to help protect workers from electric shock and electric-arc flash hazards .

On the job site, NFPA 70E helps establish safer practices around energized equipment by outlining how to assess electrical hazards, when to de-energize equipment before working on it, and what protective measures to use when energized work can't be avoided. It plays a central role in a comprehensive electrical safety program, giving employers and workers a shared framework for reducing the risk of electric shock and arc flash incidents.

What Does NFPA 70E Training Cover?

At a high level, NFPA 70E training introduces workers to the core concepts behind electrical safety. Course content can vary, but training may cover topics like:

• Arc flash awareness
• Shock hazards
• Energized work practices
• Approach boundaries
• Personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Risk assessment
• Safe work practices
• Emergency response
• Employer safety procedures

Training can also help workers understand what hazard labels mean, how approach boundaries work, what planning steps come before energized work, and when energized work should be avoided altogether. Since NFPA 70E training is used across so many industries, different courses will emphasize different concepts depending on the audience and the equipment involved.

Arc Flash and Shock Hazards

Arc flash and shock hazards are two of the most serious risks NFPA 70E training addresses. An arc flash is a sudden release of electrical energy that can cause severe burns, while electric shock can happen even from equipment that looks safe on the surface. Training introduces workers to how these hazards occur and why they can be so dangerous, even during routine tasks. Our arc flash training online walks through these concepts in more depth.

Consider a maintenance technician opening an electrical panel to troubleshoot an issue. Without understanding arc flash risk, a worker might not realize that simply being in proximity to certain energized equipment carries real danger, even if they never intend to touch it directly.

Personal Protective Equipment and Safe Work Practices

NFPA 70E helps guide decisions about the right PPE and safe work practices when employees may be exposed to electrical hazards. The appropriate gear depends on the task and the hazard level, but common examples include:

• Arc-rated clothing
• Insulated gloves
• Face and eye protection
• Other task-specific protective equipment

Beyond PPE, the standard also encourages safe work practices like de-energizing equipment whenever possible, following lockout/tagout procedures, and only performing energized work when it's truly necessary.

NFPA 70E Training Requirements and Compliance

NFPA 70E itself is a consensus standard published by the NFPA, not an OSHA regulation. However, it wasn't developed in a vacuum. OSHA formally requested that the NFPA create the standard in 1976 to address a gap: existing electrical codes explained how to safely install equipment but offered little guidance on how to work around it once it was energized. The first edition of NFPA 70E followed in 1979, and it has been updated regularly ever since to stay aligned with OSHA's broader electrical safety expectations. You can learn more about the risks this training addresses in our guide to how to identify and prevent arc flash injuries .

What Is the Relationship Between OSHA and NFPA 70E?

OSHA sets enforceable workplace safety requirements and has the legal authority to inspect worksites and issue citations. NFPA 70E, by contrast, is a consensus standard that provides the detailed, practical safe work practices employers often rely on to support their electrical safety programs and meet OSHA's broader expectations.

Even though NFPA 70E isn't an OSHA regulation on its own, following it brings real value to businesses and workers alike. Many employers use NFPA 70E as part of broader efforts to strengthen electrical safety programs and improve hazard awareness. For workers, it means clearer expectations around hazards, PPE, and safe practices before starting energized tasks. For employers, it means reduced risk exposure and better operational continuity when electrical systems are involved.

Who Needs NFPA 70E Training?

NFPA 70E training is relevant for anyone who may be exposed to electrical hazards on the job, not just licensed electricians. This includes qualified electrical workers, maintenance teams, supervisors, safety managers, facility workers, and even some unqualified workers who spend time near electrical equipment.

The distinction between qualified and unqualified workers matters here. Qualified workers have the skills, knowledge, and training needed to safely work on or near electrical equipment. Unqualified workers may not perform electrical tasks themselves, but they still need to understand the risks of working nearby, such as a warehouse associate who regularly passes by an electrical room or a facilities coordinator who schedules work near live panels.

In practice, this could mean an HVAC technician needing in-depth training on lockout/tagout and PPE, while a general facility employee may only need awareness-level training on approach boundaries and hazard labels. Training depth should always match a worker's actual exposure, job duties, and responsibilities.

NFPA 70E vs. NEC

NFPA 70E and the National Electrical Code (NEC, also known as NFPA 70) are often confused because they share a naming convention and both deal with electrical safety. In practice, they serve very different purposes.

The NEC focuses on how electrical systems are designed and installed, covering wiring methods, equipment ratings, and construction requirements. NFPA 70E picks up where the NEC leaves off, focusing on how workers safely operate and maintain systems once they're already installed and energized.

Start NFPA 70E and Arc Flash Training Online

NFPA 70E plays a central role in helping workers and employers manage electrical hazards like shock and arc flash. While it isn't an OSHA regulation itself, it was built at OSHA's request to close a real gap in workplace safety, and it remains one of the most widely used standards for supporting electrical safety programs today.

Whether you're new to working around electrical equipment or looking to build on your existing knowledge, OSHA.com offers electrical safety training and NFPA 70E training to help you and your team build safer habits before energized work ever begins. Explore our courses to find the right fit for your role.