Section 110.3/Electrical Safety Program
NFPA 70E Section 110.3 requires a documented electrical safety program with risk assessment, procedures, and training for energized work.
The employer must implement and document an electrical safety program that directs activity appropriate to the risk associated with electrical hazards. The program must include electrical safety procedures, a risk assessment process, job briefing requirements, and a process for establishing an electrically safe work condition. The program must address both shock and arc flash hazards. It must be audited at intervals not exceeding 3 years. Workers must be trained and qualified for the specific tasks they perform on or near energized electrical equipment.
Why this section exists
Electrical incidents (shock, arc flash, arc blast) cause hundreds of workplace fatalities and thousands of injuries annually. Most incidents are preventable through proper procedures, risk assessment, and training. Section 110.3 establishes the management framework that makes all other NFPA 70E provisions effective. Without a documented program, safety practices are inconsistent, training is ad hoc, and workers may not know the hazards they face or the procedures to mitigate them.
What plan reviewers look for
While the electrical safety program is primarily an operational requirement, plan reviewers check that the electrical design facilitates safe work practices. This includes adequate working clearances (NEC 110.26), arc flash labels on equipment, short-circuit current documentation, and equipment that can be placed in an electrically safe work condition (lockable disconnects, lockout/tagout provisions). The design should enable the safety program, not hinder it.