Hi Doug:
The short answer is that compliance with NFPA 70 is, in fact, the law in most states and localities. Most states have passed laws that require compliance with NFPA 70. In these states, when the electrical inspector visits a site, the code book used to determine compliance with the state’s electrical code is NFPA 70. I think the situation is similar to the ITU standards, which are officially called “Recommendations” and do not, by themselves, have the force of law. However, the laws in many countries call out certain ITU standards. Similarly, UL standards in the USA are not, by themselves, legally binding. However, many UL standards are called out by law by OSHA and in state electrical codes (which typically call out NFPA 70). Joe Randolph Telecom Design Consultant Randolph Telecom, Inc. 781-721-2848 (USA) <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] <http://www.randolph-telecom.com/> http://www.randolph-telecom.com From: Douglas Powell [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Friday, October 30, 2020 10:00 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [PSES] NFPA Codes, law or not? My Friday Question, NFPA Codes, law or not? Officially the answer is, "No, these are not laws." I recently saw a clarification stating: "As a national consensus safety standard, NFPA 70 is not a law and it has not been incorporated into the Code of Federal Regulations. Therefore, compliance is not deemed mandatory. Even so, OSHA has cited NFPA 70 in cases where lack of compliance has resulted in a workplace accident." The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a nonprofit organization and not a government entity. In the USA, possibly the best known published document is the NFPA 70 which is the National Electric Code or NEC ®. And indeed, this code has been translated and adopted in other countries in places like Latin America <https://www.nfpa.org/NEC/NEC-adoption-and-use/NEC-adoption-and-use-in-Latin-America> . Nevertheless, in my view, the whole system is bordering on becoming a legal requirement, especially at the local level where Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) adopt these into their local city and county codes. Occasionally a discussion is raised on electrical forums where someone wants to point out that in this country any code which is officially mandated law must be freely available for public use. NFPA does indeed offer a "free view" but these are very deficient with regard to usability. The question then becomes, "Should these codes be law? Food for thought... Doug -- Douglas E Powell [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> http://www.linkedin.com/in/dougp01 - ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieee-pses.org/emc-pstc.html Attachments are not permitted but the IEEE PSES Online Communities site at http://product-compliance.oc.ieee.org/ can be used for graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://www.ieee-pses.org/list.html (including how to unsubscribe) <http://www.ieee-pses.org/list.html> List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Mike Cantwell <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > David Heald <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > - ---------------------------------------------------------------- This message is from the IEEE Product Safety Engineering Society emc-pstc discussion list. To post a message to the list, send your e-mail to <[email protected]> All emc-pstc postings are archived and searchable on the web at: http://www.ieee-pses.org/emc-pstc.html Attachments are not permitted but the IEEE PSES Online Communities site at http://product-compliance.oc.ieee.org/ can be used for graphics (in well-used formats), large files, etc. Website: http://www.ieee-pses.org/ Instructions: http://www.ieee-pses.org/list.html (including how to unsubscribe) List rules: http://www.ieee-pses.org/listrules.html For help, send mail to the list administrators: Scott Douglas <[email protected]> Mike Cantwell <[email protected]> For policy questions, send mail to: Jim Bacher: <[email protected]> David Heald: <[email protected]>
