The NEC (National Electrical Code) standards also referred to as NFPA 70 is an adoptable standard implemented regionally in the United States for the safe installation of electrical equipment and wiring. The standard is developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) as part of the series of standards it publishes known as the National Fire Codes. The NFPA is a global non-profit trade association founded in 1896 and is dedicated to preventing injury, death, property damage and economic losses due to electrical hazards, fire, and other related hazards. The organization delivers knowledge and information via the more than 300 consensus codes and standards it publishes, training, research, outreach, education, and advocacy. The NFPA also partners with other entities that share similar interests in furthering the organization’s mission which is to help save lives and reduce loss with knowledge, information, and passion. It has a global membership of more than 60,000 people (NFPA.org).
Applications and Adoption:
The NEC is the most widely adopted safety standard by companies and local governments in the United States for the design, construction, and maintenance of electrical wiring installations in buildings (NFPA.org). While it uses the term ‘national,' the NEC is not federal law, but due to its usefulness, many municipalities and states have adopted it as the de facto standards that should be used in construction to enforce safe electrical installation practices. Actually, various NEC versions i.e. 2011, 2014 and 2017 versions have been adopted or are currently in the process of adoption in almost all states expect Arizona, Mississippi, and Missouri where there is no state-wide adoption. However, even in these states, some local authorities have adopted NEC ("State Adoptions - Electrical Code Coalition").
The NEC code is mainly implemented by building and electrical equipment contractors since it addresses the safe installation of electrical wiring, raceways, and other electrical equipment; communication and signaling conductors, raceways and equipment; and optical fiber cabling and raceways in residential, commercial and industrial premises. Some of the issues it covers include low and high voltage classifications, conduit and cable protection, issues to do with maximum and actual current ratings, temperature ratings and the installation of electrical equipment in hazardous locations (HAZLOC).
Benefits:
Since it is a safety code, the NEC focuses mainly on the safety of people and property and is neither and electrical catalog nor handbook. In fact, it simply represents the best practices recommended by the electrical industry on how various electrical materials and devices should be installed with optimum safety to the people installing, the users, property and the general public. As such, the NEC does not attempt to create standards for these materials and devices but just specifies best installation practices from a safety standpoint. As such, the code only exists to ensure safety – nothing else (Holt).
History and Current State:
The NEC was first assembled in 1897, and since then, various versions have been published, edited, updated and revised. The original electrical code was developed through the combined efforts of electrical, architectural and insurance industries, and it was assembled and published in 1897 by the National Association of Fire Engineers. Since 1911, NEC publishing has been taken over by the NFPA and is considered to be the best and finest building standard of its kind. It is not only used in the US, but also in other countries such as Puerto Rico and Mexico (Holt). The most recent revision is the 2017 NEC (NFPA.org).
Works Cited:
Holt, Mike. "NEC - History and Purpose (9-8-99)". Mikeholt.Com, 2017, http://www.mikeholt.com/nec-history-and-purpose.php.
Holt, Mike. "Understanding The NEC - How to Use the National Electrical Code". 2017, http://www.electrical-contractor.net/Need_To_Know/Understanding_NEC.htm.
NFPA.org. "About NFPA". Nfpa.Org, 2017, http://www.nfpa.org/about-nfpa.
NFPA.org. "NFPA 70: National Electrical Code®". Nfpa.Org, 2017, http://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards?mode=code&code=70.
"State Adoptions - Electrical Code Coalition". Electricalcodecoalition.Org, 2017, http://www.electricalcodecoalition.org/state-adoptions.aspx.
