Overview
Do these questions apply to all electrical things in a lab?
- Not necessarily.
- Doesn't apply to equipment that is 50 volts or less.
- Additional regulations for 600 volts or more.
- Outdoor wiring at heights may be live.
Background
Both NFPA and OSHA have a variety of regulations regarding electrical safety in the workplace, ranging from ordinary outlets and electrically powered equipment to high voltage transmission lines. This portion of the training and the survey checklist is geared toward those portions of the regulations that may apply in a laboratory setting.
OSHA and NFPA regulations do not apply to systems operating at 50 volts or less. This would be equipment that does not plug into a regular outlet without first passing through some sort of voltage converter or it may resemble telephone or ethernet wiring. Low voltage sensors are commonly used in a laboratory setting (e.g., from a vacuum chamber to a computer). This type of wiring should not be considered when conducting a survey.
Although covered under NFPA and OSHA regulations, electrical systems operating at more than 600 volts also fall outside the scope of the survey.
You should also be aware that indoor electrical equipment or wiring located in an area with restricted access (an example would be a locked electrical room) or located at least 8 feet above the floor or working surface does not need to be guarded in the same manner as equipment that is easily accessed. You should not enter any electrical restricted areas. These spaces will have warning signage.
Independent third party approval & certification
Both OSHA and NFPA emphasize independent third party approval or certification of electrical equipment. The two primary labs in the United States are UL Listing and FM Approvals. The overall process works in the same way as UNL Tractor Test lab does across the street. The difference being that their scope of products tested are much broader.
UL (formerly known as Underwriters’ Laboratory) is an independent safety science company that offers expertise in five areas including product safety. They test and certify that products are safe to use as intended by the manufacturer.
FM Approvals certifies products and services with a focus on property loss prevention. It was originally started as a division of Factory Mutual Insurance. (A different division of this company provides UNL’s property insurance.) They started approving electrical fittings around the beginning of the 20th century. There are over 50,000 FM approved products.
ETL, also known as Intertek, is another OSHA-designated Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL). The ETL Listed Mark is proof that the product has been independently tested and meets the applicable published standard. These include: ASME, ASTM, ANSI, CSA, NFPA, NOM, NSF, and UL / ULC.
Citations and Related Resources