Update To The
NFPA 70E Standard
The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace
Adds Provisions for Absence of Voltage Testers®

Reprinted with permission from NFPA 70E-2018, copyright © 2018 National Fire Protection Association,
all rights reserved.
The numerical designation 70E®, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace® and the NFPA logo are
registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Association, Quincy, MA 02169

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The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a tradeassociation that develops and maintains various standards
and codes designed to prevent injury and economic
loss caused by fire and electrical related hazards. Theorganization published NFPA 70E, the Standard forElectrical Safety in the Workplace and updates the standard
every three years. One change in the latest version, NFPA
70E 2018, includes new language in Article 120.5 (7) about
absence of voltage verification. This white paper examines
the new NFPA 70E options for absence of voltage testing,reviews the advantages and limitations of various voltage
testing and voltage indicator products, and explains how
the VeriSafe™ Absence of Voltage Tester (AVT) complies
with the new NFPA 70E requirements.

NFPA 70E 2018 Standard for Electrical
Safety in the Workplace.

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Updated Method of Checking for
Absence of Voltage
Prior to NFPA 70E 2018, the process electrical workers would use to verify the absence of voltage ina panel or other electrical equipment required the use of an “…adequately rated test instrument…”1,
which was typically interpreted as a hand-held voltage tester.
NFPA 70E, Article 120.5, Process for Establishing and Verifying an Electrically Safe Work Condition,
has always contained a step to verify the absence of voltage.
The 2018 edition includes an exception, also known as an approved alternative, to using a handheld test instrument. The new exception describes an absence of voltage tester (AVT).
The new language in NFPA 70E-2018, Article 120.5 (7) states:
Exception No. 1: An adequately rated permanently mounted test device shall be permitted tobe used to verify the absence of voltage of the conductors or circuit parts at the work location,
provided it meets all the following requirements:
A. It is permanently mounted and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions andtests the conductors and circuit parts at the point of work
B. It is listed and labeled for the purpose of verifying absence of voltage
C. It tests each phase conductor or circuit part both phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground
D. The test device is verified as operating satisfactorily on any known voltage source before andafter verifying the absence of voltage
For the remainder of this paper, NFPA 70E-2018, Article 120.5 (7), Exception 1 will be referred to as
Exception 1.
Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace 2015 Edition, NFPA 70E, 2014.

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More Meaningful Connections
Part of the motivation for including Exception 1 was to stimulate original
solutions and development of new technology for safety applications
and make testing for an absence of voltage safer and more efficient. For
example, when performing the traditional method of using a hand-heldvoltage tester to check for an absence of voltage in a control panel, thedoor must be open to conduct the test. This exposes the electrical worker
to potentially lethal voltages. However, implementing AVT devices allows
the worker to verify the absence of voltage prior to opening the panel
which reduces the risk of an electrical incident.

Meeting Exception 1 of NFPA 70E-2018,
Section 120.5 (7)While several devices on the market seem to meet the requirements
detailed in Exception 1, it is important to thoroughly examine each ofthese devices to determine if they sufficiently satisfy the criteria set forth.

Voltage Test Portals with a Hand-held Voltage Tester
Voltage test portals are sometimes installed on equipment so workers canuse hand-held voltage testers before opening the enclosure. However,this combination does not meet the requirements of Subsection C since
there is no way to confirm that the probes of the hand-held tester are in
direct contact with the electrical conductors inside the enclosure.
Additionally, the use of a hand-held tester requires access to a known
voltage source to verify the tester is functioning.

Risky Business: Potential Electrical
TRADITIONALMETHOD
Hazards
Exist When
Performing
Determining absence of voltage withhand-heldof
testerspresents aTestingrisk ofAbsence
Voltage
exposure to electrical hazards

Panel MeterRTEESTHETTESTGETAOLEVTH

WHITE PAPER – VeriSafe™ – Update to the NFPA 70E StandardK

Because of these limitations, panel meters cannot be listed for verifying
the absence of voltage and do not meet the requirement in Subsection B.

EC

A panel meter cannot self-test and determine proper operation. A panel
meter checking for voltage may be defective and therefore may notindicate that voltage is present and that the panel is energized. Anothercause for mis-indicating that a voltage is not present is if one of thesensing leads has dislodged and is no longer connected to the line.

CHAlthough it may appear that a panel meter would meet the requirementsof Exception 1, the problems lie with Subsections B, C, and D. Subsection
C dictates that the tester analyzes each phase from phase-to-ground andphase-to-phase. In-panel voltage meters are hard wired and are installed
only to measure phase-to-ground voltage.

RE-TEST THE TESTER

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Voltage Indicator
A voltage indicator is an installed device that illuminates when voltage
is present; however, a voltage indicator can be unreliable. When lights
on the indicator are off, there could still be voltage if there is a hardware
failure, such as the indicator functioning abnormally or if the LEDs fail.
Improper installation of a voltage indicator or loose leads can cause thevoltage indicator to become disconnected from its source, resulting infalse or unreliable indications. Ultimately, voltage indicators do not meetthe requirements for Sections B, C, and D.

Absence of Voltage Tester (AVT)An AVT differs from the previous devices discussed because it is a reliable
test device that uses active indicators. All AVTs use active indicators tovisually convey that voltage is not present. As an additional safety feature,some testers such as the VeriSafe AVT incorporate voltage indicators toshow when voltage is present. Before the absence of voltage indicatorilluminates, the AVT verifies that it is installed properly, the tester isinstalled properly, the tester is functioning properly, and neither AC nor
DC voltage is detected.
Table 1 is a side-by-side comparison on how well hand-held testers,
installed voltage meters, voltage indicators, and the VeriSafe AVT comply
with the requirements dictated in Exception 1.

IEC 61508 Functional Safety of Electrical/Electronic/Programmable Electronic Safety-related Systems.

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Key features of an AVT• Tests without exposure toharmful voltages• Self-contained; no need for
additional meters or tools• Built-in pre-/post-verification
test• Verification that the tester is incontact with the circuit before
and after every test
• Tests for absence of AC andDC voltage• Tests phase-to-phase andphase-to-ground• Automated test sequence• Active indication for absenceof voltage• Safety functions meet safety
integrity level (SIL) 3 per IEC
615082More Meaningful Connections
Table 1. Side-by-Side Comparison of Devices and Capabilities.
Exception 1, Subsection:
It is permanently mounted and installedin accordance with the manufacturer’sinstructions.

AIt tests the conductors and circuit parts at thepoint of work.

Voltage
Meter

Voltage
Indicator

Voltage Test
Portals

VeriSafe
AVT

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A
(no testfunction)

N/A(no testfunction)

No(no guarantee
hand-held tester is incontact with circuit)

YesNoNoNo

Yes

B

It is listed and labeled for verifying theabsence of voltage

CIt tests each phase conductor or circuit partboth phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground

Only phaseto-ground

Only phaseto-groundYes, withhand-held testerYes

The test device is verified as operating
satisfactorily on any known voltage source
before and after verifying the absence ofvoltage

NoNo

No(hand-held tester
requires access to aknown voltage source)

Yes

DAs shown in Table 1, the VeriSafe AVT performs all the steps for verifying the absence of voltage as outlined inException 1.

VeriSafe AVT – The Safe, Efficient, Accurate Way to Verify
When servicing electrical equipment, workers must comply with safety regulations that require a voltage
verification test to validate the absence of voltage. Prior to performing de-energized work on electricalequipment, NFPA 70E requires that workers verify equipment is in an electrically safe work condition. TheVeriSafe AVT is the first absence of voltage tester listed to UL 1436 designed specifically for the requirements ofNFPA 70E-2018, Section 120.5 (7), Exception 1.
The VeriSafe AVT tests for absence of voltage in low voltage electrical enclosures, helps reduce electricalhazards and the complexity of testing with a hand-held tester, and is more reliable than a simple voltage
indicator or meter.
™
Minimize Your
Risk: VeriSafe
AVT
TM
VERISAFE
PreventsAbsence
direct exposure ofto electrical
Verifies
Voltagehazards and determines voltage
BeforeEquipment
Accessedstatusbefore equipment isis accessed.

CHKEC

RST
E
TEHE
TESTTEGTAOLEVTHRE-TEST THE TESTER

Visit http://www.panduit.com/verisafe for more information.

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