2. The National Electrical Safety Code ("NESC") Presented by
Lauren E. Gaunt, P.E. Principal Engineer, Eversource Energy Senior Member, IEEE
Mark A. Konz, P.E.
Customer Service Organization Training Supervisor, Gulf Power Company
U.S. -- Africa Clean Energy Standards Program
Clean Energy and Electrical Safety Workshop
May 16, 2016
Cape Town, South Africa

3. Introduction to the National Electrical Safety Code ("NESC")
The NESC is a consensus standard prepared by the National Electrical Safety Code Committee under procedures approved by ANSI.
NESC Committee membership includes national and international organizations. Is certified by ANSI as having an appropriate balance of the interests of members of the public, utility workers, regulatory agencies, and the various types of private and public utilities.
The NESC is used in whole or in part by statute, regulation, or consent as the standard (or basis of the standard) of safe practice for public and private utilities in the United States, as well various jurisdictions and industries in other countries.

4. Without a Set of Safety Rules…
What Might Happen?...

6. NESC: 100 Years of Safety U.S. Congressional mandate
In 1913, the US Congress requested the National Bureau of Standards (“NBS”) to develop the NESC to bring consistency and safety to the design, construction, operation, maintenance and use of electric supply and communications throughout the United States
Industry consensus sought
NBS brought together representatives from electric utilities, telephone utilities, railroads, and factory owners to identify and discuss commonalities between systems, common problems, and potential solutions
Standardization needed
Early electric supply and communication systems were isolated systems constructed without standardization of clearances, strengths of materials, construction methods or operation, causing problems for both public vehicles and electrical workers travelling from one area to another or working in different manufacturing facilities

7. NESC: The IEEE Role
In 1972, IEEE was designated as the secretariat for the NESC. The IEEE performs all administrative functions for the NESC Committee. The IEEE is the publisher of the NESC and owns the copyright for NESC.
Permission must be obtained from IEEE to use portions of NESC
Permission not required to reference NESC
The NESC continues to be a stronghold in the U.S. electrical industry and communications utility field, and serves as the authority on safety requirements for power, telephone, cable television, and railroad signal systems.

8. NESC Purpose
The purpose of the NESC is the practical safeguarding of persons, and utility facilities during the installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply and communication facilities, under specified conditions.
NESC rules contain the basic provisions, under specified conditions, that are considered necessary for the safeguarding of:
1. The public,
2. Utility workers (employees and contractors), and
Utility facilities.
NESC rules are intended to provide a standard of safe practices that can be adopted by public utilities, private utilities, state or local utility commissions or public service commissions, or other boards or bodies having control over safe practices employed in the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply, communication, street and area lighting, signal, or railroad utility facilities.
The NESC is not intended as a design specification or as an instruction manual.

9. The NESC covers: (List Not Comprehensive)
1. Supply and communication facilities (including metering) and associated work practices employed by a public or private electric supply, communications, railway, trolley, street and area lighting, traffic signal (or other signal), irrigation district or other community owned utility, or a similar utility in the exercise of its function as a utility.
2. The generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity, lumens, communication signals and communication data through public and private utility systems that are installed and maintained under the exclusive control of utilities or their authorized representatives.
3. Utility facilities and functions of utilities that (a) either generate energy or signals or accept energy or signals from another entity and (b) provide that energy or signals through a delivery point to another entity.

10. The NESC does not cover: (List Not Comprehensive)
1. Utilization equipment or premises wiring located beyond utility service points to buildings or outdoor installations, or
2. Underground mine wiring or installations in ships, railway rolling equipment, aircraft, or automotive equipment, or
3. Luminaires not installed or maintained under exclusive control by utilities, or
4. Industrial complex or utility interactive systems that are not controlled exclusively under utilities or qualified persons or are located on the premises wiring side of the service point.

11. Scope: Figure 011-1

12. NESC Committee Members
Edison Electric Institute
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
American Public Power Association
Alliance for Telecommunication Industry Solutions
Solar Energy Industries Association
IEEE
National Association of Regulatory Commissioners
National Cable Television Association
Others
Members of the Committee are organizations, associations, and government agencies which are national in scope, all having a direct and material interest in the activities of the Committee, for example:

13. Committee Members Continued
The NESC consists of:
The NESC Main Committee,
7 technical Subcommittees,
The Executive Subcommittee, and
An Interpretations Subcommittee
Over 150 participants

14. NESC Subcommittees and What They Cover
SC1- Coordination - Sections 1, 2 and 3; Coordination between technical subcommittees
SC2- Grounding Methods - Section 9
SC3- Electric Supply Stations - Sections 10-19
SC4- Overhead Lines - Clearances - Section 20-23
SC5- Overhead Lines - Strength and Loading - Sections 24-27
SC7- Underground Lines - Sections 30-39
SC8- Work Rules - Sections 40-43

15. NESC Parts The NESC is comprised of 5 parts:
Section 9: Rules for Grounding Methods
Part 1. Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Electric Supply Stations and Equipment
Part 2. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Lines
Part 3. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Underground Electric Supply and Communication Lines
Part 4. Work Rules for the Operation of Electric Supply and Communications Lines and Equipment

16. Part 1: Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Electric Supply Stations and Equipment
Purpose
The purpose of Part 1 is the practical safeguarding of persons during the installation, operation, or maintenance of electric supply stations and their associated equipment.
Scope
Part 1 covers the electric supply conductors and equipment, along with the associated structural arrangements in electric supply stations, that are accessible only to qualified personnel. It also covers the conductors and equipment employed primarily for the utilization of electric power when such conductors and equipment are used by the utility in the exercise of its function as a utility.

17. Part 2: Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Lines
Purpose
The purpose of Part 2 is the practical safeguarding of persons during the installation, operation, or maintenance of overhead supply and communication lines and their associated equipment.
Scope
Part 2 covers supply and communication conductors and equipment in overhead lines. It covers the associated structural arrangements of such systems and the extension of such systems into buildings. The rules include requirements for spacing, clearances, and strength of construction. They do not cover installations in electric supply stations except as required by Rule 162A.

18. Part 3: Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Underground Electric Supply and Communication Lines
Purpose
The purpose of Part 3 is the practical safeguarding of persons during the installation, operation, or maintenance of underground or buried supply and communication cables and associated equipment.
Scope
Part 3 covers supply and communication cables and equipment in underground or buried systems. The rules cover the associated structural arrangements and the extension of such systems into buildings. It also covers the cables and equipment employed primarily for the utilization of electric power when such cables and equipment are used by the utility in the exercise of its function as a utility. They do not cover installations in electric supply stations.

19. Part 4: Work Rules for the Operation of Electric Supply and Communications Lines and Equipment
Purpose
The purpose of Part 4 is to provide practical work rules as one of the means of safeguarding employees and the public from injury. It is not the intent of these rules to require unreasonable steps to comply; however, all reasonable steps shall be taken.
Scope
Part 4 covers work rules to be followed in the installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply and communications systems.

20. Grounding Methods Overview
Section 9: Rules for Grounding Methods
Why are power systems grounded?
How does grounding power systems improve safety?
What are safe, effective, and practical methods to ground power systems?

21. Definition
Effective Ground/Effectively Grounded: Bonded to an effectively grounded neutral conductor or to a grounding system designed to minimize hazard to personnel and having resistances to ground low enough to permit prompt operation of circuit protective devices.

22. Definition
Effectively Grounded Neutral Conductor: A conductor that is intentionally connected to the source transformer neutral directly or through an impedance to limit phase-to-ground fault current and has not less than four grounds in each 1.6km (1.0 mi) of line. The conductor shall be of sufficient size to carry the available fault current and permit prompt operation of circuit protective devices.

23. NESC Rule 96A
Grounding systems shall be designed to minimize hazard to personnel and shall have resistances to ground low enough to permit prompt operation of circuit protective devices. Grounding systems may consist of buried conductors and grounding electrodes.

24. 90 Purpose
Practical methods for grounding to protect workers and the public from electrical injury
91 Scope
Not a requirement to ground. Those requirements are found in other Rules outside of Section 9.

25. 92B. Point of Connection Of Grounding Conductor
Alternating Current Systems
750V and below
Ground at the neutral if there is a neutral
Ground at source and at line side of all service equipment

26. 92E. Fences
Only applies where other parts of NESC require fences to be grounded
Designed to Limit:
Touch potential
Step potential
Transferred voltages
NOTE: See IEEE Std 80 for guidance

27. 92E. Fences Ground fence at each side of gate or other opening
Bond gates to grounding conductor, jumper, or fence
Use buried jumper to bond across gate or other fence opening
Bond barbed wire to grounding conductor or fence:
If barbed wire remains tight, OK
Use suitable connections- Care about copper to steel
Ground at fence posts if posts are conductive

28. 94. Grounding Electrodes Two electrode types:
Existing – such as cold water pipes
Made – such as ground rods and other arrangements like buried wire, strips, or plates
Rules recognize different arrangements and materials (just no aluminum)
A qualified engineering study required to have electrodes not specified
Pole butt plates and wire wraps cannot be used for transformer grounds – Only count as ½ electrode

29. 96C. Ground Resistance for Multi-Grounded Systems
No actual resistance value required.
Neutral of sufficient capacity to be connected to a made or existing electrode at:
Each transformer location
And enough other connections to make at least four connections in EACH mile. Do not count grounds at individual services
Rule can be applied to shield wires grounded at the source

30. 96D. Single-Grounded (Unigrounded or Delta) Systems
Individual electrodes should not exceed 25 ohms resistance. If 1st electrode > 25 ohms, use methods in Rule 094B

31. 97C. Four Grounds in Each Mile
This means for every way a mile of line can be created in the circuit there must be at least four grounds.
Cannot use the grounds at meter bases (i.e., customer service equipment) in this number of grounds in each mile.

32. 99C. Additional Grounding and Bonding Requirements for Communication
If communication and supply systems serving the same structure use separate grounding electrodes, bond electrodes with #6 copper or equivalent.
The change from #14 to #6 copper for bonding is to avoid building fires if a neutral becomes disconnected at the structure.

33. Electric, Telephone, and Cable Television Systems are bonded together

34. The NESC is revised every 5 years
Maintenance of NESC
The NESC is revised every 5 years
Current edition is 2012, published 1 August 2011
A fixed schedule for revision is published
Next edition will be 2017, published 1 August 2016

35. Revising the National Electrical Safety Code
A proposal to revise the NESC may be prepared by any:
Substantially interested person
Interested organization
NESC Subcommittee
Member of the NESC Committee or its subcommittees

36. NESC as Regulation The NESC as written is a voluntary standard
Some editions and some parts of the Code have been adopted, with and without changes, by some state and local jurisdictional authorities (currently, 49 states within the U.S.)
To determine the legal status of the NESC in any particular state or locality within a state, the authority having jurisdiction should be contacted

37. NESC Interpretations
The NESC has an Interpretations Subcommittee that has sole and exclusive authority to provide official interpretations of the text of any edition of the National Electrical Safety Code
Interpretations do not change Code text
Developed through consensus
Representation on Interpretations Committee from members with expertise in various parts of the Code

38. NESC 2017 Edition Publication date 1 August 2016
Effective date: 180 days following publication

39. NESC Handbook New format: Code rules and Handbook text interspersed
No single author
IEEE is editor
New contributors and peer reviewers for Parts and Sections
Publication date 1 August 2016

40. Acknowledgements U.S. Trade and Development Agency
American National Standards Institute
National Electrical Manufacturers Association
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Eversource Energy
Gulf Power, A Southern Company
Sue Vogel, Senior Manager, National Electrical Safety Code, IEEE Standards Association
John Dagenhart, President of Dagenhart Consulting Services, P.C., and Chair of NESC Subcommittee 2, Grounding Methods

41. Thank you! For more information, contact: Lauren E. Gaunt
Principal Engineer, Eversource Energy
Mark A. Konz
Customer Service Organization Training Supervisor, Gulf Power Company
Sue Vogel
Senior Manager, NESC & Technical Programs IEEE Standards Association

42. Appendix NESC Summit 2015 NESC Workshop 18 – 19 October 2016
Other Items in the Works
Ways to Engage
Pakistan Adaptation of NESC

43. NESC Summit 2015 An inaugural NESC Summit held in April
Over 100 attendees, stakeholders
A/S Pat Hoffman, U.S. DoE, Keynote Speaker
Resiliency was a major topic
NESC Visioning Sessions held to address:
The Future of the NESC
Design vs. Safety
The NESC Process
See NESC Summit presentations at:

44. Outputs from NESC Summit
A White Paper is available that addresses Visioning topics
Six NESC videos created at NESC Summit with IEEE.tv
The NESC®: Perspectives on Resiliency
The NESC®: Engaging the Next Generation
The NESC®: Focused on Worker Safety
The NESC®: A Legacy of Safety
The NESC® Summit 2015: Department of Energy Overview: Patricia Hoffman Keynote
The NESC® Summit 2015: OSHA Overview: Dean McKenzie Keynote
or (search for NESC)

45. Next NESC Event San Antonio, TX NESC Workshop 18-19 October 2016
Grand Hyatt San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
1.5-day event
Registration to be launched May 2016
All stakeholders welcome to attend
San Antonio, TX

46. San Antonio, TX
2016
NESC Workshop
October 18-19
Topics to include
2017 NESC Changes
Kick off the 2022 edition, including issues relevant to addressing the NESC’s future; e.g.,
Solar/Large Scale PV, Wind, Energy Storage
Microgrids
Interconnection
Resiliency
Wind loads
NESC/NEC collaboration
A Subcommittee 5 meeting and workshop is planned for 20 October 2016 in San Antonio—meeting notice to be issued soon

47. Other Items in the Works
New comprehensive NESC website to be launched mid-2016
NESC Handbook—Spanish translation (Handbook text only)
NESC/NEC White Paper
Collaborating with NEC key principals to address gray areas/jurisdiction between two Codes

48. NESC MOOCs (Massive Online Open Course)
Seven MOOCs in development
Overview
2017 Changes
Grounding Methods
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
NESC members as anchors and contributors
Multi-media

49. NESC Mobile App NESC’s First App IT Main Platform has been selected
Equations and Tables under development
Link to Interpretations webpage
Projected Release Date: December 2016

50. Ways to Engage
Attend the NESC Workshop to help drive the future of the NESC
18-19 October 2016
San Antonio, TX
Submit Change Proposals for the 2022 NESC
Submit Comments during the Public Comment Period
New comprehensive NESC website to be launched mid-2016
Opt-in for regular updates

51. Pakistan Adaption of NESC
IEEE-SA approached by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) in developing "Pakistan Electric and Telecom Safety Code (PETSAC)” in 2014
Statutory and accreditation body for engineers
PEC worked with USAid-PDP, The US Agency for International Development, Power Distribution Program, to develop a draft document
Not a straightforward adoption, but an adaption (local conditions, telecom section, etc.)
IEEE granted a royalty-free license to PEC
Strongly aligns with IEEE’s mission “for the benefit of humanity”
IEEE-SA and PEC issued a joint press release 11/10/15
“The Government of Pakistan on 30 July 2015 notified PETSAC-2014 for implementation by electrical power and telecommunication utilities, both private and public, across Pakistan, and the code is to be made fully effective within six months. The Pakistan Engineering Council plans to arrange workshops and seminars across the country for mass dissemination and publicity of PETSAC-2014, which was created with financial assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Power Distribution Program, Pakistan.“

52. PEC comments
“On behalf of Pakistan Engineering Council and USAID-PDP, we are really grateful for your kind consideration and encouragement for our efforts to safeguard the workforce and general public from the accidents/ electrocuting incidents in the electric and telecom sectors in Pakistan.” “It is the first national level initiative in our country and would be a great service for our people.” ”…the subject document [PETSAC]…is a dire need for the people of Pakistan…” PEC is pleased to announce Launching of Pakistan Electric and Telecommunication Safety Code (PETSAC-2014) on 14 December, 2015, 1000 hours at Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Code can’t be sold under the Constitution of Pakistan