The National Electrical Code has a storied development history. From the earliest days of electricity use, rules were necessary to keep people and property safe from electrical hazards. The NEC was formed in the late 1800s, and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) took sponsorship of it in 1911.

The NFPA, like other standard development organizations, is ANSI-accredited and meets or exceeds the ANSI Essential Requirements related to the development of codes and standards. The NFPA Regulations Governing the Development of NFPA Standards provide the requirements outlined in the processes for development work on electrical standards.

All things NEC

The NFPA 70 Standard, the National Electrical Code, is the most common adopted electrical code in the world, and it is often regarded as one of the most widely misinterpreted. It becomes enforceable as law only upon adoption by an agency having authority to enforce its rules. Requirements for electrical inspection of installations, EC and electrician licensing, and qualifications of electrical inspectors are usually found in laws or ordinances associated with adoption and enforcement of electrical codes.

The NEC has been regularly revised and expanded over time to serve the electrical industry with relevancy and effectiveness, and this process continues today. The Code contains minimum requirements that apply to electrical installations and systems. This Code does not contain training information or instruction on its use. 

While there is a definite need for continuous revision and improvement of the Code during each development cycle, there is a proven structure in place that remains effective and stable.

It is clear in Section 90.2(B) (2023 edition) that the NEC is not intended as a design specification or instruction manual for untrained people. This clause is related to the training for qualified people in the electrical field. This necessary training and experience is attainable from apprenticeship and other training programs establishing minimum competencies. While these programs establish a base level of Code knowledge, the real training results from regular use and application of the NEC.

Section 90.3 provides a stable and valuable road map for users and clearly conveys a Code structure that is effective and relatively easy to understand when taught and learned properly. The NEC is the playbook that the electrical industry has grown with and benefited from since its inception. The current NEC structure has stood the test of time and continues its stellar record today.

All NEC training programs must provide extensive review, training and exercise in the system of use and application established in Section 90.3. This is what all electrical industry professionals are programmed to live by in operations that involve the NEC as a core document and reference in electrical business models. In many cases, it’s the law. Being trained on the law has its advantages.

A lack of understanding

Recently, some people have suggested that the current NEC structure needs to be repurposed. Such ideas must be supported by evidence of a problem or substantiation that a better method or structure is necessary. None of these concepts are supported by such evidence. 

The reasoning provided is related to a lack of understanding and a need to dial the grade level of the Code down for usability. This approach seems to disregard the need for training in its use and application. If the NEC is difficult for people to understand, then training is needed, not a wholesale reorganization to the current proven structure. A change in structure will negatively and unnecessarily affect NEC users.

Electrical training organizations have done an outstanding job of educating the electrical industry about effectively applying the Code to engineering, designs, installations and systems. The electrical safety system in North America involves three important components: installation codes, product safety standards and enforcement of adopted electrical codes. This system relies on effective Code training, along with other industry education. 

While there is a definite need for continual revision and improvement of the Code during each development cycle, there is a proven structure in place that remains effective and stable. Generally, revising the NEC requires technical committees (Code-Making Panels) to act on proposed revisions (public input) that are substantiated and provide evidence of a problem. In this case, there is no such evidence. The NEC is not broken from a structural perspective. The experts before us had significant wisdom when establishing the current NEC structure. 

It is nimble and can accommodate any revisions necessary to keep it relevant and, most importantly, adoptable with minimal disruption.