NFPA Journal - September/October 2017 - 33

In Compliance
(continued from page 31)
demonstrated the ability to deal with
the subject matter, the work, or the
project."
Late last year, after studying the
definition of qualified person, I realized I did not have the requisite skills
to perform inspection and testing of
fire door assemblies to the degree of
detail and completeness required by
NFPA 80-for starters, I didn't know
the differences between the door frame
elements of face, rabbet, stop, soffit,
throat, and jamb. I challenged myself
to obtain that knowledge, and in so
doing I set out on a path to learn what
it might take for someone not working
in the door and hardware field to learn
what was needed to perform fire door
assembly inspection and testing.
I investigated courses offered by
the Door and Hardware Institute
(DHI) and found a certification path
that appealed to me, one based on
credentialed volunteers sharing their
knowledge in a classroom setting. The
DHI certification program involves
three courses totaling nine days of
classroom learning: a two-day program
and on-site written exam on codes
and standards, including NFPA 80
and NFPA 101, the IBC-International
Building Code, and ICC/ANSI A117.1-
Accessible and Usable Buildings and
Facilities; a four-day program and
on-site written exam on applications
of doors, frames, and hardware with
time devoted to hands-on study of door
hardware; and a three-day program
specific to fire door assembly inspection and testing-including hands-on
field inspection of a variety of door
openings-followed by a computer-based exam taken at a testing center.
Participants who successfully complete the program and testing are
awarded the fire door assembly inspector FDAI credential. The certification
is one that should open doors for the
credentialed individual.
And by the way, I passed the final exam
and received my FDAI certification.
Ron Coté is NFPA technical services lead for life
safety. NFPA members and AHJs can use the
Technical Questions tab to post queries on NFPA 101
at nfpa.org/101.

NFPA 70 + 70E

Electrical Safety

New provisions in the
NEC to improve electrical
safety around water
By Derek Vigstol

he weeks following Labor
Day still count as deep
summer for many parts
of the country, and many
of us search for ways to
escape, relax, and enjoy the autumn
heat. This often means heading to
the lake or coast to spend time on the
water. But is the water safe to go in?
Headlines of deaths from across
the country continue to serve as sober
warnings of the risk of electric shock
drowning (ESD), where electrical
current in the water immobilizes or

T

Boats colliding with
docks can damage
wiring, wood can rot
and lose its ability
to properly support
equipment, and water
can find its way into
places it doesn't
belong. Maintaining
the system afterward
is just as important as
the initial installation
requirements.
kills people. ESD can occur anywhere
electricity is located near the water.
Docking facilities commonly supply
shore power to boats or have electrical equipment installed directly on
them. While it is true that the National
Electrical Code® (NEC®) does not cover
electrical systems and equipment
installed within the boats themselves, it
does cover all of the installation up to
the boat.

The 2017 edition of the NEC saw
certain revisions aimed at curbing
this deadly phenomenon. Article 555,
which covers marinas, boatyards, and
docking facilities, has been expanded
to include docking facilities associated
with one-, two-, and multi-family dwelling units. These docks were specifically
excluded in previous editions. This
expansion brings all of the safety measures included in Article 555 into the
residential world, where many of these
incidents occur. Due to the corrosive
nature of marine environments, many
of these requirements are aimed at
preserving the integrity of the electrical system, such as the requirement to
use an insulated equipment grounding
conductor.
Another major revision addressed
the level of ground-fault protection
required for the overcurrent protective
device supplying the marina, boatyard,
or docking facility. The maximum trip
threshold for this ground-fault protection has been reduced from 100 mA
to 30 mA based on data from a Fire
Protection Research Foundation and
American Boat & Yacht Council Foundation report. This level of ground-fault
protection applies to any overcurrent
protection device that supplies power
to these facilities and is in addition to
any ground-fault circuit interrupter
that is required for specific outlets and
receptacles. It is important to note that
this GFCI protection required for receptacles and outlets by other parts of the
NEC must have a trip setting in the 4-6
mA range.
New in Article 555 for 2017 is the
addition of a warning sign that must
be clearly visible from all approaches
to a marina or boatyard facility.
While this is not necessarily an electrical requirement, it is similar to
the requirement to warn service
personnel when an arc-flash hazard
exists as required in Section 110.16.
This signage must display the words
"WARNING-POTENTIAL SHOCK
HAZARD-ELECTRICAL CURRENTS
MAY BE PRESENT IN THE WATER."
The intent is that those entering the
area are warned of the potential danger
of diving in. Other language can also be
N F PA . O R G / J O U R N A L * NFPA JOURNAL

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - September/October 2017
