Building Code Groups: Threatening the NEC?

The National Electrical Code® is the world´s best-known and most widely-used building code. Besides serving as official wiring rules in most U.S. states and local jurisdictions, it is rapidly being adopted by Mexico and other Latin American countries. This widespread acceptance demonstrates the importance of uniform safety codes developed through open, consensus procedures. But in March of this year, a coalition of three model building code organizations filed suit against the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), publisher of the NEC. Some observers see this as the first step of an attempt by building code officials to try and develop their own, competing electrical installation code. Such an effort would reduce public safety, and harm the interests of all segments of the U.S. electrical construction industry.

Importance of Uniform Codes The primary benefit of a single, uniform electrical code is safety. Since electricity behaves the same way no matter where it´s used, safety requirements in different jurisdictions should also be the same. The National Electrical Code and Canadian Electrical Code have been very similar for years now. Since Mexican acceptance of the NEC in 1994, all of North America has been covered by nearly identical rules for electrical construction. However, only the electrical construction industry enjoys the benefits of a unified national code. By contrast, there have historically been three competing sets of structural, mechanical, and plumbing codes in this country, often with inexplicable and arbitrary differences between them.

Openness Benefits Code Users Another major strength of the National Electrical Code is the open, consensus development process by which it is developed. NFPA procedures allow all concerned interests (installers, manufacturers, inspectors, independent experts, consumers) to work together writing the regulatory document that affects them and in which they have expertise. But only building officials are eligible for membership in the model code organizations. Regulatory documents are developed through "closed" procedures that deliberately exclude all others, including engineers and contractors with expert knowledge of the subjects covered by building codes. Several years ago, the three competing building code groups banded together in a coalition called the International Code Council (ICC) to develop harmonized plumbing, mechanical, and structural codes. In March this coalition sued the National Fire Protection Association, challenging NFPA´s copyright of the name "International Electrical Code." (Although NFPA does not yet publish an international electrical code, the increasing global use of the NEC has led the organization to make a number of prudent provisions for the future.)

Bottom Line Time The National Electrical Code is the bedrock of the electrical construction business. Allowing the development of competing electrical codes would lead to the same kind of confusion and non-uniform safety requirements that has long existed in other segments of the construction industry. Because of the vital importance of having a single uniform national safety document for regulatory use, all NEC users should be concerned about even potential threats from outside our industry.