How Does Your State Rank When it Comes to Electrical Safety, and What Does it Mean?

Mike Holt is a respected individual within the electrical industry, and his company, Mike Holt Enterprises, recently released a report ranking the U.S. states on electrical safety. So what exactly does this report mean to the hardworking electrician, and to our present and future customers?

I have attended Mike’s code-prep lectures, and while he is very knowledgeable as it relates to the National Electrical Code (NEC), I think we need to add information to his report. When he promotes a study ranking the “safety” of the electrical industry based upon adoption and enforcement of the most current NEC, something selected by government officials and state legislatures, and not the installing electrician; there are many more things to consider.

As electricians, we are required to follow the most recent adopted version of the NEC, as adopted by the state. Many states adopt amendments to the current NEC to supplement or exceed the national requirements, and as electricians, we are required to follow these additional rules.

The Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) also plays a big role in the safety of the installation. Many inspectors have the ability to change or enforce different rules or installation techniques as they see fit based upon local codes and insurance regulations.

To put this all in perspective as it relates to safety is easy. The NEC sets the minimum standard for safe electrical installations. As the installing electrician, we can always go above and beyond these minimums, to provide the customer with a safer installation than what is mandated by the state or AHJ.

Faith Technologies goes above and beyond to seek the finest electrical talent, as well as train our existing professionals. We offer NEC update training and electrical safety training at all our nationwide branch locations, and would love to assist you with your training needs.

The ranking of “safety” really depends on the culture of safety and professionalism the installing electrician brings to the project. As the customer, in my opinion, the peace of mind working with an experienced team of professionals goes farther than any state ranking will ever show.