National Electrical Safety Code (NESC ) Style Manual
National Electrical Safety Code Manual of StyleIntroductionThe National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) is also known as American National Standard C2. Itis a consensus standard that has been prepared by the National Electrical Safety Code Committeeunder procedures approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The membershipof the NESC Committee is composed of national organizations and is certified by ANSI as havingan appropriate balance of the interests of the public, utility workers, regulatory agencies, and thevarious types of private and public utilities. Utility regulators in the US and more than 100 nationsuse the Code at least in part.The NESC sets the ground rules for practical safeguarding of persons during the installation,operation, and maintenance of electric supply and communications equipment.The goal of this style manual is to help improve the content and clarify the NESC for print, PDF,and mobile products by documenting structure, style requirements, and editorial guidelines.Parts of the manual were reproduced or modified from the 2014 IEEE Standards Style Manual.V1.02018-03-161
Contents1. Overview . 32. Normative references . 33. Normative versus informative elements . 44. Structure of the NESC . 44.1 Front matter .44.2 Parts, sections, and rules .44.2.1 Parts and sections .44.2.2 Rules .54.2.2.1 General .54.2.2.2 Division of rules .54.2.2.3 Exceptions to rules .64.3 Back matter.65. Style. 75.1 General .75.2 Capitalization .75.3 Numbers .75.4 Units of measure .75.4.1 Metric and customary .75.4.2 Letter symbols.75.5 Recommendations, notes, and examples .85.6 Special terms .85.7 References .85.7.1 Normative .85.7.2 Informative .95.8 Figures .95.8.1 Requirements for creating figures .95.8.2 Figure numbering and titles .105.9 Tables .105.9.1 Numbering and capitalization .105.9.2 Presentation of data and table format .105.9.3 Notes and footnotes to tables .105.10 Mathematical expressions.115.10.1 Presentation of equations .115.10.2 Numbering of equations .115.10.3 Variable lists .115.11 Acronyms and abbreviations .115.12 Appendixes .116. Editorial guidelines. 116.1 Shall and should.116.2 Use of the first- or second-person forms of address .11Annex A (informative) Sample IEEE Permission Form Request and Response Letters . 12V1.02018-03-162
National Electrical Safety Code Manual of Style1. OverviewThe goal of this style manual is to help improve the content and clarify the National Electrical SafetyCode (NESC) for print, PDF, and mobile products by documenting structure, style requirements,and editorial guidelines.This manual serves as a reference for individuals submitting change proposals for the NESC andNESC committees revising existing text and drafting new text.2. Normative referencesAmerican Mathematical Society, Mathematics into Type. 1ANSI/IEEE Std 260.3 , American National Standard for Mathematical Signs and Symbols for Usein Physical Sciences and Technology. 2ANSI Y32.9, American National Standard Graphic Symbols for Electrical Wiring and LayoutDiagrams Used in Architecture and Building Construction. 3IEC 60050, IEC International Electrotechnical Vocabulary. 4IEEE/ASTM SI 10, American National Standard for Metric Practice.IEEE Standards Dictionary Online.IEEE Std 260.1 , IEEE Standard Letter Symbols for Units of Measurement (SI Units, CustomaryInch-Pound Units, and Certain Other Units). 5IEEE Std 315 , IEEE Standard Graphic Symbols for Electrical and Electronics Diagrams(Including Reference Designation Letters).IEEE Std 945 , IEEE Recommended Practice for Preferred Metric Units for Use in Electrical andElectronics Science and Technology.Merriam-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc.The Chicago Manual of Style. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.1Available at .ANSI/IEEE standards are available through The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.(http://standards.ieee.org/).3ANSI standards are available from the American National Standards Institute (http://www.ansi.org/).4IEC publications are available from the International Electrotechnical Commission (http://www.iec.ch) and the AmericanNational Standards Institute (http://www.ansi.org/).5IEEE standards are available through The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc.(http://standards.ieee.org/).2V1.02018-03-163
3. Normative versus informative elementsThe following normative elements of the Code contain information that is mandatory or necessaryto implement the Code: Body (parts, sections, and rules) including ExceptionsNOTE 1—See Rule 015D of the 2017 Code. Figures and tables Footnotes to tablesNOTE 2—See Rule 015C of the 2017 Code. Footnotes to figuresThe following informative elements contain information that is not mandatory when implementingthe Code: Front matter RecommendationsNOTE 3—See Rule 015E of the 2017 Code. Notes and examples to rulesNOTE 4—See Rule 015F of the 2017 Code. Notes to figures and tables Appendixes4. Structure of the NESC4.1 Front matterThe front matter of the Code includes Boilerplate text (abstract, keywords, Foreword, Contents, etc.) Specific committee and subcommittee information (membership, NESC procedures,revision schedule, working group assignments for the next revision) Letter symbols for units4.2 Parts, sections, and rulesThe NESC is organized by parts, sections, and rules.4.2.1 Parts and sectionsThere are four general sections at the beginning of the Code. Following the general sections, thereare four main parts of the Code. The parts are divided into additional sections, as shown in Table 1.V1.02018-03-164
Table 1 —Structure of the parts and sections of the 2017 NESCPartno.Part title—1.Safety Rules for theInstallation and Maintenanceof Electric Supply Stationsand Equipment2.Safety Rules for theInstallation and Maintenanceof Overhead Electric Supplyand Communication Lines3.Safety rules for theInstallation and Maintenanceof Underground ElectricSupply and CommunicationLines4.Work rules for theOperation of Electric Supplyand Communications Linesand EquipmentSection1. Introduction to the NESC2. Definitions of special terms3. References9. Grounding10. Purpose and scope of rules11. Protective arrangements in electric supply stations12. Installation and maintenance of equipment13. Rotating equipment14. Storage batteries15. Transformers and regulators16. Conductors17. Circuit breakers, reclosers, switches, and fuses18. Switchgear and metal-enclosed bus19. Surge arresters20. Purpose, scope, and application of rules21. General requirements22. Relations between various classes of lines and equipment23. Clearances24. Grades of construction25. Loadings for Grades B and C26. Strength requirements27. Line insulation30. Purpose, scope, and application of rules31. General requirements applying to underground lines32. Underground conduit systems33. Supply cable34. Cable in underground structures35. Direct-buried cable and cable in duct not part of a conduitsystem36. Risers37. Supply cable terminations38. Equipment39. Installation in tunnels40. Purpose and scope41. Supply and communications systems—Rules for employers42. General rules for employees43. Additional rules for communications employees44. Additional rules for supply employees4.2.2 Rules4.2.2.1 GeneralRules are a three-digit string (possibly starting with 0). Rules fall in the hierarchy between sectionsdefined in 4.2.1 and Level 1 defined in 4.2.2.2. In addition, any division of a Rule (see 4.2.2.2) isalso referred to as a rule.4.2.2.2 Division of rulesSections may be divided by rules, and rules may be subdivided for clarity of content and to aid inthe use of cross-references. Rules should be divided further only when there will be more than onesubdivision.V1.02018-03-165
For each rule, there may be up to six levels of subdivision.Level 1A., B., C., etc.Level 21., 2., 3., etc.Level 3a., b., c., etc.Level 4(1), (2), (3), etc.Level 5(a), (b), (c), etc.Level 6i, ii, iii, etc.When headings for levels 1, 3, and 5 require a double letter to identify because the 26 letters of thealphabet have already been used, the following lettering sequence shall be utilized: AA., BB., CC.,aa., bb., cc., (aa), (bb), (cc), etc.To aid in the creation of a useable table of contents, rules that are divided at levels 1 and 2 musthave concise titles and not be complete sentences.4.2.2.3 Exceptions to rulesExceptions are defined in Rule 015D of the 2017 Code.In text, they are introduced by the relevant word, e.g., EXCEPTION, in italicized uppercase lettersand a colon. For two or more consecutive exceptions, each is subdivided according to 4.2.2.2. Seethe examples of EXCEPTIONS in Figure 1.Figure 1 —Example of exceptions from Rule 094B2a from the 2017 Code4.3 Back matterThe NESC may contain informative appendixes, including a bibliography and an index.V1.02018-03-166
5. Style5.1 GeneralConsult The Chicago Manual of Style for editorial style not outlined in this manual.5.2 CapitalizationThe initial letter of the first word should be capitalized in the following: Section headings Rules Appendix headings Titles of figures Titles of tables Column and row headings in tables5.3 NumbersThe following rules should be observed:a)a)b)c)d)e)f)Spell out numbers that are less than 10.Use numerals for 10 and above or numbers under 10 grouped with numbers 10 and above.Spell out numbers 10 and above at the beginning of a sentence. Consider rewriting thesentence to avoid starting with a number.For numbers of magnitude less than one, a zero should be placed in front of the decimal point.Use a non-breaking space in place of a comma for numbers that are greater than or equal to10,000.The value of a quantity shall be expressed by an Arabic numeral followed by a non-breakingspace and the appropriate unit name or symbol.If tolerances are provided, the unit shall be given with both the basic value and the tolerance(150 m 5 mm). Ranges should repeat the unit (e.g., 115 V to 125 V). Dashes should neverbe used because they can be misconstrued for subtraction signs.5.4 Units of measure5.4.1 Metric and customaryPer Rule 017 of the 2017 Code, numerical values in the requirements of this Code are stated in themetric system and in the customary inch-foot-pound system. In text, the metric value is shown firstwith the customary inch-foot-pound (inside parentheses) following. Extensive detailed tables areduplicated.5.4.2 Letter symbolsIn the Code, letter symbols should be used rather than abbreviations. Letter symbols include symbolsfor physical quantities (quantity symbols) and symbols for the units in which those quantities aremeasured (unit symbols). Unlike common abbreviations, letter symbols are invariant in singular andplural, they are not followed by a period, and case is maintained independent of the surrounding text(see IEEE Std 260.1).V1.02018-03-167
5.5 Recommendations, notes, and examplesRecommendations, notes, and examples are defined by Rules 015E and 015F of the 2017 Code.In text, they are introduced by the relevant word, e.g., EXCEPTION, in italicized uppercase lettersand a colon. For two or more consecutive recommendations, notes, or examples, each is numberedstarting with Arabic numeral 1 for that particular rule or subdivided rule.Per Rule 015G of the 2017 Code, a recommendation, exception, or note applies to the precedingtext within the subdivided rule. (See 4.2.2.2 for the six levels in the division of rules.)5.6 Special termsSpecial terms are listed in Section 2 in alphabetical order and introduced by the following paragraph:The following definitions are for use with the National Electrical Safety Code. Forother use, and for definitions not contained herein, the IEEE Standards DictionaryOnline should be referenced. If a term is not specifically defined in the IEEE StandardsDictionary Online, consult Merriam-Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.Each special term and its definition shall be considered a standalone item, and acronyms andabbreviations shall be spelled out unless the term is used at least twice in the definition.Each definition should be a brief, self-contained description of the term in question and shall notcontain any other information, such as requirements or elaborative text. The term should not be usedin its own definition. The definition should follow the special term as a sentence preceded by a period.A main definition can be further divided into related terms, starting with level 2. (See 4.2.2.2 for thedivision of rules.)Cross-references should occur after the definition and may consist of the following classes, in theorder shown: Contrast: Refers to a term with an opposite or substantially different meaning. Syn: Refers to a synonymous term. See: Refers to a term where the desired definition can be found. See also: Refers to a related term.The cross-referenced terms associated with these classes should be in alphabetical order, in boldtype, and separated by semicolons when there is more than one.Figures may be part of definitions and numbered consecutively, starting with “Figure D-1.”5.7 References5.7.1 NormativeReferences are listed in Section 3 in alphanumeric order and introduced by the following paragraph:The following standards form a part of the NESC to the extent indicated in the rulesherein.Cross-references to citations are given in parentheses following the normative reference.V1.02018-03-168
5.7.2 InformativeReferences that are provided for information only are listed in the informative appendix andintroduced by the following paragraph:Bibliographical references are resources that provide additional or helpful material butdo not need to be understood or used to implement this standard. Reference to theseresources is made for informational use only.Cross-references to citations are given in parentheses following the informative reference.5.8 Figures5.8.1 Requirements for creating figuresFor specific requirements concerning the preparation of figures, see Table 2.Figures should be saved as either TIF or EPS files. It is preferable to also supply the source file(e.g., MS Visio) from the graphics program along with the TIF or EPS file.Table 2 —Figure preparation and requirementsResolution Black and white: 300 DPIGrayscale: 150 DPILine art: 600 DPIBlack and white photograph: 300 DPISize Maximum width: 7.5 inMaximum length: 10 inColorColor in figures shall not be required for proper interpretation of theinformation.Line drawingsSave line art as black and white.Line drawings withshaded areasSave line drawings with shaded areas as grayscale.Line weightLines should be of an adequate thickness, at least 0.5 point to 1.0 point.PhotographsSave photographs as grayscaleFonts in graphicsPoint sizeCropping All fonts shall be embedded into the figure.Use Times New Roman and Arial fonts.Letter symbols not normally capitalized should be lowercase.The IEEE Standards Department prefers the use of 10-point type size. In nocase should captions be in a font smaller than 8 points. There should be no borders around the graphic.Remove any excess white space around the image edges.Original artWhenever possible, original source files (from the graphics programs used)should also be submitted to the IEEE.PermissionsWorking groups shall obtain permission to use any figure taken from anothersource, including from a manufacturer, prior to using it in the Code.Naming graphic filesNESC-2022 figD-1, NESC-2022 fig110-1V1.02018-03-169
5.8.2 Figure numbering and titlesFigures shall be numbered consecutively, preceded by the rule number, and in the order of theirreference i
space and the appropriate unit name or symbol. f) If tolerances are provided, the unit shall be given with both the basic value and the tolerance (150 m 5 mm). Ranges should repeat the unit (e.g., 115 V to 125 V). Dashes should never be use
IEEE's National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) is also known as American National Standard C2. It is a consensus standard that has been prepared by the National Electrical Safety Code Committee under procedures approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The membership of the NESC Committee is composed of national organizations .
NESC-PB-04-05 . White Paper on Factors of Safety . Ivatury Raju/NESC and John Stadler/NESC . Hampton, Virginia . Julie Kramer-White/NESC . Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas . Robert Piascik/NESC . Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia . NASA STI Program . . . in Profile. Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated to the advancement .
the NESC Handbook-is also available and provides users with insights and commentary on the rules and how to apply them from the experts who helped develop the Code. From a code enforcement perspective, the NESC differs substantially from the National Fire Protection Association's National Electrical Code (NEC ) rules that apply to the
NESC is cultivating a Safety culture focused on engineering and technical excellence, while fostering an open environment and attacking challenges with unequalled tenacity NESC Background and Vision NESC was established in July 2003 in response to the Columbia accident Safety philosophy has 3 tenets: - Strong in-line checks and balances
NESC PO Box 956 Moosup, CT 06354 Phone: 860-886-3449 email: office@nescmotocross.com web site: nescmotocross.com . published in the NESC newsletter or web site may override the rules in the NESC rule-book. G-19 Any rider leaving the course must re-enter at the same point or at the first point where he/she can
NESC provides tech support. Presenter narrates their presentation (can pause) then uploads video file to Camtasia Relay site Video of presenter via computer web cam is optional Eiting d by NESC video editor typically required to clean up audio or long breaks. All videos must be approved by export control for Public Release (we maintain
Where there are issues the NESC should bring together individuals that could work the problem through and find resolution. I want to: Increase the activity in the NESC and open it up. Make the NESC a route through which to explore, to question and to change how we do things Enable the NESC to be able to take decisions. ILRS SCHOOL 2019
National Electrical Code [NFPA 70] (NEC): The NEC is a set of national regulations that govern the installation of electrical equipment located on the customer's side of the point of service. All NEC references refer to the latest state adopted version of the NEC. National Electrical Safety Code [IEEE C2] (NESC): The NESC is a set of
