NFPA 70e Technical Committee: ONLY Absence of Voltage Testers (AVTs) Meet NFPA 70E 120.6(7)

The NFPA 70E Technical Committee has issued a formal interpretation of section 120.6(7), clarifying that any permanently installed device must comply with Exception No. 1¹. As a result, Absence of Voltage Testers (AVTs) are the only permanently mounted device that meet the requirements of NFPA 70E 120.6(7) for verifying the absence of voltage and establishing an electrically safe condition at the point of work.  

This clarification was issued following the Second Draft Public Comment session held in Indianapolis, IN, in August 2025, where the NFPA 70E Technical Committee clarified the intent of the Section 120.6(7) language. No changes to the standard are pending; the existing text is to be interpreted accordingly. 

NFPA 70E 120.6(7) and Exception No. 1: What Is Required?

NFPA 70E 120.6 outlines the process for establishing and verifying an electrically safe work condition. Step 7 requires testing each phase conductor or circuit part both phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground using an adequately rated portable test instrument. Additionally, the instrument must be verified as operating satisfactorily on a known voltage source before and after testing (commonly referred to as the “Live-Dead-Live” process). 

Exception No. 1 to Step 7 permits the use of a permanently mounted Absence of Voltage Tester in place of a portable instrument, provided it meets the following: 

1. Permanently mounted and installed per manufacturer instructions 
2. UL 1436 listed and labeled for the purpose of testing for the absence of voltage 
3. Capable of testing phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground 
4. Verified as operating satisfactorily on a known voltage source before and after testing 

These requirements ensure that an AVT installed in a fixed installation performs the same verification steps as a portable instrument, with a higher level of certainty in the test result.  

Clarification on High-Impedance Protected Test Points

High-impedance protected test points are sometimes used in conjunction with portable test instruments to measure voltage presence. However, the NFPA 70E Technical Committee has now explicitly stated: 

“…permanently mounted equipment used to test for the absence of voltage, or permanently mounted devices used in conjunction with a portable test instrument, must meet the requirements of Exception No. 1 to 7.”²

This statement, published in the committee meeting minutes, confirms that test points—on their own or paired with a portable meter—do not satisfy NFPA 70E 120.6(7) or Exception No. 1 to 7. While Annex O.2.4(13) allows high-impedance test points as a safety-by-design method for voltage measurement through a door, this does not extend to absence of voltage verification under 120.6. 

Implications

If you want to use a permanently installed device for NFPA 70E’s process for verifying an electrically safe work condition and meet all requirements of Exception No. 1 to NFPA 70E 120.6(7), it must be an Absence of Voltage Tester. Any other configuration, including test points with portable meters, does not meet the standard and should not be used for this purpose. 

The advantages of leveraging an Absence of Voltage Tester to verify an electrically safe work condition are threefold; isolating workers from potential danger, reducing time to verify, and eliminating human error. 

Panduit invented the absence of voltage tester category with the introduction of the VeriSafe™ AVT in 2017, revolutionizing lockout-tagout (LOTO) with a faster, safer process. Since then, VeriSafe has been installed in applications as diverse as manufacturing, data centers, and electric vehicles. To see how VeriSafe can benefit your business, visit www.panduit.com/verisafe.  

¹ An exception is an alternate way to meet a specific step. It’s not better or worse than the original step, just another acceptable way to satisfy requirements. 

² Link to Public Comment Notes from Indianapolis second draft meeting notices: https://docinfofiles.nfpa.org/files/AboutTheCodes/70E/70E_A2026_EEW_AAA_SD_Minutes_0825.pdf