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The National Electrical Code (NEC) is a Code intended to provide the minimum safety requirements to protect personnel and property from the hazards associated with electricity. The Code includes language within the Sections that impact electrical equipment product standards. Prior to the 2020 NEC, a popular change occurred requiring barriers to separate the service load terminations from uninsulated, ungrounded service busbars or service terminals found in switchboards, switchgear, and panelboards. For the 2020 NEC, this requirement was relocated from 408.3(A)(2) to 230.62(C). By moving the requirement to Article 230, the barrier requirement was expanded beyond switchboards, switchgear, and panelboards and now applies to all electrical equipment marked suitable as service equipment. This change impacts electrical products such as automatic transfer switches. Underwriters Laboratories product standard for transfer switches is UL 1008, Standard for Transfer Switch Equipment. In November of 2021, to address the change in the 2020 NEC, a proposal was submitted to add the barrier requirements to UL 1008 for transfer switches intended to be used with services. This started a series of comment and balloting procedure that ultimately was published in July 13, 2022 in UL 1008, Section 8.1.7. This is just a single example demonstrating how the National Electrical Code and Product Standards work together to protect people and property from the hazards associated with electricity. Be sure that you are always following the most current electrical codes and standards for safety and compliance. For quick access to industry codes and standards follow the link below.