NEC 2026 Arc Flash Labeling

What Article 110.16 Requires

NEC Article 110.16 requires a field-applied warning label on electrical service equipment likely to require examination, adjustment, servicing, or maintenance while energized. What that label needs to display has grown more specific with every recent code cycle, and exactly which edition applies to your facility depends on what your local authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) has adopted. Labeling must be updated every 5 years or after any alteration to the electrical system. That is why it is important to have a working model of your system that can be easily updated and labels created for any electrical change that comes along.

What a Compliant Label Typically Documents

• Nominal system voltage and equipment identification
• Arc flash boundary for the equipment
• Available incident energy or the required PPE category
• Working distance the calculation is based on
• Date of the calculation, so it's clear when a reassessment is due

Why Existing Labels May No Longer Be Compliant

Labels installed under an earlier NEC or NFPA 70E edition were compliant when they went up, but code requirements — and your electrical system — have changed. Equipment changes, utility upgrades, and updates to the calculation methods in IEEE 1584 can all mean a label is out of date.

What does an Arc Flahs Analysis and Labeling Service Provide?

• A facility-specific review of which equipment requires labeling, survey or existing equipment, and an updated one-line diagram of your facility
• Durable, field-installed labels with the content your AHJ expects
• A PE-stamped calculation report backing every label
• A recommendation for your next review date