While other industries in the construction field have published standards that define acceptable quality, the electrical contracting industry never has. Our National Electrical Installation Standards will define, for the first time, what is meant by installing electrical products and systems in a "neat and workmanlike" manner. Although these words occur a number of places in the National Electrical Code (NFPA standard 70), they aren't defined anywhere. Purpose

NEIS will not be mandatory standards and are not intended to be adopted for regulatory use or replace the National Electrical Code. Instead, they are voluntary standards intended to improve communications between all parties in the building process. Our purpose in developing these standards is to provide guidance for designers, inspectors, and users of building electrical systems.

The National Electrical Code (NEC) is the governing standard for electrical safety, and all NEIS requirements are in strict accordance with NEC safety rules. But over and above the NEC, the National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS) define what constitutes an acceptable level of quality for installation of electrical products and systems. They are intended to be incorporated by reference into construction project specifications. In this way they will provide needed guidance to: Consulting engineers who design and building electrical systems; Electricians and contractors who build them; Inspectors and building officials who approve them; and Customers who pay for and ultimately use them.

Consensus Standards
We are accredited as a standards developing organization (SDO) by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the supervising entity of the U.S. voluntary standards system. ANSI's "due process" procedures insure that all standards approved as American National Standards represent the broad consensus of many interests. ANSI standards are also accepted as representing official U.S. national positions by international standards bodies such as the Geneva-based International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

National Electrical Installation Standards are developed under ANSI canvass procedures, with the participation of many other organizations in the building and electrical fields.

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