Does an industrial piece of equipment on a cord and plug with wheels, still require "Working Space"? The electric controls, fusing and incoming power (With a disconnect handle mounted on the front.) goes directly into the cabinet for this equipment and varies from 120V-480V. Would this be an NEC, NFPA or OSHA violation? If there was no disconnect on the cabinet (but still has power), does this still apply?
Industrial Equipment Working Space
- Thread starter jr2431
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petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
IMO, if it is on wheels and readily moved, you can acquire the needed working space by moving it. So, I think you still need the working space, but the working space is not necessarily a fixed location.
But if you have to move the equipment to gain working space, doesn't that defeat the purpose? Osha states working space shall be provided and "Maintained".
1926.403(i)(1)
Working space about electric equipment. Sufficient access and working space shall be provided and maintained about all electric equipment to permit ready and safe operation and maintenance of such equipment.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
Say you have a piece of equipment on wheels. Do you have to maintain the working space while it is in motion being moved? Cause your interpretation would require that.
It not being supplied power vs it being plugged in and operating are two separate things. Why would you need to maintain working space to equipment without power?
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
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- engineer
Where does it exempt equipment in motion, or unpowered, from "maintaining" working space? Keep in mind logic does not matter. It is what the rules say that matters.
Um, it is exempt where they state, "within access of enclosed live electrical parts" thoughout the code. Now you're just manipulating it to sound like somehow I worded it like we now need clearance for panels we haven't even taken out of the box. Some logic is needed.
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
It is my opinion that the NEC only applies to "installed equipment" and I do not see cord and plug connected equipment being installed. It is my opinion that nothing in the NEC applies to that equipment.
I understand it's your "Opinion", but your opinion isn't written fact, law or regulation. But, by definition and regulation, your opinion appears wrong.
in·stall
/inˈstôl/
Learn to pronounce
verb
past tense: installed; past participle: installed
1.
place or fix (equipment or machinery) in position ready for use.
If you placed it in position and plugged it in ready for use, you've just "installed" it.
Plus OSHA in Wisconsin uses the NEC and NFPA as references. NFPA 79 (electrical standard for Industrial machinery), working space is required for industrial equipment (Pretty much the same requirements as the NEC) Nowhere does it state it's exempt because it's on wheels or cord/plugged.
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- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
Fine but it remains my opinion that the NEC stops at the outlet.
The official dictionary that the NFPA says is to be used for common terms says:
": to make (a machine, a service, etc.) ready to be used in a certain place"
If you plug it in, you've just made it ready in a certain place......
They have a specific section for "Industrial machinery" in the NEC which states...."For further information, see NFPA 79" or "For information on the workspace requirements for machine power and control equipment, see NFPA 79" . The NEC tells you to look there for those specific code requirements which list close to the same requirements as the NEC for workspace (besides a lot of the lower voltage control equipment. If we ignore the NEC for industrial equipment, we ignore the NFPA.
Also Don, which code book do you reference back to for the motor calculations on such "Industrial Equipment"?
- Location
- Bremerton, Washington
This would be a good time to review Charlie’s Rule (of understanding the NEC)
Although I've done rigorous searching, I fail to grasp "Charlies rule". Does this rule imply, "The code states what it states." And is up to interpretation? Or I misread something with my own interpretation without it actually being the real meaning to the code?
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
I think you interpret it the way you think it should be.
So what your saying is, if I call OSHA and they say, "it's not okay", it's then "Not okay" because they write the fine?
- Location
- Illinois
- Occupation
- retired electrician
That maybe something under NFPA 79, but it is not covered by the NEC.
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