NEC in the Facility, January 24, 2011

Jan. 24, 2011
If there are industrial chemicals in your facility, then the electrical department must account for them

If there are industrial chemicals in your facility, then the electrical department must account for them even if you aren't in a multi-craft environment and even if no electricians will actually be using those chemicals. The NEC addresses this issue in Articles 501 through 517, and it provides Art. 500 as the basis for correct interpretation and application of those Articles.

Article 500 contains the definitions and general requirements that apply to all hazardous locations. Articles 501, 502, and 503 each apply to a specific hazard classification defined by the types of materials involved. Articles 504, 505, and 506 provide requirements for specific hazards. Article 510 is a very short introduction to specific hazardous locations. Specific hazardous locations are named and described in Articles 511 through 517, which also provide their requirements.

Something you will notice about Art. 500 is the sheer number of Fine Print Notes (FPNs). As explained in 90.5(C), these are explanatory material rather than NEC requirements. What's not explained in 90.5(C) is that these FPNs are often highly relevant to engineering requirements or adequately meeting the requirements of your insurer. Therefore, don't disregard them.

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