Ecmweb 4857 406wwh08b
Ecmweb 4857 406wwh08b
Ecmweb 4857 406wwh08b
Ecmweb 4857 406wwh08b
Ecmweb 4857 406wwh08b

What's Wrong Here?

June 8, 2004
Hint: This installation was found at an industrial site.



This installation is sloppy and doesn’t meet the neat and workmanlike requirement of 110.12. In addition, the restrictions of permitted fill in the cable tray have been ignored (Art. 392) and many of the conductors are subject to physical damage.

Per the requirements of 392.3(B), “The wiring methods in Table 392.3(A) shall be permitted to be used in any industrial establishment under the conditions described in their respective articles. In industrial establishments only, where conditions of maintenance and supervision ensure that only qualified persons service the installed cable tray system, any of the cables in 392.3(B)(1) and (2) shall be permitted to be installed in ladder, ventilated trough, solid bottom, or ventilated channel cable trays.

“(1) Single Conductors. Single-conductor cables shall be permitted to be installed in accordance with the following:

“(a) Single-conductor cable shall be 1/0 AWG or larger and shall be of a type listed and marked on the surface for use in cable trays. Where 1/0 AWG through 4/0 AWG single-conductor cables are installed in ladder cable tray, the maximum allowable rung spacing for the ladder cable tray shall be 230 mm (9 in.).

“(b) Welding cables shall comply with the provisions of Article 630, Part IV.

“(c) Single conductors used as equipment grounding conductors shall be insulated, covered, or bare, and they shall be 4 AWG or larger.”

About the Author

Joe Tedesco

Tedesco served the industry in many roles during his career. He was a director, senior electrical code instructor for National Technology Transfer, Inc. and American Trainco, Inc.. He was also a codes, standards and seminar specialist for the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and an electrical field service specialist for the National Fire Protection Association in Quincy, Mass. He ran his own business as an NEC consultant and is a Massachusetts licensed master electrician and journeyman electrician and certified electrical inspector (one and two family 2A; General 2B, and Plan Review, 2C). Tedesco also wrote articles for CEE News and EC&M (Code Violations Illustrated and What's Wrong Here?) for more than 15 years and helped launched the Moving Violations video series.

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