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Code Clusters: Has Anyone Seen My New Tool Box?

Dec. 4, 2013

Code Clusters is a fond look back at some of the most interesting and outlandish Code violations published in the pages of EC&M magazine over the past 15 years - the item below is the ninth in a series of ten.

Joe Tedesco

Code Clusters is a fond look back at some of the most interesting and outlandish Code violations published in the pages of EC&M magazine over the past 15 years — the item below is the ninth in a series of 10. Questions? Comments? We’d love to hear your feedback! Post your thoughts in the box below.

Has Anyone Seen My New Tool Box?

All references are based on the 2011 edition of the NEC.

“We found this pole-mounted ‘tool box’ on an oil lease property,” says James Bishop, president, Bishop Electric, Duncan, Okla.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen someone use a tool box to try and protect electrical equipment. But does anyone else find it ironic that this tool box is branded with a “JOBSMART” label?

The 2011 NEC defines a cabinet as “an enclosure that is designed for either surface mounting or flush mounting and is provided with a frame, mat, or trim in which a swinging door or doors are or can be hung.” It defines an enclosure as, “the case or housing of apparatus, or the fence or walls surrounding an installation to prevent personnel from accidentally contacting energized parts or to protect the equipment from physical damage.” Table 110.28 lists the various types of enclosures and type numbers suitable for outdoor use.

A tool box is simply not listed for use as an electrical cabinet or enclosure.