1910.305(j): Lighting, Receptacles and General-Use Electrical Equipment

(j) Equipment for general use — 359 citations

(1) Lighting fixtures, lampholders, lamps, and receptacles. Open (j)(1) 147 citations

(i) Fixtures, lampholders, lamps, rosettes, and receptacles may have no live parts normally exposed to employee contact. However, rosettes and cleat-type lampholders and receptacles located at least 2.44 m (8.0 ft) above the floor may have exposed terminals. Open (j)(1)(i) 115 citations

(ii) Handlamps of the portable type supplied through flexible cords shall be equipped with a handle of molded composition or other material identified for the purpose, and a substantial guard shall be attached to the lampholder or the handle. Metal shell, paper-lined lampholders may not be used. 4 citations

(iii) Lampholders of the screw-shell type shall be installed for use as lampholders only. Where supplied by a circuit having a grounded conductor, the grounded conductor shall be connected to the screw shell. Lampholders installed in wet or damp locations shall be of the weatherproof type. 1 citations

(iv) Fixtures installed in wet or damp locations shall be identified for the purpose and shall be so constructed or installed that water cannot enter or accumulate in wireways, lampholders, or other electrical parts. Open (j)(1)(iv) 26 citations

(2) Receptacles, cord connectors, and attachment plugs (caps). Open (j)(2) 192 citations

(i) All 15- and 20-ampere attachment plugs and connectors shall be constructed so that there are no exposed current-carrying parts except the prongs, blades, or pins. The cover for wire terminations shall be a part that is essential for the operation of an attachment plug or connector (dead-front construction). Attachment plugs shall be installed so that their prongs, blades, or pins are not energized unless inserted into an energized receptacle. No receptacles may be installed so as to require an energized attachment plug as its source of supply. 5 citations

(ii) Receptacles, cord connectors, and attachment plugs shall be constructed so that no receptacle or cord connector will accept an attachment plug with a different voltage or current rating than that for which the device is intended. However, a 20-ampere T-slot receptacle or cord connector may accept a 15-ampere attachment plug of the same voltage rating. 1 citations

(iii) Nongrounding-type receptacles and connectors may not be used for grounding-type attachment plugs.

(iv) A receptacle installed in a wet or damp location shall be suitable for the location. Open (j)(2)(iv) 113 citations

(v) A receptacle installed outdoors in a location protected from the weather or in other damp locations shall have an enclosure for the receptacle that is weatherproof when the receptacle is covered (attachment plug cap not inserted and receptacle covers closed). Open (j)(2)(v) 24 citations

A receptacle is considered to be in a location protected from the weather when it is located under roofed open porches, canopies, marquees, or the like and where it will not be subjected to a beating rain or water runoff.

(vi) A receptacle installed in a wet location where the product intended to be plugged into it is not attended while in use (for example, sprinkler system controllers, landscape lighting, and holiday lights) shall have an enclosure that is weatherproof with the attachment plug cap inserted or removed. Open (j)(2)(vi) 26 citations

(vii) A receptacle installed in a wet location where the product intended to be plugged into it will be attended while in use (for example, portable tools) shall have an enclosure that is weatherproof when the attachment plug cap is removed. Open (j)(2)(vii) 23 citations

(3) Appliances. Open (j)(3) 7 citations

(i) Appliances may have no live parts normally exposed to contact other than parts functioning as open-resistance heating elements, such as the heating elements of a toaster, which are necessarily exposed. Open (j)(3)(i) 4 citations

(ii) Each appliance shall have a means to disconnect it from all ungrounded conductors. If an appliance is supplied by more than one source, the disconnecting means shall be grouped and identified. 1 citations

(iii) Each electric appliance shall be provided with a nameplate giving the identifying name and the rating in volts and amperes, or in volts and watts. If the appliance is to be used on a specific frequency or frequencies, it shall be so marked. Where motor overload protection external to the appliance is required, the appliance shall be so marked. 2 citations

(iv) Marking shall be located so as to be visible or easily accessible after installation.

(4) Motors. This paragraph applies to motors, motor circuits, and controllers. Open (j)(4) 13 citations

(i) If specified in paragraph (j)(4) of this section that one piece of equipment shall be “within sight of” another piece of equipment, the piece of equipment shall be visible and not more than 15.24 m (50.0 ft) from the other.

(ii) An individual disconnecting means shall be provided for each controller. A disconnecting means shall be located within sight of the controller location. However, a single disconnecting means may be located adjacent to a group of coordinated controllers mounted adjacent to each other on a multi-motor continuous process machine. The controller disconnecting means for motor branch circuits over 600 volts, nominal, may be out of sight of the controller, if the controller is marked with a warning label giving the location and identification of the disconnecting means that is to be locked in the open position. 4 citations

(iii) The disconnecting means shall disconnect the motor and the controller from all ungrounded supply conductors and shall be so designed that no pole can be operated independently. Open (j)(4)(iii)

(iv) The disconnecting means shall plainly indicate whether it is in the open (off) or closed (on) position.

(v) The disconnecting means shall be readily accessible. If more than one disconnect is provided for the same equipment, only one need be readily accessible. 9 citations

(vi) An individual disconnecting means shall be provided for each motor, but a single disconnecting means may be used for a group of motors under any one of the following conditions:

(A) If a number of motors drive several parts of a single machine or piece of apparatus, such as a metal or woodworking machine, crane, or hoist;

(B) If a group of motors is under the protection of one set of branch-circuit protective devices; or

(C) If a group of motors is in a single room within sight of the location of the disconnecting means.

(vii) Motors, motor-control apparatus, and motor branch-circuit conductors shall be protected against overheating due to motor overloads or failure to start, and against short-circuits or ground faults. These provisions do not require overload protection that will stop a motor where a shutdown is likely to introduce additional or increased hazards, as in the case of fire pumps, or where continued operation of a motor is necessary for a safe shutdown of equipment or process and motor overload sensing devices are connected to a supervised alarm.

(viii) Where live parts of motors or controllers operating at over 150 volts to ground are guarded against accidental contact only by location, and where adjustment or other attendance may be necessary during the operation of the apparatus, suitable insulating mats or platforms shall be provided so that the attendant cannot readily touch live parts unless standing on the mats or platforms.

(5) Transformers.

(i) Paragraph (j)(5) of this section covers the installation of all transformers except the following:

(A) Current transformers;

(B) Dry-type transformers installed as a component part of other apparatus;

(C) Transformers that are an integral part of an X-ray, high frequency, or electrostatic-coating apparatus;

(D) Transformers used with Class 2 and Class 3 circuits, sign and outline lighting, electric discharge lighting, and power-limited fire-alarm circuits; and

(E) Liquid-filled or dry-type transformers used for research, development, or testing, where effective safeguard arrangements are provided.

(ii) The operating voltage of exposed live parts of transformer installations shall be indicated by signs or visible markings on the equipment or structure.

(iii) Dry-type, high fire point liquid-insulated, and askarel-insulated transformers installed indoors and rated over 35kV shall be in a vault.

(iv) Oil-insulated transformers installed indoors shall be installed in a vault.

(v) Combustible material, combustible buildings and parts of buildings, fire escapes, and door and window openings shall be safeguarded from fires that may originate in oil-insulated transformers attached to or adjacent to a building or combustible material.

(vi) Transformer vaults shall be constructed so as to contain fire and combustible liquids within the vault and to prevent unauthorized access. Locks and latches shall be so arranged that a vault door can be readily opened from the inside.

(vii) Any pipe or duct system foreign to the electrical installation may not enter or pass through a transformer vault.

Piping or other facilities provided for vault fire protection, or for transformer cooling, are not considered foreign to the electrical installation.

(viii) Material may not be stored in transformer vaults.

(6) Capacitors.

(i) All capacitors, except surge capacitors or capacitors included as a component part of other apparatus, shall be provided with an automatic means of draining the stored charge after the capacitor is disconnected from its source of supply.

(ii) The following requirements apply to capacitors installed on circuits operating at more than 600 volts, nominal:

(A) Group-operated switches shall be used for capacitor switching and shall be capable of the following:

(1) Carrying continuously not less than 135 percent of the rated current of the capacitor installation;

(2) Interrupting the maximum continuous load current of each capacitor, capacitor bank, or capacitor installation that will be switched as a unit;

(3) Withstanding the maximum inrush current, including contributions from adjacent capacitor installations; and

(4) Carrying currents due to faults on the capacitor side of the switch;

(B) A means shall be installed to isolate from all sources of voltage each capacitor, capacitor bank, or capacitor installation that will be removed from service as a unit. The isolating means shall provide a visible gap in the electric circuit adequate for the operating voltage;

(C) Isolating or disconnecting switches (with no interrupting rating) shall be interlocked with the load interrupting device or shall be provided with prominently displayed caution signs to prevent switching load current; and

(D) For series capacitors, the proper switching shall be assured by use of at least one of the following:

(1) Mechanically sequenced isolating and bypass switches;

(2) Interlocks; or

(3) Switching procedure prominently displayed at the switching location.

(7) Storage Batteries. Provisions shall be made for sufficient diffusion and ventilation of gases from storage batteries to prevent the accumulation of explosive mixtures. Open (j)(7)