Cable tray on a catwalk?

[WorkSafe]

I was asked if it is the way the contractors installed the cable tray was 'ok'. They installed it on a catwalk used by our technicians in a jet engine test facility. The only thing I would be possibly concerned with was the potential trip hazard. Looking in the NEC, only thing it really mentions is that is should not be subject to 'severe' damage. I don't see it be subjected to "severe" damage, but I do anticapte workers stepping on the cable tray to work on other equiment.

I suggested maybe they should relocate the cable tray to below the catwalk or somewhere else.

What are your opinions of the install?

 

[jim dungar]

You do not have cable tray. You have wireway. Different products, different code sections.

 

[iwire]

I agree with Jim and will add that I do not see an electrical code issue

 

[WorkSafe]

That's for the input. I didn't think there was a electrical code violation, but just wanted to hear what your smart fella's thought.

 

[PEDRO ESCOVILLA]

wireway, article 362 2008 NEC. should be a non issue as lonfg as it doesn't get crushed by people stepping on it. that' s up to you, though. looks nice and clean. when i saw acbletrqay in the op , i wasexpecting to see an open trough with wiring running down the catwalk. not at all the picture. nice looking job, from afar

 

[WorkSafe]

These are Government contracts, so they normally makes things looks nice and pretty and compliant.

One of the facility/mechanical engineers for this area didn't like the placement of it. I believe the Core of Engineers had the design/oversight phase and this engineer was not part of the team.

We gave him our suggestions that it is most likely code compliant, but if he felt it was a potential tripping hazard or otherwise didn't like it, he could submit a work order to have it moved.

On a side note, a moderator could change my thread title to say "Wireway" instead of cable tray? I knew what I was looking at didn't look like the normal cable trays I see, but the engineer was calling it a cable tray. Oh well. :thumbsup:

 

[PEDRO ESCOVILLA]

would it be accessable under the catwalk? why wasn't it hung overhead?

 

[weressl]

I was asked if it is the way the contractors installed the cable tray was 'ok'. They installed it on a catwalk used by our technicians in a jet engine test facility. The only thing I would be possibly concerned with was the potential trip hazard. Looking in the NEC, only thing it really mentions is that is should not be subject to 'severe' damage. I don't see it be subjected to "severe" damage, but I do anticapte workers stepping on the cable tray to work on other equiment.

I suggested maybe they should relocate the cable tray to below the catwalk or somewhere else.

What are your opinions of the install?

This is not an NEC issue, but definetly a walkway obstruction trip hazard. It could have been installed outside of the toeplate.

 

[dicklaxt]

Looks good and not a violation but probably unacceptable in/by most facilities/clients.It should be outside the handrail or toeplate as stated.

dick

 

[kwired]

If an advantage can be gained from using it as a step, you can be reassured it will be used in that way.

As mentioned it may be a tripping hazard, there is likely a minimum requirement for the width of the catwalk, if you still have that width available after deducting space used by the wireway, it may still be acceptable.

Careful placement of any wireway, cable tray, raceway or enclosure, to prevent it from being used as a step can be a concern. I had a grain storage bin one time where they have a ladder on side of bin but it ends about 6-7 feet from grade so you must bring a portable ladder with you to have access to it - to help prevent unauthorized persons from easy access to the ladder. I found at a later time I put an electrical enclosure in bad location, not directly below the ladder but close enough it worked to use as a step to the main ladder and the guys working at this place used it pretty much every time they were to climb that ladder. Now I try to look for these kinds of things before placing equipment.

 

[weressl]

If an advantage can be gained from using it as a step, you can be reassured it will be used in that way.

As mentioned it may be a tripping hazard, there is likely a minimum requirement for the width of the catwalk, if you still have that width available after deducting space used by the wireway, it may still be acceptable.

Careful placement of any wireway, cable tray, raceway or enclosure, to prevent it from being used as a step can be a concern. I had a grain storage bin one time where they have a ladder on side of bin but it ends about 6-7 feet from grade so you must bring a portable ladder with you to have access to it - to help prevent unauthorized persons from easy access to the ladder. I found at a later time I put an electrical enclosure in bad location, not directly below the ladder but close enough it worked to use as a step to the main ladder and the guys working at this place used it pretty much every time they were to climb that ladder. Now I try to look for these kinds of things before placing equipment.

The toe plate is required to be vertically even with the handrail. The location of the trough viods that provision. The 'step' would create another violation, that being the handrail minimum height, which is usually placed at that exact elevation in relation to the walking surface and not higher/lower.

 

[jumper]

If an advantage can be gained from using it as a step, you can be reassured it will be used in that way.

Yeppers, looks like a long pre-made step to me.

I am also infamous for crawling on top of duct work.

 

[kwired]

Yeppers, looks like a long pre-made step to me.

I am also infamous for crawling on top of duct work.

same here, plus plumbing, and other piping systems including sprinkler lines. Have one place where I frequently need to access attic and sprinkler guys placed a dry pipe main line right over top of scuttle hole:rant:. It is in the way every time you crawl into the space. They also have a line in the way in a couple other narrow passages within same attic that easily could have been routed elsewhere. I could understand if a sprinkler was required at a particular point, but these lines pass right through the pathway where a person would like to use with no sprinklers at that point:rant::rant: