Construction Temporary Lighting Stringers

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cripple

Senior Member
On construction can you use cord and plug connected lighting stringers and do branch circuits that supply temporary lighting on construction sites have to be GFIC protected?

Most construction sites use cord and plug connected temporary lighting stringers which are being plugged into a receptacle, and the receptacle may or may not be labeled lighting circuit only. 590.4(D) is very clear about not having any receptacle on branch circuits that supply temporary lighting on construction sites. 590.6(B) requires all other receptacle outlet other and 15, 20 and 30 amp to be GFCI protected or you can use the assured equipment grounding program.

Since the NEC defines a receptacle and outlet as:
1. Receptacle: ?A receptacle is a contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug.?
a. The female cord connector (which is a device) on the end of temporary lighting stringer is a contact point, and meets the NEC definition of a receptacle.
2. Outlet: A point on the wiring system at which current is taken to supply utilization equipment.
a. The female cord connector is connected to a point in the wiring system.

Would this requirement prohibit the use of cord and plug connected lighting stringers and requires temporary lighting circuits on construction sites to be hard wired? If the construction site lighting is hard wired and has no receptacles then no GFCI required.
 

pete m.

Senior Member
Location
Ohio
The intent of the branch-circuit provisions in 590.4(D) is to require separate ungrounded conductors for lighting and receptacle loads so that the activation of a fuse, circuit breaker, or GFCI, due to a fault or equipment overload, does not de-energize the lighting circuit. This section was revised for the 2008 Code. Metal cables or raceways must be continuous and qualify as an equipment grounding conductor. If the metal raceway or metal cable is not continuous or does not qualify as an equipment grounding conductor, a separate equipment grounding conductor must be installed.

The paragraph above is the commentary from the 2008 NEC handbook. It would seem, according to the author of the commentary, that the lighting on the construction site does not want to be interrupted due to ground fault levels that would normally activate a GFCI.

Pete
 

cripple

Senior Member
Construction Temporary Lighting Stringers

I agree what you on the GFCI requirement, but what is your option on the use of cord and plug connected temporary lighting stringers on construction sites.
 

pete m.

Senior Member
Location
Ohio
This may be a stretch but I don't see cord and plug connected light strings as a violation as long as only the light strings themselves are connected in that manner. I believe it would be a violation if that light string were fed from a receptacle.

Just my 2 cents.

Pete
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
I remember reading an EC & M article about a fatality that occured while using a temporary lighting string. It may have been several years ago.

Anyhow, I thought the main point of the article was to explain a new requirement (again- maybe sevaral years ago) for GFCI protection of temporary lighting strings on construction sites. But maybe I don't remember the article exactly, because I don't see any requirement in the NEC.

Steve
 
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