When is it required/suggested to use a safety chain as a supplementary means ? Over 50lbs ? Always? Particularly, High Bay type fixtures
When is it required/suggested to use a safety chain as a supplementary means ? Over 50lbs ? Always? Particularly, High Bay type fixtures
what is a safety chain?Originally Posted by Mr. Tuttle
why would you want one as a supplementary means? A means of what?
are you asking if you should have some extra means of keeping a light fixture from falling beyond what the manufacturer requires, my answer is no.
I am not an expert but I thought they were only required in earthquake zones.
Last edited by petersonra; 07-29-12 at 03:38 PM.
Bob
We always use safety chains on high bay lights in school gymnasiums
"I'm really sorry Mrs. Hurb that your boy was hurt by the falling 42lb fixture, but we were not required by the listing or the NEC to spend the extra $4 for a safety chain."
Whenever I did work in a school I had two rules:
1) Is this the way I'd do it for my own home?
2) How would it sound trying to explain away the accident on the witness stand?
The NEC is a MINIMUM standard, just on the edge of legal and minimally safe.
This also why I always include a grounding conductor in all raceways.
They may well be required in gyms, or by spec. I would not be adding anything that a customer was unwilling to pay for above the bare minimum in most cases.
there is nothing minimally safe about the NEC. By definition it is the standard for safety in electrical installations. While I am somewhat of a fan of running a green wire inside conduit just because of the sheer number I have seen come loose over the years, I am not sure that the inclusion of a ground wire makes a poor conduit installation any safer.
Bob
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