Panic hardware on outdoor substation fence gate?

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jtinge

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Location
Hampton, VA
Occupation
Sr. Elec. Engr
NEC 110.33(3) Personnel Doors. Where there is a personnel door( s) intended for entrance to and egress from the working space less than 7.6 m (25 ft) from the nearest edge of the working space, the door(s) shall open in the direction of egress and be equipped with listed panic hardware.

Does a personnel gate in the fence surrounding an enclosed outdoor unit substation meet the definition of a personnel door as noted above?

All of our outdoor unit substations are enclosed by a fence to limit access to qualified personnel only. Personnel gates are can only be unlocked by qualified personnel. These personnel gates do not have panic hardware. Should they or does 110.33(3) not apply?
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
I'd say a gate is not a door, and I assume it wouldn't automatically close and latch like a door would.

Would the gate normally just be left open when someone is inside the area?
 

Carultch

Senior Member
Location
Massachusetts
Normally closed, but unlatched so it can easily be pushed open.

What if you have a situation that requires two ways to exit the area? Two normally locked/latched gates wouldn't do it, because in a practical sense, only one of them would be unlatched while you are working in there, which would be the one you can open under simple pressure in the event of an emergency.
 

jtinge

Senior Member
Location
Hampton, VA
Occupation
Sr. Elec. Engr
What if you have a situation that requires two ways to exit the area? Two normally locked/latched gates wouldn't do it, because in a practical sense, only one of them would be unlatched while you are working in there, which would be the one you can open under simple pressure in the event of an emergency.

The installations I'm familiar with padlock or chain the personnel gates in the perimeter fences around switchgear or substation equipment, and only use panic hardware on doors to switchgear rooms or walk-in metal-clad switchgear.
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
No, we own and operate the distribution system. Our connection to local utility is at 115 kV at our main substation.

With 115 kV, the NESC may be a better guide than the NEC.

If it were my decision, I'd say a gate isn't a door, and the code section you referenced really doesn't cover outdoor installations.

However, I'd also expect there to be standard safety practices in place for any employees that might work in this area, and I would expect them to include means for a safe egress (while not allowing access by unauthorized people).
 

jtinge

Senior Member
Location
Hampton, VA
Occupation
Sr. Elec. Engr
With 115 kV, the NESC may be a better guide than the NEC.

If it were my decision, I'd say a gate isn't a door, and the code section you referenced really doesn't cover outdoor installations.

However, I'd also expect there to be standard safety practices in place for any employees that might work in this area, and I would expect them to include means for a safe egress (while not allowing access by unauthorized people).

After going back and reading 110.33(A) and 110.33(A)(3), I don't see anything that states that these requirements are not applicable to both indoor and outdoor locations. Also, my assumption that fence is not an enclosure and a personnel gate in the fence is not a personnel door that requires panic hardware seems to be thwarted by the fact that an enclosure by definition includes fences.

Enclosure. 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.

So as I read it, new fenced substation installations meeting the requirement of 110.33(A)(3) should have panic hardware on the personnel gate.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
After going back and reading 110.33(A) and 110.33(A)(3), I don't see anything that states that these requirements are not applicable to both indoor and outdoor locations. Also, my assumption that fence is not an enclosure and a personnel gate in the fence is not a personnel door that requires panic hardware seems to be thwarted by the fact that an enclosure by definition includes fences.

Enclosure. 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.

So as I read it, new fenced substation installations meeting the requirement of 110.33(A)(3) should have panic hardware on the personnel gate.

I'd like to suggest a solid barrier (sheet steel or otherwise) on the outside which hinders one's ability to activate it from outside the gate.
 

steve66

Senior Member
Location
Illinois
Occupation
Engineer
After going back and reading 110.33(A) and 110.33(A)(3), I don't see anything that states that these requirements are not applicable to both indoor and outdoor locations. Also, my assumption that fence is not an enclosure and a personnel gate in the fence is not a personnel door that requires panic hardware seems to be thwarted by the fact that an enclosure by definition includes fences.

Enclosure. 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.

So as I read it, new fenced substation installations meeting the requirement of 110.33(A)(3) should have panic hardware on the personnel gate.

Well, the code section referenced doesn't say anything about an "enclosure". Everything is referenced to "working space".

But I do agree this section could apply to an outdoor installation IF there are doors intended for egress from the working space.

You have gates, not necessarily doors, and only your AHJ will be able to make the call on if your gates should be considered a door.

But let me ask you this; Can you put panic hardware on a gate? Is there any available? And if so, does it still keep unauthorized people out of the fenced in area?

If the answer to the above is no, then what?
 

GoldDigger

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Placerville, CA, USA
Occupation
Retired PV System Designer
But let me ask you this; Can you put panic hardware on a gate? Is there any available? And if so, does it still keep unauthorized people out of the fenced in area?
Sure, just don't expect it to interact with a normal locking hasp type gate latch.
Attach a normal panic bar assembly to a suitably welded framework on the gate and attach (weld?) a normal latch strike to the gate post.

Or have a simple push bar latch which keeps bystanders out after the normal locking assembly has been unlocked and fixed in the open position.

If the fenced enclosure is large enough, just getting to the fence might take you out of the "working area" since there would be no sealed room to allow the fire, arc or whatever the hazard might be to extend a long way from the equipment.

I do like the idea of at least looking at NESC for reference, since that is a very common situation for NESC installations.
 

jtinge

Senior Member
Location
Hampton, VA
Occupation
Sr. Elec. Engr
Sure, just don't expect it to interact with a normal locking hasp type gate latch.
Attach a normal panic bar assembly to a suitably welded framework on the gate and attach (weld?) a normal latch strike to the gate post.

Or have a simple push bar latch which keeps bystanders out after the normal locking assembly has been unlocked and fixed in the open position.

If the fenced enclosure is large enough, just getting to the fence might take you out of the "working area" since there would be no sealed room to allow the fire, arc or whatever the hazard might be to extend a long way from the equipment.

I do like the idea of at least looking at NESC for reference, since that is a very common situation for NESC installations.

The title to that section is:

110.33 Entrance to Enclosures and Access to Working Space

Per my previous comment on the definition of enclosures, the definition includes "a fence surrounding an installation".
 
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