Are we required to install ACFI on an industrial site which provides living quarters?

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cgtsdas

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We presently have an offshore platform with living quarters which was installed in the 1970?s in the Gulf of Mexico about 70 miles offshore. The living quarters are segregated into bedrooms; also there is a kitchen, bathrooms etc. It appears this meets the definition of a dwelling unit according to the NEC; however it is still an industrial site. I would really appreciate you opinions of this subject.

Thanks
 
It's not so much a "grandfather clause" as the units were built in the 70's. If it passed code then, it is code compliant today. I don't think many people could afford to update everytime the code changes.
 
Sense this is an offshore platform we are inspected each year by USCG & MMS, which they have not said anything of this as of yet
 
cgtsdas said:
Since this is an offshore platform we are inspected each year by USCG & MMS, which they have not said anything of this as of yet
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Finding out who's "jurisdiction" the platform is in will then make it possible to identify the actual Authority Having Jurisdiction. . .ask that AHJ what (or whose) laws are enforced.

I wonder if the National Electrical Code is even used?
 
USCG has jurisdiction because of it being offshore
MMS has jurisdiction because of it being an oil and gas platform.
So the answer to your question is all both of them. However both parties reference the NEC as the guide for enforcement
 
Sounds like a dwelling, but............

Is there a kitchen for each bedroom or group of bedrooms? Permanent provisions for cooking?
Is there a common kitchen?

Same questions for the bathrooms.

Sounds like it could be considered a guest room (210.60). AFCI's would not be required.
 
cgtsdas said:
However both parties (USCG and MMS) reference the NEC as the guide for enforcement
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That might be an over simplification. For the few times that I have come across a USCG regulation that invokes the NEC, the regulation did not globally tell you to do everything that the entire NEC says. Rather, it pointed to a specific NEC article, and told you to use that article for guidance in this specific application.

As a point of amusement, no I mean as a matter of interest, the specific NEC article was incorrectly cited by the USCG regulation. That is, it had been moved in the 1993 or 1996 NEC, I don't recall which, and the USCG regulation did not make a correction to their language.
 
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