Color Coding

[kwired]

The problem is, when you have an inspector that will not pass a legal means of identification of your choice, and wants you to make it illegal. They do not have the right to force you to use a different method unless it is a written amendment to the code. Not because they have never seen it done that way before.

If it is a reasonable inspector, show them the code that supports your side of the story.

If it is not a reasonable inspector you will either be completely under his control on every job or in a battle with him on every job. Some don't handle a position of power (or at least what they perceive as a position of power) very well and abuse it. Keep making complaints to supervisors and/or regulatory boards and they will eventually change their ways or will lose their job.

Inspector is a little like a referee in a football game. They are not there to make the rules, just to enforce them. If you don't break any rules you may hardly notice they are there. If they go by their own rules they get noticed by everyone.

 

[480sparky]

........Many want a standard color scheme introduced in the code for certain voltages, I hope it never happens, as there are many methods of identification. For simple building systems color works fine, for more complex facilities where there may be many systems, there is a need of more complex identification and not enough colors in the rainbow for all of them.

Agreed. I've worked in a local facility where they manufacture stuff for the international market. They have all sorts of odd (to Americans) voltages and phases running around the plant for testing purposes. I'd give up if I had to come up with a diferent color scheme for every voltage/phase variant they build for.

 

[hillbilly1]

If it is a reasonable inspector, show them the code that supports your side of the story.

If it is not a reasonable inspector you will either be completely under his control on every job or in a battle with him on every job. Some don't handle a position of power (or at least what they perceive as a position of power) very well and abuse it. Keep making complaints to supervisors and/or regulatory boards and they will eventually change their ways or will lose their job.

Inspector is a little like a referee in a football game. They are not there to make the rules, just to enforce them. If you don't break any rules you may hardly notice they are there. If they go by their own rules they get noticed by everyone.

That's why you choose your battles! Since it was not an extreme safety issue, I let it ride. But I have had state inspectors call for bonding on the LOAD side of a ground fault switchgear, I just move it back to where it's supposed to be after he left. Nothing like nullifying the ground fault protection by putting the bond on the wrong side! He was the head state inspector called out by the local inspector because the local inspector didn't know what he was looking at.

 

[kwired]

That's why you choose your battles! Since it was not an extreme safety issue, I let it ride. But I have had state inspectors call for bonding on the LOAD side of a ground fault switchgear, I just move it back to where it's supposed to be after he left. Nothing like nullifying the ground fault protection by putting the bond on the wrong side! He was the head state inspector called out by the local inspector because the local inspector didn't know what he was looking at.

I agree you have to pick your battles. I also would expect the head state inspector to be more knowledgeable about things. If I feel he is wrong about something like in your example, I would not give in to him so easily. There is nothing wrong with asking him for code sections and "what if" scenarios. I do praise the local inspector for getting help with something he is not familiar with instead of shooting from the hip, sounds like the help maybe didn't know what he was looking at either though.

 

[hillbilly1]

I agree you have to pick your battles. I also would expect the head state inspector to be more knowledgeable about things. If I feel he is wrong about something like in your example, I would not give in to him so easily. There is nothing wrong with asking him for code sections and "what if" scenarios. I do praise the local inspector for getting help with something he is not familiar with instead of shooting from the hip, sounds like the help maybe didn't know what he was looking at either though.

He knew he was wrong, but that's the way he wanted it, and said he was going to get it amended in the state code to reflect it. You have to give up at that point.:roll: He also wanted the POCO to set a separate transformer for the fire pump, and I told him good luck on that one, let me know how that works out for you!

 

[kwired]

He knew he was wrong, but that's the way he wanted it, and said he was going to get it amended in the state code to reflect it. You have to give up at that point.:roll: He also wanted the POCO to set a separate transformer for the fire pump, and I told him good luck on that one, let me know how that works out for you!

Amending state code is serious and I would hope involves more than one person to do such a thing. And even if it gets done, when all the license holders find out, if they disagree with the amendment, hopefully some action gets taken by some individual or group to make things right. Most AHJ's (especially at State levels) follow IAEI and other similar organizations, and are not just there on their own.